27 Feb Health, Happiness and beautiful connections at Vikasa Yoga, Koh Samui

Yoga Sala at Vikasa Yoga, Koh Samui

I have practiced yoga in some pretty amazing places, but there is something about Vikasa Yoga in Koh Samui Thailand that has captured my heart entirely.  From the Yoga Sala, to the Life Cafe to the incredible people I met by happenstance along the way…I have to say, this experience was one for the books.

I found Vikasa as we were driving to our hotel from the airport while on our honeymoon. I had heard about the incredible yoga in Koh Samui but didn’t want to over-research, so I decided to wait to get there to do the deep dive into all things health, wellness ad yoga.  Turns out, Vikasa was less than a mile from our hotel (we stayed at the incredible Le Meridien, Koh Samui) and a 5 minute drive by scooter.  I had my husband drop me off and walked up to the friendly desk attendant who took my payment, told me about the grounds and instructed me down a path to the yoga sala.

If you have ever been to Koh Samui, to say the ocean is breath-taking is an understatement.  As I entered the yoga sala, I looked found myself staring out over the ocean as about 25 other yogis set up mats around me.  This, in itself, was enough to make my practice worth wile.   Our teacher was silently stretching and letting us all get settled.  There were gongs to my right, a view of the ocean in front of me, locally made props and mats to my left.  I was thrilled.

Inspiring Artwork at the Life Cafe

Class started and the instructor, Craig Proctor, was extremely informative and no BS, which I loved.  He didn’t play any music ( I love yoga with and without music, it just depends on the atmosphere).  For this particular class at Vikasa, no music was a plus.  I could hear the breathing of my cohorts along with the singing birds and the gentle sounds of the ocean.  The class was labeled as Vinyasa flow but there were also a lot of Ashtanga elements, which one star student happily demonstrated.  We stretched, breathed, flowed and meditated for about and hour and a half.  It was very restful and very soothing.  I am usually one that likes a hard hot power flow, but this was perfect for my honeymoon mind.  Calm, Soothing, Peaceful.  I loved it.

Meditation Gongs in the Yoga Sala

When class was over, I thanked our teacher and started walking up to the Life Cafe.  My husband (who would have practiced, but he broke his foot a few days prior) texted, “you just missed meeting the most amazing human”.

I walked a little faster to the cafe to find my blissed out husband sharing an organic smoothie and chatting over a healthy breakfast, while sitting on a bean bag chair with a likeminded soul at the Vikasa Life Cafe.  Turns out this was not the first “amazing human” I was supposed to meet, but yet another amazing human and fellow yogi who I ended up befriending.  The point to my story is that Vikasa brings people together in the most beautiful setting.  We were only there for a few hours, but I can assure you, we will be back again….hopefully with our new friends in tow.

Strawberry Coconut Dream Smoothie from Life Cafe

Living Garden Atmosphere inside Life Cafe