I attended the yoga retreat led by Jane Toohey and Miriam Van Doorn in Koh Samui in October this year. It was my second retreat and 1st in Thailand. Miriam and Jane were fantastic hosts and yoga instructors. They offered several options for yoga twice daily, including Kundalini and Yin as well as daily meditations. I have known Jane for many years and attended her classes at 'Haven Yoga & Meditation' in Brisbane, Australia. She always offers a wonderful and invigorating experience with Kundalini yoga enhanced with mantras and her playing of sound bowl and the Gong at the end of each session creating a fully immersive experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed Miriams style of teaching and yoga practice, which offered a combination of Flow and Yin yoga throughout the week, a perfect balance to Kundalini. Both instructors are very knowledgeable and experienced in both yoga and meditation, guiding the group effortlessly in both, and creating a peaceful space for everyone to enjoy. Samahita Retreat, where our instructors choose to run their week, is located on the beach with open air studios which aren't air-conditioned. Despite several fans it did get very hot at times. Our classes were timed in the morning or late afternoon which helped combat, if not alleviate the higher temperatures on the Island. Light ,short or flowing clothing is a must for classes. All food was included which was varied, plentiful, healthy and delicious and catered for most dietary requirements and as a coeliac I was surprised at the variety. Filtered water was available constantly for refiling personal water bottles. The local staff were friendly and helpful, quickly referring to each of us by name, making us feel welcome There was a choice of beach or garden view rooms for accommodation. Most of our group chose a garden view room including me, which was a short walk across from the main hub, with a separate ensuite , AC and fan. The room was very well presented although a bit older and in need of an update soon. Housekeeping was offered every other day with a change of linens and towels if required. The in house spa treatments were charged separately but were very reasonable and the therapists were great. Overall I had a great experience.

Yoga with Miriam and Haven, Samahita Yoga Retreat, Koh Samui, Spring 2026 I was fortunate to spend a wonderful 7 days at Samahita Yoga Retreat on Koh Samui, Thailand, in Spring 2026. Our group was made up of 12 lovely people: 10 women and two men. Some were friends and others were strangers, but before long we felt like one big, caring family. I had not met many of the group before, I was welcomed as one of them. I believe a few new friendships have begun. The programme was much more than daily yoga. Miriam and Jane shared their deep knowledge of Kundalini, Kriya, Kirtan Kriya, Hatha Flow, Slow Flow, Yin and restorative yoga, along with Qi Gong, breathwork and Yoga Nidra. Meditation was woven throughout, with journaling, chakra work, mantra, and beach and walking meditations. There was great variety and depth, and still plenty of time to relax or book a massage. A heartfelt thank-you to Miriam and Jane for their time, consideration and effort they put into creating such a rich, balanced and welcoming programme that catered for all levels of skill and experience. I would not hesitate to book again, and I highly recommend joining a retreat like this if they run another one. From me, a big thank you for welcoming me and for sharing your knowledge, experience and patience. Samahita Yoga Resort The Samahita service team was warm, welcoming and professional. Everything was spotless and well looked after, and the rooms were tidied every couple of days and very relaxing. The food was abundant, local and clearly labelled for different diets, with healthy options and dinners such as local fish, chicken, prawns and tofu. The peaceful seaside setting made the week even better. There were two beautiful infinity pools facing the beach, a steam sauna, a cool plunge tub, many yoga spaces, and in-house massages from friendly, highly skilled therapists who knew their craft well for recovery and relaxation.

The yoga retreat at Koh Samui was amazing. Miriam and Jane, our teachers, were wonderful. They provided us with around 4 hours of yoga and meditation each day. A lot of thought went into the program, with plenty of variety in the yoga and meditation practiced. There was still ample time to relax, swim, enjoy the delicious food (a real highlight) and the company of a wonderful group of people. I travelled there alone, but never felt lonely on this retreat. It really was magical.

Review Awakening Your Inner Magic- yoga retreat . What can I say…it was a week of absolute bliss. I can honestly say that I have never felt more relaxed. I really had no expectations, except that I enjoy yoga and thought a week of yoga on an island would be wonderful. It turned out to be more than just about the yoga- I was able to really switch off my brain and just truly enjoy the moment. Jane and Miriam are two very special people- not only are they incredibly gifted yoga teachers , they were excellent hosts. They were very professional, very organised, warm , friendly , caring and made everyone feel so welcome and included. There was a lovely variety of different types of yoga and Jane and Miriam really complimented each other. There was one morning that I keep thinking about, we started the morning with Kundalili Breathwork , followed by Miriam, who instructed us through a very well thought out flow, Hatha style yoga , then we finished the morning practice with Jane taking us through a Kundalini Kriya , which worked on all the different areas of the spine. It was perfect for our bodies , as well as our minds. I wish I could do the whole week of this yoga over again. The retreat had everything we needed- comfortable accommodation, lovely fresh food, beautiful pool, great beach , steam room and ice bath- plus a gym and cycling room which I didn’t feel the need to use. Great spaces, so people could be together or find their own quiet area if they needed that. Jane and Miriam were amazing, the retreat was so much more than I expected and I couldn’t recommend a retreat with them more highly. Thank you so much Miriam and Jane.

The yoga retreat lead by Miriam Van Doorn was all that was promised and more. Venue, had all that could be required, exquisite in its simplicity and position. Perfectly prepared vegetarian meals using fresh, local produce, white washed Trulli buildings, surrounded by olive groves and local forests. Could not be faulted. Miriam’s heart lead and deeply informed yoga and meditation sessions equally so. Highly recommend.