Ashtanga Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat
with Tammy Hervitz and Sahana Murthy
Mysore, India, August 24 to September 6, 2026
2-week Ayurveda and Ashtanga Yoga retreat, 14 days and 13 nights
We invite you to a retreat in Mysore, Karnataka, South India, the birth place of this yoga practice combined with the wisdom of Ayurveda to support yogic health and nutrition.
This is an encounter between two sister traditions that have grown side by side for thousands of years, and an opportunity to explore more deeply and enrich your practice and daily life,
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Schedule DAILY PROGRAM:
7:00 - 9:30am- Ashtanga Yoga practice with Tammy
10:00 - 10:3 am- Light breakfast/chai/fruits
11am -1pm - Ayurveda programming, Yoga
1-2pm - Lunch
3-6pm Afternoon program or somedays free time
6:30 PM- Dinner
Evening- Free time/optional activities
DAY 1 - Monday
Arrival Day
•Arrival
•Check-in and settle
• 4:00- 6:00pm Opening Circle
•6:30pm Welcome dinner
DAY 2 - Tuesday
Introduction to Ayurveda & Cooking
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30am light breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:00am-1:30pm-Ayurvedic Doctor Lecture #1
•Understanding Ayurveda basics
•The three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha)
•Individual constitution assessment
•Q&A
1:30-2:30pm Lunch
Free time
4:00 - 6:00 PM-Yoga/Philosophy session with Tammy
6:30pm Dinner & rest
DAY 3 - Wednesday
Ayurvedic Wisdom & Farm Visit
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10-10:30am light breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:00am-1:00pm Farm Visit Next Door
•Tour the organic farm
•Learn what they grow and why
•Understanding sustainable farming
1:30-2:30pm Lunch
2:30-5:30pm Ayurveda cooking class
Dose & Fermentation, Side dishes, we all prepare together
Evening- 5:30pm Dinner & rest (Eat what we prepare)
DAY 4 - Thursday
Mysore Palace & Devaraja Market
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:00am-5:00pm-Cultural Excursion
•Explore Devaraja Market
•Learn about local ingredients, spices, seasonal produce
•Shopping for tomorrow's cooking class
-Visit Mysore Palace (guided tour)
•Evening chai at a local café
-Dinner at a Dose place in town.
Back home & Rest
DAY 5 - Friday
Market to Table Cooking
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
10:30am 1:00 PM-Cooking Session: Market Ingredients
•Cook with the ingredients we bought yesterday
•Traditional recipes using local, seasonal produce
•Hands-on preparation
1:00 - 2:00 PM- Lunch (our market meal)
Free time
4:30PM - 6 PM-Yoga/Philosophy session with Tammy
Evening- Dinner & rest
DAY 6 – Saturday
7:30-10:00am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
Full Day Off - Explore Mysore
•Visit Chamundi Hills
•Shop for souvenirs
•Explore cafés and restaurants
•Spa treatments (optional)
•Personal time
DAY 7 - Sunday
Village Immersion
Morning: No Yoga on this day
9am Breakfast
10am onwards-Full Day Village Visit
•Travel to nearby village
•Meet with local women
•Learn about their daily life and food practices
•Postpartum food traditions
•Puberty rituals and customs
•Women's health through food
•Cook and share a meal with village families
•Q&A about traditional practices
Evening - Return to property, light dinner, rest
DAY 8 - Monday
Ayurvedic Wellness Experience
7:30-9:00am Morning: Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
9:30-10am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
10:30am Ayurveda Center Visit
•Travel to local Ayurveda center
•Traditional Ayurvedic massage for everyone
•Understanding treatments and therapies
•Snacks/ Tea at the Ayurveda center (traditional medicinal meal)
•Tour of facility
•Q&A with practitioners
Evening - Return to property, dinner, rest
DAY 9 - Tuesday
Ayurvedic Medicine & Herbal Remedies
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:30am-1:30pm - Ayurvedic Doctor Lecture #2
•Digestion and gut health (Agni in depth)
•Common digestive disorders and solutions
•Detoxification in Ayurveda
•Seasonal cleansing practices
•Personal Q&A
4:30-6:00pm Yoga/Philosophy session with Tammy
DAY 10 - Wednesday
Grandmother's Kitchen & Sunset
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:00am-1:00pm-Guest Grandmother/Local Cook Session
•Invite local grandmother to cook a traditional recipe
•Stories and food wisdom
•Cultural food practices
•Hands-on cooking together (Make dessert/Snack etc)
•Family traditions
1:30pm - Lunch
4:00-6:00pm Pranayama/ another session with Tammy
Evening- Return, light dinner, rest
DAY 11 - Thursday
UNESCO Heritage Excursion
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:00am Somanathapura Temple Excursion
•Travel to Somanathapura (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
•Guided tour of ancient Hoysala temple
•Architectural marvel and history
•Lunch and free time at Gokulam
DAY 12 - Friday
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11:30am-1:00pm Cooking Class with Ayurveda Expert.
