Return
Women's Health Immersion & Training
A deeper understanding of the female body begins with returning to it.
16–21 February 2027, Niraamaya, Kerala, India
Facilitated by Sheila Arnell & Myra Khanna
Under the umbrella of Yoga Education College
What is it?
A six-day training and immersion for practitioners of all levels who want to deepen their understanding of women’s health. Together, we will explore female physiology and the changing rhythms and stages of a woman’s life, and understand how traditional yogic practices can be thoughtfully adapted to support them.
Rooted in the teachings of Yoga Education College, the immersion will explore women’s health through the sequences of Yoga Sangraha, alongside foundation-level pranayama, meditation and embodied practices. While the practices have a traditional rooting, they will be taught in a way that is accessible, relevant and graspable for the modern practitioner.
Come to deepen your own practice — and leave with a greater understanding of the female body, along with knowledge and tools that can inform both your personal practice and what you share with others.
OUR INTENTION
Our intention is to cultivate facilitators who understand that the female body is not a problem to be solved or a system to be controlled.
It is intelligent, adaptive and worthy of deep listening.
Through science, embodiment and traditional yogic practices—including Yoga Sangraha, asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting, kriya and walking meditation—we learn to meet the body with curiosity, compassion and respect.
By the end of the training, participants will leave with:
- A deeper understanding of the wisdom of the female body.
- A sustainable personal practice rooted in awareness rather than performance.
- Practical tools for supporting women through different stages of life.
- The confidence and skills to facilitate embodied, evidence-informed experiences for others.
A deeper exploration of women's health
Throughout our time together, we'll create space to explore the female body from different perspectives.
The immersion brings together:
- Women's health education and discussion
- Yoga and embodied movement
- Meditation and breathwork
- Somatic exploration
- Reflection and self-inquiry
- Connection and shared learning
Some moments will invite curiosity and conversation. Others will invite you to move, rest or simply listen. There is no pressure to experience anything in a particular way.
Just an opportunity to explore.
Understand →
Explore the science and physiology of the female body. Learn how hormonal rhythms, the nervous system and different stages of life can shape our needs, energy and experience.
Experience →
Bring the learning into your own body through yoga, breath, meditation and somatic exploration. Notice how different practices feel, and how your response can change from day to day.
Integrate →
Make space to reflect, journal and ask questions. Connect what you are learning with your own lived experience, and explore what it means for your everyday life and personal practice.
Facilitate
Learn to share this understanding through thoughtful adaptations, clear language and compassionate guidance. Explore practical tools to support others while respecting their individual needs and your own scope of practice.
A day at RETURN
Begin with yoga, breath and meditation. After breakfast, explore women’s health through teaching, conversation and a Practice Lab.
The middle of the day leaves room for lunch, rest, journaling or time by the pool. In the afternoon, return to embodied practice and reflection before dinner together.
A balance of focused learning, shared experience and space to let it settle.
There is so much we can learn about the female body.
From modern research and scientific discoveries to the traditions and practices that have been passed down through generations.
At RETURN, we believe these perspectives can exist alongside one another.
That knowledge becomes even more meaningful when we have the opportunity to explore it through our own lived experience.
Because understanding your body isn't only about what you know.
It's also about what you notice, feel and experience.
Ancient wisdom.
Modern understanding.
Your own experience.
The programme
16 FEBRUARY — ARRIVE
Meet · Soften · Open
The beginning is about arriving, after a long journey, finally arriving. Not only at the retreat, but into the body and into the group. Getting to know one another, shaking off what we have arrived carrying, opening conversation and creating a space in which we can be curious and vulnerable. A day to question assumptions, break down apprehensions and establish the ground from which we will learn together.
- ice breaking games for introduction
- finding grounding through breath
- sharing challenges of our journey so far
- what are we looking forward to? why are we here?
- what do we hope to get from this retreat?
- shaking, movement practices to shed the day’s fatigue and stiffness
17 FEBRUARY — INQUIRE / UNDERSTAND
Learn · Question · Reframe/ Reorganize
Before we can adapt a practice for the female body, we need to understand the body we are working with. This is a day of learning and unlearning. Exploring female physiology, hormones and anatomy, while questioning some of the misconceptions we have inherited around women, health and yoga. We will notice our deep deep conditioning the way we currently navigate our lives, questioning where that conditioning comes from. And find comfort in tweaking / revising the areas where changes can be made.
18 FEBRUARY — EXPERIENCE
Feel/ Sense · Explore · Embody
Moving from intellectual understanding into lived experience. How does what we have learned actually show up in the body? Through Yoga Sangraha, prāṇāyāma, meditation and journaling, we begin to experience these teachings rather than simply know them.
19 FEBRUARY — DISCERN
Observe · Adapt · Respond
There is no single practice for every woman, or even for the same woman every day. What is each one’s unique rhythm, what is the language of each one’s body? This day is about developing discernment; learning how to observe what is in front of us and thoughtfully adapt practice across different rhythms, needs and stages of a woman’s life.
This is an especially important teaching day for the teachers in the room so that they can take this knowledge and apply is either to their own personal practice or while dealing with their students.
20 FEBRUARY — INTEGRATE
Gather · Absorb · Apply
A day to bring the pieces together. Physiology and philosophy. Science and tradition. Knowledge and experience. We revisit what we have learned, make connections between the different threads and begin asking:
How does this change the way I practise? And how does it change the way I teach?
