THE HEART OF YOGA IN THE HEART OF REGGAE
Jake’s, Treasure Beach, Jamaica
23rd–28th Februray 2026
“Yoga is intimacy with body, breath, and relationship, in that order. Relationship with yourself, with others, and with the object of your choice. It is not separation from life, but full participation in it.”
We meet in Jamaica to share Yoga as it was given, a practice of intimacy with life.
Each breath, each movement, each beat, each moment is relationship.
What better place than here, embraced by the ocean?
We pay homage to the great Yogi, Bob Marley and his eternal mantra – “One Love”.
Vision
We come together in community and friendship in the beloved heart land of Jamaica, at the famous location of Jake’s, Treasure Beach.
Our purpose is Yoga learning and transmission: Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ : Yoga is to direct consciousness via the mind in the directions of choice, resulting in freedom from the fluctuations of the mind.
During the week we will also sit with a local Rastafarian elder, listening to the roots of their faith and way of living close to nature.
One night we will enjoy the rhythms of a local reggae band.
We swim in the warm sea, rest by the pool, and receive what the land offers.
We gather under the stars, the ocean beside us, the air full of song, the day’s practice still alive in us.
“The only reason we choose to do yoga is for the pleasure — the literal pleasure — of our systems relaxing and filling with energy. It is not some struggle to enjoy a future result.”
Cost and Accommodation Options
Cost varies by accommodation option chosen.
What this covers:
Accommodation
Airport transfers (from Montego Bay: 1.5 hrs)
Daily breakfast
Rastafarian ceremony – A gathering with a local Rastafarian guide to learn about their faith and way of life
Reggae concert - an evening of live music with a really great roots reggae band.
Beautiful beaches right at Jake’s, plus use of the pool
A special Jamaican movie night under the stars watching ‘the Harder they Come’, the 1972 cult classic starring Jimmy Cliff. Our venue, Jake’s, was established by director Perry Henzell and designed by art director Sally Henzell, and later their daughter. Her "quirky attention to detail" from her role as the film's art director can be seen throughout the unique design of the Jakes property. Basically we stay inside the movie!
All yoga instruction and materials, including private time if needed
One-on-one discussion and personal practice help as required
Option for ongoing mentoring with Mark and brilliant teachers at all levels of experience around the world via an invitation to the “teacher’s gatherings” weekly for the rest of the year
50 hrs YACEP certificate, if desired
Special 20% off Jake’s rack rates if booking more nights before or after (doesn’t include breakfast)
What’s not included:
Lunch and dinner - eat a la carte at Jake’s, or explore different beach cafes around the place
Any additional boat tours etc you might choose to go on in free time
Any optional treatments at Jake's spa
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
1. GARDEN ROOM
“These charming, alluring and decidedly unusual rooms were the first built at Jakes and began the craze for its funky beach style. Garden View rooms are the most affordable rooms on property while close to the center of the action and brimming with unique charms. Each has its own private outdoor space.”
In each room: A/C, Wi-Fi, mini fridge, coffee maker, digital safe, rainfall showerhead
Total retreat cost staying here:
Per person for a shared double or twin: $1999
Room to yourself $2899
[two available]
2. OCEAN VIEW
“Colorful, sensual and with a either a Moroccan-style or Relaxed Artsy vibe, these seaside rooms pack tons of charm—and a stunning ocean view—into a cozy space. Each has unique design details and its own private outdoor deck. Some rooms have an outdoor shower.”
In each of these rooms: A/C, Wi-Fi, mini fridge, coffee maker, digital safe, rainfall showerhead
Total retreat cost staying here:
Per person for two people sharing (as a double bed or as a twin share): $2199
Room just to yourself: $2999
3. OCEANFRONT BUNGALOW
From Jake’s: “How close are our Oceanfront Bungalows to the water? So close that you can fish off the deck. Our bungalows bring inside the natural colors and textures of the world around them—the bright turquoise of the sea, the vibrant green of the palm trees, the patterned white-gold of the seashells. Just like you’re inside a seashell (but one that’s exquisitely comfortable)!”
In each bungalow: A/C, Wi-Fi, mini fridge, coffee maker, Bluetooth speaker, digital safe, rainfall showerhead.
Total retreat cost staying here:
Per person for a shared double or twin: $2499
[only one left!]
4. TWO BEDROOM COTTAGE
“Two-bedroom seaside cottage with boho-chic beach style. There’s water, water everywhere! Over here, the pool. Over there, the sea. It’s all steps from this two-bedroom cottage with its distinctive Art Deco vibe and vintage tiled floors. Grab a cold drink, head outside to the daybed on the veranda and listen to the sound of the waves.”
Features:
Primary bedroom with queen-size bed
Second bedroom with two twin-size beds
Bathroom with bathtub / Private outdoor shower
Full kitchen
Loads of closet space
Indoor sitting area
Private veranda with outdoor daybed
A/C, Wi-Fi, and Laundry services available (at a cost)
Total retreat cost staying here:
Per person for a shared double or twin: $2999 each
Per person, with 3 people sharing: $2199 each
Per person, with 4 people sharing: $1899 each
[Only 1 available]
[note that the people sharing this cottage together need to arrange this with each other first]
If budget is an issue. talk to us since there is a slightly more affordable place next door where you could stay.
HOW TO BOOK:
$500 deposit upon registration confirms your place.
All amounts in US dollars
10% discount available for long-term studio supporting members (ie since at least June 2025).
Full payment due by one week before the starting day
What we cover together:
Krishnamacharya’s core principles for restoring receptivity in asana and in life.
Asana, pranayama, bandha, meditation, and chanting as practical tools for real-life participation.
How practice and life form one seamless process.
Yoga history and philosophy as true “love of wisdom,” not dry theory.
The principle of strength receiving and uniting all opposites in your own experience.
Moving beyond disempowering teaching dynamics to care as a friend and equal.
Vinyasa Krama: the art of intelligent sequencing beyond just asana.
Shaping yoga to each person, not forcing the person to fit yoga.
Using yoga to align life with what is right for you and to help others do the same.
Subtle anatomy and how breath and bandha create natural alignment.
Deep relaxation and recognition of our own nature, as nature.
If you have questions and would like to converse with a real human who will actually be there, send a message on whatsapp to Rosalind at +64 21 412 747.
Flexible Schedule
First day
Arrive any time after 2pm.
Gather at 7pm.
Regular schedule
7am: morning practice
8am: breakfast
9am–11 am morning session (refine your practice, shine the light of Yoga on everything, and a gentle practice including sound yoga)
1pm-ish Lunch (not included, everyone chooses their own food explorations around Jake’s and surrounds)
4pm-6pm: afternoon session
After dinner: varies, some nights have planned events eg Reggae concert or movie night, some nights are free time.
Last day
10am: morning session, depart
After the retreat:
We will be heading up to Negril to offer some workshops for the general public, and participants are warmly invited to make their way up their and come if they’d like to.
Reading Suggestions
Here are some recommended books to explore before you come:
Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Yoga of Heart by Mark Whitwell
God and Sex: Now We Get Both by Mark Whitwell with Rosalind Atkinson and Andy Raba
It’s also recommended that you read the full essay “The Yoga of Love and Sex” on this website.
These texts will help you discover whether this is gathering is right for you, based on resonance with the teachings. Please only come if you have read these texts, OR done a class with Mark in person, OR watched videos online and felt a personal resonance. Teaching happens within that relationship, not as an info-dump from an authority.
FAQ
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Some people who have resonated with these events in the past:
those who have been practicing in the heart of yoga and transitioning to teaching;
those teaching yoga but feeling bored or confused or disillusioned within it;
those looking for a gathering that is about transformative relationships and accurate practice
those who always sensed there is magic in yoga but haven’t been able to touch it
sincere devotees of diverse traditions who are looking for a whole-body practice to enact their devotion within
those who found Desikachar’s The Heart of Yoga or Mark’s Yoga of Heart useful as a text
those who have trained with students of Mark and would like to take the opportunity to “go to the source”
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We look back to the actual practice tradition brought through by Krishnamacharya that is mostly not available in the yoga industry. Once you taste the power of your own breath, you cannot go back.
You will not be cramming your head with endless knowledge. It is an experiential process for the whole body, allowing you to teach from the body’s intuition, not from the head’s knowledge.
We don’t presume to try and know better than each person’s natural bodily intelligence… what could know better than the force that grew you from a single cell, and presently beats your heart and moves your breath? So there is no gross adjustment, and no imposition of teacher knowledge over another person. We learn to share the breath practices through which each person can participate in the power and beauty of their own natural life. As such there is no hierarchy because each person is already the beauty of the natural world.
We usually host a very diverse group of ages, nationalities, and a pretty even balance of male and female. There is no one “type” of person drawn to study with Mark, it tends to be those drawn to what is authentic and deep, and we come in all shapes and sizes.
Those who really need highly strict schedules and predictability may struggle. The mood is fluid and responsive to the needs of the group. Exact lunch time and evening finishing time will vary according to the flow of the day.
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This gathering is in traditional tantric hathayoga made uniquely relevant and accessible in modern life. It is not about information gathering. Yoga is in your entire embodiment or it is nowhere. We explore subtle anatomy as the movement of energy in the body, not body part anatomy from a western medical perspective. You won’t learn names of muscles, bones or detailed labels on the body from the outside (if you have a personal interest in this that’s totally fine). We will be considering how to share the precise practices that enable others to feel their own intrinsic intelligence, not trying to approximate that intelligence with mental knowledge.
Discussion will include relationships, sexuality and anything else in your life you wish to bring yogic understanding to. You can speak as much or as little as you like and be assured of being listened to with respect and love. This is a conversation, a two-way flow of information, not a broadcast or a lecture. It is not any kind of neo-tantric workshop or space. You will get the most out of it the more reading, questioning and exploration you bring with you. You are a co-creator of this course, not a consumer of it. It does not exist outside of your presence.
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Equal balance of male and female
Experiential knowledge, not conceptual information gathering
Joy-based, not fear-based learning — no exam
Socratic learning: actually relevant teaching based on YOUR enquiry and interest and stuck points
All ages, all backgrounds, all religions — not just a “yoga demographic”
We shine the light of Yogic understanding on money, sex, death and other taboo subjects