Traditional Ayurveda cooking
•Ancient food preparations
•Regional recipes for women's health
•Demo cooking traditional dishes
•Herbal remedies in food
1:00 - 2:00 PM- Lunch
3-5pm - Hands on cooking with the Ayurveda expert.
6pm - Dinner (what we cooked) & Rest
DAY 13 - Saturday
Celebration Feast Day
7:30-9:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Tammy
10:00-10:30 am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
11am-4:00pm All-Day Cooking: Grand Feast
(Each group picks 3 course meal and cooks the all day)
•Cook together a big dinner
•Collaborative cooking session
•Everyone contributes dishes
•Multiple courses and recipes
•Setting up for celebration
•Presentation and plating
1:30pm Light lunch/fruits
4:00-6:00pm Graduation Celebration Dinner
•Invite guests and community
•Feast with music
•Sharing experiences
•Group photos
•Dancing and celebration
-Certificate distribution
•Closing circle
DAY 14 - Sunday
Check out & Departure
9am-10am Breakfast, coffee/chai/fruits
10:30 AM- Check-out
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THE PLACE
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Immersing yourself in Mysore is to connect with the pure essence of Ashtanga Yoga and the wisdom of Ayurveda. Known as the spiritual capital of South India, this city offers the perfect environment for profound disconnection and rigorous self-discovery.​​
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ACOMMODATION
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Chitravana Retreats, located about 10 km from Mysore train station, is known for its focus on nature and tranquility.
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Cottages:
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Artistically designed, nestled under towering trees
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Private mini backyard
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More spacious and private
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Perfect for those wanting a premium nature experience
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Single occupancy (families/couples can share one cottage)
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ABOUT TAMMY AND SAHANA
Tammy Hervitz
Early Beginnings
In my early twenties, I took my very first yoga class — and immediately fell in love. Moving the body into new shapes, quieting the mind… I left the class feeling light, revitalized, and deeply alive. I didn’t understand much at the time, but I knew instantly: this was the medicine I needed.
In 1993, I took my first Ashtanga class with Gilad Harouvi, Israel’s first Ashtangi. From that day on, I couldn’t get enough. Even when I discovered I was pregnant with my firstborn, Jonathan, I continued practicing — with Gilad’s guidance to adapt the postures for pregnancy.
Commitment to Daily Practice
After my daughter Daniela was born, I decided to fully commit to my practice. Gilad suggested something rare at the time: “Practice every day at home.” Coming from a university mindset, I asked, “No books? No theory?” His answer: “This is yoga — 99% practice, 1% theory. Without self-experience, there can be no real understanding.”
So, in July 1999, in a small apartment with two babies and a busy work life, I began my daily home practice. At the same time, I enrolled in a two-year teacher training program — a mix of weekly classes, weekend workshops, retreats, and countless hours on the mat. By the third year, we were already teaching.
Some days, my practice was just Surya Namaskar, lotus, and Shavasana; other days, more. But I kept going 5–6 times a week. As David Swenson says, “I may have regretted not practicing, but I never regretted practicing.”
Teaching Journey in Spain
In 2002, my family and I moved to Spain. A few months later, I began teaching at Sitgesverd, the first yoga center in Sitges. In 2009, Marcelo and I opened Ashtanga Yoga Sitges, which still opens its doors six days a week, all year round.
