Join Anjali Deva {CAP} and Gaby Colletta {AHC, E-RYT, YACEP} in Joshua Tree, California for a 4-day immersion into the ancient practices of Ayurveda and Yoga. Set on a private desert oasis beneath wide-open skies and surrounded by ancient Joshua trees, we will reconnect to nature and explore the foundations of a 5,000-year-old science of self-healing, longevity and renewal.

“Ojas” is the Sanskrit word for the subtle essence that bolsters immunity, vitality and resilience. Through holistic health practices we will explore ways to cultivate Ojas. Enjoy embodiment practices of yoga to deepen connection with self. Discover daily rituals to align with energetics of the season and support self-care. Learn how to infuse your meals with Ayurvedic principles and presence using spices and culinary herbs to maximize digestion. Drop into communal connection and slow living.

This is an invitation for rejuvenation, renewal and inspired learning. 

Ayurveda is a traditional healing system and science from India dating back at least 5,000 years. This living body of wisdom uses many different modalities for healing, including using food as medicine, lifestyle changes, herbal remedies, bodywork and extensive detoxification practices. In India, Ayurveda is still practiced as a complete medical system with its own hospitals, treatment centers, and pharmacies that dispense herbal medicine. Here in the United States, Ayurveda is better known for its emphasis on preventative health, promoting a holistic lifestyle, and being a sister science to Yoga. Ayurveda’s emphasis on cultivating a balanced state for mind, body and spirit through diet and lifestyle changes makes it an accessible science for anyone wanting to improve their life. Ayurveda’s emphasis on holistic nutrition teaches us to use food as medicine—eating correctly for our dosha and for the season at hand. Ayurveda believes that agni, or the digestive fire, is the foundation for the health of our entire mind and body. 

In this retreat, we will cover the foundational elements of Ayurveda so we can best get to know ourselves, our dosha’s, and the rituals we need to create an individualized self-care routine. 

Explore embodied connection through daily asana yoga practices infused with seasonal Ayurvedic wisdom. 

Each class is guided with mindfulness, somatic inquiry, alignment foundation, and Ayurvedic principles to integrate body, mind and heart. Morning Asana is inspired by solar energy, a mindful Vinyasa class unfolding consciousness through the dance of breath with movement. In the afternoon or evening, we wind down the day with a lunar-inspired practice such as Restorative, Aromatherapy Grounding Flow, or Yoga Nidra. One can expect a blend of meditation, pranayama, breath awareness, mudra and mantra.

Whether a seasoned practitioner or new yogi, instruction and variations are offered for each individual to explore one’s potential.

Ayurveda’s emphasis on holistic nutrition teaches us to use food as medicine—eating correctly for our dosha and for the season at hand. Ayurveda believes that agni, or the digestive fire, is the foundation for the health of our entire mind and body. Current research on the microbiome continues to prove the importance of the gut-brain connection and to demonstrate the link between healthy digestion and the functioning of many other systems in the body.

In this retreat, we will learn to cook seasonal appropriate meals that offer variations for each dosha. All of the food prepared will be organic, seasonal and local where possible. We can support any dietary accommodations, please just let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly.

Joshua Tree sits at the meeting point of the Mojave and Colorado deserts in Southern California, just minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. It's a high desert landscape of ancient Joshua trees, sculpted granite boulders and wide-open horizons that has mystics and seekers for generations.

The desert holds the essence of Air & Ether elements: the energy of expansive being, creative power, attunement to she subtle and connection to the cosmos. It is a place of resilience and wonder.

As we near the Winter Solstice, we chose to gather in the desert to draw lessons from its stillness and ever-widening perspective.

Our desert sanctuary is a private compound of three homes spread across five secluded acres, just ten minutes from Joshua Tree National Park. A few perks include:

• Open-air yoga deck

• Soak in the hot tub or private cow boy pool

• Unwind in the 8-person sauna

• Refresh in the dual cold plunges

• 25-foot fire pit to gather under some of the darkest skies in California

Our retreat space is spacious, private and built for exactly this kind of gathering. We offer tiered pricing with various accommodation types across the compound's three homes.

Space is limited 16 participants.

Anjali Deva, CAP

Anjali Deva is an Ayurvedic practitioner and educator. Her private practice, Rooted Rasa, specializes in an integrative and trauma-informed approach to Ayurveda. Anjali founded Mādhya Way, a school for Ayurveda. Her compassion-based approach is useful in alleviating anxiety, depression, PTSD, digestive disorders, and women’s health issues with a holistic framework. Anjali has been greatly fortunate to have been introduced to Ayurveda and Yoga at a young age by her father and mentor, Arun Deva. Her clinical experience began at Hope Integrative Psychiatry overseen by Omid Naim, MD. Her familial lineage is rich with the desire to preserve and maintain these healing arts.  Driven by her aspiration to better understand the connection between food and mood, she has trained with Kerala Ayurveda Academy, Loyola Marymount’s Yoga and the Healing Sciences Program, and with various teachers both in the United States and India. Her strong passion for digestion and mental health provides others with a holistic approach to finding their inner harmony and resilience for healing. Anjali is dedicated to sharing the Wisdom of Ayurveda for the benefit of all living beings. 

Learn more at rootedrasa.com and follow her on IG: @anjalidevaayurveda

Gaby Colletta, E-RYT 500, YACEP, AHC

Gaby is a Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation Teacher with nearly two decades of practice in integrative wellness and healing arts. Formally guiding yoga since 2014, she facilitates nature-based retreats, shares mind-body courses and coaches individuals on how to create an ecosystem of internal resources that increase resilience and unveil intrinsic potential. Her teachings weave together the Ancient traditions of Ayurveda, Buddhism and Tantra, alongside modern-day neuroscience, somatic psychology and Earth wisdom. Gaby received her Ayurvedic training at the California College of Ayurveda in 2017 with additional study under Dr. Lad. She holds a Masters in Integral Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies and currently offers somatic therapy. Gaby is faculty of the Lakshmi Rising School of Yoga and guest teaches for conferences and yoga schools.Through the tapestry of mind-body practices, Gaby shares tools for deeper intimacy and understanding one’s intuitive abilities, mental power and pathways to freedom. 

Learn more at www.gabycolletta.com and follow her on IG @gabycolletta

7:00 AM Coffee, Chicory Tea, Warm Lemon Water

8:00 - 9:30 AM Nourishing Breakfast & Free Time

9:30 - 10:30 AM Ayurvedic Workshop

10:30 - 12:00 PM Elemental Asana, Pranayama & Meditation

12:00 - 1:30 PM Collective Cooking Lessons

1:30 - 2:30 PM Nourishing Lunch

3:00 - 6:00 PM Free time & Rest - Stroll in Joshua Tree

4:30 - 6:00 PM Optional Collective Cooking Lesson for Dinner

6:00 - 7:00 PM Nourishing Dinner, Free Time, Relaxation & Rest

7:00-8:00 PM Meditation / Self Reflection Circle / Nidra / Sound Bath

Check-in: 3:00 PM Thursday // Checkout 10:30 AM Sunday

• A reservation requires a deposit of $500 USD.

• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is canceled.

• The rest of the payment must be paid 60 days before arrival.

For cancellation policy details please review: www.gabycolletta.com/embodied-ojas-policies OR www.rootedrasa.com