A Two Week Retreat with Joseph Armstrong, Edgar Navarro and Katy Scherer in Goa, India
Chikitsa means therapy, and it speaks directly to the healing power of Ashtanga Yoga. In this two-week immersion, led by Joseph, Edgar and Katy, you will be presented with a holistic and inclusive program exploring the power of traditional Ashtanga. Together we will establish a strong foundation for beginners while also delving into the more subtle realms of breath, philosophy, and the deeper dimensions of practice.
Each day begins with a Mysore-style practice, where Joseph, Edgar and Katy will work closely with students, meeting each practitioner where they are as they explore both inner and outer alignment. Beginners will be carefully supported as they enter the method, while experienced practitioners will receive attentive guidance and hands-on assists as they deepen their relationship to the practice.
The immersion unfolds through a full daily rhythm of practice and study. After Mysore, we gather for traditional chanting and pranayama, exploring the powerful role of breath as an integral part of the Ashtanga method. Late morning sessions continue the learning with lectures, workshops, and practical clinics covering topics such as the history and philosophy of yoga, hands-on adjustments, injury prevention, conditioning, and mobility for the demands of the Ashtanga sequence.
Throughout the two weeks we will explore the essential mechanics of folding, twisting, opening and balancing, while also investigating the seemingly impossible—backbends, inversions and transitions—that make this practice so dynamic, fascinating and alive. Through adjustment clinics and asana workshops, students will gain deeper insight into both the technical and energetic dimensions of practice.
At the same time, our lectures on Genealogy of the Yogi place the practice in its broader historical and philosophical context, tracing the story of yoga from its ancient origins through medieval traditions and into the modern world. These discussions invite curiosity, critical thinking and an open exploration of how yoga continues to evolve.
Know that we pride ourselves on being friendly, approachable and relatable, and have designed this program as a grounded yet transformative immersion into the healing power of Ashtanga Yoga. Over two weeks of shared practice, study and community, students experience the rare opportunity to live within the rhythm of the method.
We invite you to join us and look forward to sharing the power of connection, practice and community with you.
Course Schedule
Dates: November 7 – November 21, 2026
Below is our working weekly schedule. Please note that there may be changes made to optimize the experience!
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Arrival to the retreat, with rooms available after 2pm.
6pm: Welcome Meeting and Diner.
(Your attendance to this is important as we set the tone and build connection.)6:30pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
12pm – 2pm: Workshop
Injury Prevention, Conditioning & Mobility for Ashtanga 1: Upper Body- Shoulders, Wrists Upper Back2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 1pm: Adjustments Clinic
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 1pm: Adjustments Clinic
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am: Led Full Primary with Kathy
8:30 Conference and Q&A
10am Brunch
Afternoon off
6pm Dinner
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Rest and/or Adventure Day
10am: Special Saturday Brunch
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
12pm – 2pm: Workshop
Injury Prevention, Conditioning & Mobility for Ashtanga 2: Lower Body- Hips, Hamstrings and Knees2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 1pm: Adjustments Clinic
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
-
7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
-
7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 1pm: Adjustments Clinic
2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
-
7am-9am: Morning Mysore with Joseph, Edgar & Kathy
9am – 9:15am: Chanting
9:15am-10am: Pranayama
10am: Breakfast
11am – 12pm: Genealogy of the Yogi: History and Philosophy
12pm – 2pm: Workshop:
Struggle Pose Asana Clinic with Joseph, Edgar and Katy2pm: Chai and Fruits
6pm: Dinner
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7am: Led Full Primary with Joseph Edgar
8:30am: Conference and Q&A
10am: Brunch
5pm: Closing Puja
6pm: Dinner
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9am: Check out from rooms
10am: Breakfast
Class Descriptions
Chanting Class
Chant mantras, asana names, and Sanskrit numbers as taught in the Sharath Yoga Centre chanting class with Laksmish.
Pranayama
A compassionate, all-levels presentation of the traditional Ashtanga pranayama sequence, including ujjayi, nadi shodhana, kumbhaka, and sitali.
Conference and Q&A
A short yoga talk followed by an open Q&A forum to explore your questions about the practice.
Mysore Style
A traditional, self-guided practice space with hands-on adjustments to support students’ individual journeys. The foundation is the Jois Lineage sequencing, tailored to each practitioner’s level.
Workshop Descriptions
Adjustments Clinic
Come get inspired as we ask the big questions surrounding the art of hands on assists! Why do an adjustment at all? How do I do one safely? Where do I touch, and how much pressure? As a student, how can I best receive an adjustment?
Whether you’re already teaching and want to learn new skills, or you’re a practitioner looking to better understand the technique of hands on assists, this course is for anyone called to deepen their knowledge of yoga poses and their benefits.
Touch is a powerful form of communication and is oftentimes much more successful than demonstrating or verbally explaining a pose. Good alignment and assists, when informed by breath, philosophy and a meditative mind can unlock the magic of yoga practice. Under Joseph’s energetic and fun loving guidance, you will leave with some new friends, feeling confident in knowing when, why and how to use these adjustments.
Some topics covered:
– Why assist at all?
– Technical and Energetic Approaches
– Teaching Methodology
– Entering and Exiting Adjustments
– Breath and Band
– Asana Addiction
– Balancing Effort and Ease
– How to approach different body and personality types
– Philosophical underpinnings of asana
Injury Prevention, Conditioning & Mobility for Ashtanga
During the retreat we will offer two workshops dedicated to supporting a strong and sustainable Ashtanga practice. Most long-term practitioners will have experienced some form of strain or injury at some point — it tends to come with the territory of practising a demanding sequence with enthusiasm and consistency.
