Prana Wellbeing Retreat 2019 ~Goa, India
Set in nearly two acres of forest and jungle the Indo-Portuguese house, Casa Susegad, has been lovingly restored by owners Norman and Carole Steen, with en suite and air-conditioned bedrooms – each featuring bespoke antique furnishings – a sight to behold. A swimming pool that gave guests the chance to cool down in the heat or have a relaxing swim, while the lovely sunbeds offered a comfortable place to lie in the sun or shade and chill, reflect or read.
From the top down, all of the people that are the heart of Casa Susegad were friendly, warm and very accommodating, helping our guests feel at ease from the start, an important and vital element to this and future retreats. The food on offer was international cuisine with an Indian twist and all locally sourced. The chef, Joanita, together with Carole, was more than able to offer pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan alternatives. There was a Jopri situated in the jungle away from the house where reiki, reflexology and massage were practiced to the background music of the birds and jungle wildlife. Both Keturah (Little Buddha Therapies) and guests found this very relaxing and private. I chose to use a dedicated relaxation area in the forest to work on EFT and matrix re-imprinting with our guests. This too was beautifully quiet. Under the gently swaying palm trees was the large yoga floor. Here we did our morning meditation in the swirling early mist, to the sound of the Langur monkeys. Afternoon yoga was offered in the dappled shade of the overhead tree canopy.
Our guests were able to go for the short walk to the local village of Loutolim and colleague Helen Hitchcock together with Casa Susegad assisted Maelo Therapies with the planning of additional excursions to the nearby city of Margao to experience the hustle and bustle of the city, its people, bright colours and of course its market. Then it was off to Utorda Beach for sunset cocktails with dinner at award winning seafood restaurant Zeebop’s. The final arranged excursion was to south Goan beach, Palolim for the day. Everybody enjoyed a relaxing swim in the sea and a potter around the lovely little market before sampling the local cuisine for lunch and finally hopping back aboard our marigold-bedecked minibus back to Casa Susegad for our last evening meal together before guests began their journeys home.
Keturah and I absolutely loved Casa Susegad with its stunningly beautiful rooms and grounds. Feedback from our guests was very positive regarding all of the therapies, the excursions on offer, the venue and its facilities. Please see reviews below. One of our guests wanted to stay on a few days after the retreat and Casa Susegad was able to accommodate this. Prana Wellbeing Retreat arranged its own program of events and Casa Susegad offered the platform to deliver a wonderful experience to our guests. Many thanks to Norman, Carole, Helen and their wonderful team. Namaste!
Reviews
S.H. - West Sussex, UK Mel and Keturah definitely delivered amazing treatments and therapies through the retreat. Never having had Reiki or Reflexology Keturah delivered these treatments in a magical way set to the sounds of the jungle. Morning meditation by Mel with the mist rising in the jungle was the most beautiful way to start the day. I was new to EFT too. Mel is kind, considerate and thoughtful through this journey to deal with issues previous put in a box. Lovely days out were organised to the local town to take in day to day living, sunset at the beach at a local seafood restaurant and a day at the beach amongst the locals and cows wandering the streets. A huge amount of planning was obviously involved. A great time had with new friends made.
L.G. - West Sussex, UK. What an experience this retreat was! everyone involved in the planning and running of the retreat were really dedicated to ensuring it was the best it could possibly be. Our therapists, Mel and Ket offered us Art therapy, EFT, Reiki, Reflexology and Massage. They worked very hard and always with a smile, to their credit the therapies were excellent. Mel and Ket supported the whole group and offered us a safe and positive experience in their care. With morning meditations and fantastic yoga, run by a local expert in the afternoons, there was so much on offer. The staff at the venue were amazing and so was the food. We had the best of both worlds, relaxation and reflection in the therapies and an opportunity to see a little of the surrounding area, with well planned and thought through trips to the local markets, towns and beaches. Thank you all for this memorable experience.