21 FEBRUARY — RETURN
Reflect · Carry · Continue
We return, but perhaps with a different relationship to the body we came with. A final morning to reflect, consolidate and identify what we want to carry into our personal practice, our teaching and our everyday lives.
How can we repeatedly create the feeling of returning home?
About Sheila
Sheila Arnell is a Swedish yoga teacher, author and educator whose work explores women’s health, embodiment and the changing rhythms of the female body.
Her studies include Yoga Sangraha, pranayama, meditation and traditional yogic practices through Yoga Education College.
Her teaching brings together traditional practice and contemporary understanding of the body, with particular interests in breath awareness, nervous system regulation, sustainable practice and women’s cyclical health.
Through her teaching and her book De Inre Årstiderna, she explores how understanding our inner rhythms can inform the way we move, rest and relate to ourselves.
Her work is rooted in the belief that practice begins with listening. She is passionate about helping people recognise their own patterns, understand their changing needs and develop a relationship with the body grounded in curiosity, compassion and trust.
About Myra
Myra Khanna is an Indian yoga educator, expressive arts practitioner and scuba diving instructor who has been teaching yoga since 2018.
Her studies include traditional yoga, pranayama, Yoga Sangraha, yogic philosophy, and anatomy.
Her teaching brings together traditional practice and contemporary understanding of the body, with particular interests in breath awareness, nervous system regulation, sustainable movement and women’s menstrual health.
Her work is rooted in the belief that understanding the body is an ongoing process of observation, inquiry and learning.
She is passionate about helping people recognise their own physical and emotional patterns, develop greater awareness of their needs, and find ways to respond to their bodies with curiosity rather than rigid rules or expectations.
FAQ
What should I bring?
Once your booking is confirmed, you will receive a practical packing list and all the information you need for the journey, training and stay.
Mostly, come curious. Everything else we can prep
Do I need any previous experience to join?
Not at all. This training is open to all levels.
You don’t need to be an experienced yoga practitioner, teacher, or already have knowledge about women’s health or the female body. We are experienced in meeting different levels of practice and knowledge, and the training is designed so that everyone can participate, learn and explore from where they are.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. After completing the training, you will receive a certificate from Yoga Education College confirming your participation and completion of the Women’s Health Retreat & Training.
The certificate represents the knowledge, practices and methodology covered during the training and can be used as part of your continuing education and professional development.
What language will the training be taught in?
The training will be held in English so that both Indian and international participants can take part together.
Who is this training for?
For anyone curious about women’s health, the female body and embodied practice.
It is particularly relevant for yoga teachers, movement teachers, therapists, coaches, bodyworkers and health practitioners — but you absolutely do not need to work professionally in any of these fields to attend.
You can come simply for yourself.
Will there be free time?
Yes. Although this is a training, we also want you to experience Kerala, rest and have space to integrate what you are learning.
The programme will include breaks and time for yourself alongside our shared sessions.
How physically demanding will the yoga be?
The practices will be accessible and adaptable.
You do not need to be flexible, strong or experienced in asana. We will work with different bodies, needs and levels, and modifications and alternatives will be offered throughout the training.
This is not about performing advanced yoga poses. It is about learning to understand and work with the body.
What about food?
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included throughout your stay. The intention is for the food to support the experience: nourishing, enjoyable and suited to days of learning, movement and practice.
If you have allergies or specific dietary requirements, please let us know when booking.
What kind of accommodation is available?
You can choose between Garden View and Lake View accommodation. Both options include the full training and retreat experience; the difference is simply your room category and view.
What is included in the price?
Your package includes five nights of accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, the full training programme and shared airport transfers at the designated times.
Flights, visas, travel insurance and personal expenses are not included.
Are flights included?
No. Flights to and from India are booked and paid for separately by each participant.
How do I get there?
You are responsible for booking your own flights to India and arriving at the designated airport.
From there, we will arrange a shared transfer to the retreat venue. You will receive detailed information about recommended arrival times, airport pick-up and travel arrangements well before departure.
Is this a retreat or a training?
Both.
There will be structured teaching, lectures, discussions and practical learning, but also plenty of time to practice, rest, enjoy the surroundings and simply be.
We want you to leave with new knowledge — but also feeling nourished, inspired and more connected to your own body.
Do I need to be a yoga teacher?
No. You are very welcome whether you are a yoga teacher, therapist, bodyworker, health professional, practitioner — or simply someone who wants to understand the female body more deeply.
If you do work with others, the training will give you knowledge and practical tools that you can bring into your existing work.
What does it mean that this is a training?
This is more than a retreat. Alongside experiencing the practices yourself, you will learn about women’s health and female physiology and explore how this knowledge can inform yoga, meditation and body-based practices.
Our intention is for you to leave with a practical skill set and a deeper understanding that you can share with students, clients and other people in your life.
What will I learn?
We will explore the female body through science, embodied wisdom and practice.
You will learn more about female physiology and women’s health, and how yoga, meditation, breathwork and body-based practices can be understood and adapted with the female body in mind.
The emphasis is not only on gaining information, but on understanding how to bring that knowledge into practice — for yourself and, if relevant, for the people you teach or work with.