VRINDA SCHOOL OF YOGA - Yoga Retreat Center in Varkala - Thiruvananthapuram, India

Life changing experience. I couldn't say enough wonderful things about Vrinda school and their amazing owners! Praveen is great therapist (highly recommended for Ayurvedic treatment) also very involved manager who always take care about every detail to make all students happy and dr Malathi is astonishing human being and superb yoga teacher! She made us understand philosophy of yoga and love daily asanas practice. Everything was nicely and smoothly organized and 28 days passed way too quick! I'm very lucky to start my yogi spiritual journey right here in Varkala surrounded by the ocean and marvelous people! I can highly recommend this yoga school because of the price and all services.

Going to Vrinda school of yoga was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it to everyone. Dr Malathi is a wonderful teacher with so much knowledge, experience and a lovely nature, truly an inspiration. Praveen is a great manager and very helpful, I had problems with my luggage not arriving with me at the airport and Praveen took care of it and communicated with the airport and got it delivered within a day. We also had another teacher Sana who was also a wonderful teacher. I learnt a lot about all aspects of yoga, and really felt positive changes within myself from being there for only one month, would love to have stayed longer, will hopefully return in the future. I felt welcomed and safe from the beginning it felt like family. Wether your interested in yoga, want new experiences, learning, healing, doing something for yourself, I would highly recommend Vrinda school of yoga! I loved it. Thank you again

Best Yoga teacher is for me Dr. Malathi, she is also a very talented stories teller, so philosophy class is never boring! She is a beautiful soul and I hope she falls in love with a good person and do the Yoga school with a soulmate!

Doing my 200h teacher training at vrinda school was the best decision. The school is truly the best place to do the training. Malathi is such a good soul and was almost like a ,,mom" to us, she was so caring and helpful in all the ways. The whole team makes you feel like at home. The training itself was really professional, I practiced yoga before for over 10 years, but I never had such a good Yoga teacher as Malathi is. Besides the very professional and good yoga course, the overall experience at the school is great. The food is amazing and everyday freshly cooked by Chechee. Praveen (the manager of the school) is super friendly and helpful and loves to talk about what different foods and vegetables they will be using for the day. The location of the school changed in may 2023, the building is new and the rooms are really comfortable and clean. There are 2 yoga shalas. We truly had a blast being there. It was a life changing month and I would 100% recommend to everyone.

Has to be the best school for yoga and not just for varkala but the whole of india and further afar than that, the teacher malathi Is so nice and so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and warm and an ayurvedic doctor, and her husband praveen is an expert ayurvedic masseuse who has even treated the president of Ethiopia. The 200h course includes accommodation and satvic food to nourish you all the way though from 2 really friendly cooks and its a really fair price. Me and my partner learnt so much in the month we spent there and have left with not only skill and knowledge but feeling like apart of the vrinda family. We love you malathi and praveen and will always come back to say hello when we're in s.india. thanks for everything x

Really loved taking the 200- hour yoga teacher training course here! Learned so much with Malathi and Shibin not just about the Yogi lifestayle and the poses but also about teaching itself. The course was very informational and delivered in an engaging way. The food was delicious and fresh. We were kept on a Sattvic diet so expect a great cleanse. With 4 hours of yoga everyday (except for Sunday) and a wholesome diet, every one in our course lost weight. I have never felt so good! Stayed in a rented room across from the school that the school set up for us. The family was very nice and hospitable. The room was clean and spacious. The school was about a 3 mintute walk to the beach and a 10 walk to town to get fruit, coconut water and anything else you need. Great choice!

I came to Vrinda School of Yoga for the 200hr TTC and enjoyed it so much that I decided to extend my stay for an additional month and enroll in the 300hr TTC. The transformation I've undergone during this time has been incredible. This is due to regular practice and discipline, but also wonderful people and daily swimming in the ocean close to the school. If you're seeking a well-rounded approach to learning that emphasizes discipline while respecting individual freedoms, then this school and teacher training course is perfect for you. I think that there is also a nice balance between the spiritual atmosphere and the scientific approach (The teacher has huge knowledge and e.g. anatomy classes are super interesting and she is doing a lot of comparisons of Eastern and Western knowledge referring to scientific research). The food provided at the school deserves special mention as well. It is truly exceptional, with a strong emphasis on quality and locally sourced ingredients! On site you can also take advantage of massages, which are a really nice boost for everyday practice. I highly, highly recommend Vrinda School of Yoga!

TL;dr Great experience. Knowledgable teachers. Ample food (didnt take many photos but always had enough for seconds). 4 hours of yoga daily. 4-5 hours of class daily. No issues with accomodation with our February batch. Beach is 10 minutes from the school, down a steep cliff. They take feedback seriously and adjust accordingly. Notes: Bring a yoga mat, or buy one in town for $5. You can pay for the school in Rupee or your own currency. No AC in rooms unless you upgrade for the extra (500 rupee a night but depends on the house). Shared rooms with single beds or double beds for couples. ATMs are a bit far and have withdrawel limits, plan ahead. Power outages are common, any time of day. You can rent a scooter from the school. The wall of text: I wad worried before starting in February due to the wave of bad reviews. Seems like January batch had a worse experience but it did not repeat for us. Ample food and no issues witu accomodation. Class size was about 28. Overall this was a positive experience. New to yoga so I learned a lot. Most people had lots of yoga experience. They cover history of yoga, its origins, benefits and of course theory. Lots and lots of theory classes (fans running in class but it does get hot mid day). You will learn things about human anatomy relevant to yoga and your instruction skills. Food was good. Its satvic, so mostly plain but you get used to it. Lunch is the biggest meal. Attached pictures are special meals for graduation which were excellent but not satvic. There are always seconds if you want more. Restaurants nearby if you need a break or want something else. Enough time to eat elsewhere and make it to class. First two weeks were spent doing yoga. Last two focused about 2 hours a day on instruction and posture correction. All the staff are warm and welcoming. Very friendly people and glad we got to know them.