In Barcelona, I experienced Mysore-style practice for the first time with Petri Räisänen — amazed by the silence and focus in the room. Soon after, I met Tomás Zorzo, Spain’s first certified Ashtangi by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. I attended his workshops for years before inviting him to teach in Sitges, a tradition we’ve kept for over 12 years.
Through the years, I have been blessed to study with many incredible teachers: Danny Paradise, David Williams, Nancy Gilgoff, John Scott, Manju Jois, Guy Donahaye, David Swenson, and more. Guy’s friendship and guidance helped us create a strong Mysore self-practice program at our Shala, which continues to thrive.
In 2022, I met Joey Paz and Bryce Delbridge and their teacher Andrew Eppler who introduced me to BNS Iyengar in Mysore, India, and I keep going back to Mysore to study mainly with him and other scholars.
Life’s Challenges and the Role of Practice
In late 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Opinions varied on whether I should continue practicing, but I knew I had to. During chemotherapy — when I felt weak, cold, and toxic — I practiced 20–30 minutes most days, just enough to breathe, move, and sweat. Those short practices helped me stay functional and emotionally balanced.
In August 2018, only a few years after my recovery, my beloved husband Marcelo — my partner in life and in the Shala — passed away. This loss was even harder than the illness. Daniela, my daughter, stepped in to help run the Shala, becoming a strong pillar in our community.
Philosophy and Vision
For me, yoga has always been more than physical postures. It is a lifelong friend — steady, supportive, and present through every joy and challenge. While we may feel its benefits from the start, the deep understanding comes only with years of uninterrupted dedication.
The ultimate aim is not just asana, or even happiness — it is liberation, union, samadhi; the search for who we truly are and the purpose of life.
After more than 26 years of daily practice and 24 years of teaching, it feels like a whole lifetime has passed — yet, in many ways, it feels like I am still just beginning.
Tammy Hervitz
Ashtanga Yoga Sitges
Sahana Murthy
Rasayana Mysore Kitchen is the brainchild of Sahana Murthy. When asked about the meaning behind this interesting name, she says it is a Sanskrit word which literally means path of essence. It is a broad spectrum science of lengthening the life span and covers many meanings. Here, we are talking about the Aahara Rasa which is the essence of nutrition. At Rasayana Mysore Kitchen, we constantly thrive to connect to the age-old wisdom of Ayurveda whilst constantly adapting this knowledge to the ever changing times. Eating right helps in balance, harmony, nourishment, good health and vitality.
Cooking based on Ayurvedic principles not only nourishes the body but also nourishes the state of mind and consciousness. Cooking is a Culinary Science where various food combinations and precise cooking methods are put in use which encompasses it into a holistic way of living.
Sahana learnt most of her culinary skills from her mother and these are traditional recipes which is passed on from many generations. She conducts cooking classes at her hometown in Mysore, India which is dubbed as the Yoga Capital of the World. People from all over the world come to this little magical city to deepen their Yoga practice. Being a Yoga practitioner herself, she understands the value of wholesome food and how it enhances practice and keeps one healthy. Sahana also teaches cooking lessons online reaching out to a wider segment of people and help them with their needs.
BOOKING DETAILS
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What's Included: ✓ 13 nights accommodation at Chitravana Retreats ✓ Taxi trasnfer from Bangalore airport to the resort ✓ 2 meals daily (brunch + dinner) for 14 days (except Day 6 - free day) ✓ Daily yoga sessions led by you ✓ All Ayurvedic cooking classes with me ✓ 2 Ayurvedic doctor lectures ✓ Tamil Ayurveda expert session ✓ Traditional Ayurvedic massage ✓ All excursions (Mysore Palace, Village Visit, Temple, Ayurveda Center) ✓ All workshops, materials & certificate​​
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Price per person:
Private room: 2250€
Shared room: 1950€
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Early bird: Until 30.06.2026
Private: 2050€
Shared: 1750€
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To find out about the payment plan, please contact us.
Some wonderful adventures await us, don't miss out!
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