These sessions take a slightly more practical look at how we support the body alongside the practice. When strength, stability and mobility develop together, the practice generally feels more supported, the joints tend to complain a little less, and things work more efficiently over time.
Across the two sessions we will look at both the upper and lower body — including shoulders, wrists, hips, hamstrings and knees — exploring how conditioning and mobility work can support the demands of the Ashtanga sequence. The workshops combine short discussions with practical exercises that you can easily take away and integrate into your own warm-up or regular practice.
Workshop 1: Upper Body — Shoulders, Wrists & Upper Back
In this workshop we’ll focus on the wrists, shoulders and upper back, which quietly do a great deal of work in vinyasas, arm balances and backbends. These areas are also often the first to let us know when something in the system isn’t quite working as well as it could.
We’ll look at common issues such as wrist sensitivity, shoulder irritation and limited movement in the upper back, and explore straightforward conditioning and mobility exercises that can help improve stability, build strength and make the upper body a little more cooperative during practice.
Workshop 2: Lower Body — Hips, Hamstrings & Knees
This session turns to the lower body, focusing on the hips, hamstrings and knees — areas that are regularly challenged through forward folds, hip rotation and lotus-based postures.
We’ll look at some of the common patterns that can lead to strain in these areas (particularly when the hips are less enthusiastic than the knees), and work with simple strength and mobility exercises designed to support healthier movement and a more balanced, resilient practice over time.
Struggle Pose Asana Clinic
In this session, we’ll take student requests to break down “struggle poses” and the recipe for success each requires. We’ll explore the strength, flexibility, and alignment essential for these challenging postures. Volunteers may have their alignment workshopped as a way for the group to understand how poses evolve in different bodies.
Genealogy of a Yogi
Imagine the roots and branches of a great tree and you’ll understand the complex and ever changing story of yoga. From a literal fire ritual in ancient India to the designer clothes that fill modern yoga studios around the world, these lectures will trace the winding path of yoga through the generations.
Topics covered will be organized around three periods. First explore yogas’ ancient origins through an exploration of Proto yoga and key readings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, and Yoga Sutras. Next journey through the medieval world, as we delve into the Tantric, Hatha and Bhakti traditions. Finally, the modern context takes center stage as we study the defining characteristics of yoga in recent times, including everything from Krishnamacharya’s postural yoga to Guru scandals, and wisdom of key modern texts.
This course places you at the center of the discussion, encouraging critical thought and an open mind. You will learn how yoga has never been just one thing and how you are playing a powerful role in how the next generation will practice.
About the teachers
Joseph Armstrong is a level 2 teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, having received authorization from Paramamguru Sharath Jois in 2019 . He teaches yoga with feet planted firmly in tradition and gaze turned towards the future. His search for a more present and peaceful life first led him to the practice in 2008. A few years later he was in India, studying intensively.
After finally overcoming a long struggle with addiction, Joseph began experimenting with Ashtanga Yoga. He understood quickly that the lineage was calling to him to deepen his practice. He underwent a 2 year apprenticeship program at the world renowned Miami Life Center, continuing his education under his teachers Tim Feldmann and Kino MacGregor. In 2016 he completed 2 months of study in Mysore under Sharath Jois. 2017 brought Joseph to Guatemala where he taught Mysore Style for over a year while also traveling and giving workshops in Europe and the Americas. 2019 brought him back to Miami and his yoga family at MLC.
Joseph teaches yoga because attempts to do any and everything else ended disastrously. But when he finally devoted himself to his passion, he became an asset to himself and others. He hopes his practice allows him to be ever more loving and to exist gently.
Edgar Navarro is one of the directors of Miami Life Center, a vibrant yoga studio nestled in the heart of the energetic city of Miami. With a passion for holistic well-being and a deep-rooted love for yoga and Breathwork, Edgar works to create a space where individuals can embark on transformative journeys of self-discovery and mindfulness. Edgar has trained under the guidance of teachers like Sharath Jois, Mark Linksman, Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Eddie Stern, Robert Moses and many more.
Katy Scherer is an Authorised Ashtanga and Breathwork teacher based in Bonn, Germany. She is the co-founder and owner of The Vinyasa People, a yoga studio and community hub, Yin Nation, a yoga and lifestyle store, and The Pilates People.
An Ashtangi at heart, Katy loves exploring the space where tradition and modernity meet — sometimes harmonious, sometimes provocative, always transformative. She spent several months studying in Mysore under Sharath Jois, receiving his Authorisation to teach Ashtanga Yoga in 2022.
While her roots are grounded in traditional practice, her curiosity has always extended beyond it. After years of practising classical pranayama, she began exploring modern breathwork methods and quickly experienced the powerful and often life-changing impact of the breath. Today her work blends traditional pranayama, modern breath science and dynamic breathwork practices, creating a space where students can explore the breath deeply, safely and with curiosity.
As a practitioner, teacher, business owner, wife and mother, Katy’s approach to practice is shaped by the realities of modern life. She believes deeply in honouring tradition while allowing practices to evolve, creating spaces that support people not only on the mat, but within the full complexity of their lives.
You can book this retreat via the official website of Purple Valley Yoga: