FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We can arrange a private driver to pick you up anywhere in Chiang Mai including the airport for 600 baht, Alternatively, you can use Grab for 500-600 baht by entering Suan Sati into the address bar. When you’re on your way, show your Grab driver the directions in Thai on this page.

If coming on your own, follow your GPS to Mala Cafei and then from there, continue onto Suan Sati. If you only enter Suan Sati, Google Maps will usually take you down the wrong road, leading to an unnecessary 20 minute detour.

Mala Cafei

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bZ9Afd3AB2qDU2rs7

Also please note that we are very hard to find after dark, so we recommend arriving during daylight hours. If you arrive past 9 PM, we may be unable or unavailable to guide your driver in the last few kilometers. For that reason, we don’t accept arrivals past 9 PM. For more information see our getting here page.

From May until September, check-in time is 2 PM. If you would like to arrive before that, there is a 400 baht charge that will include your lunch and use of facilities. The afternoon yoga class starts at 4 pm so we recommend arriving between 2 and 3 pm so you have time to settle in and get a tour before yoga. Check-out time is 10 AM. If you would like to stay past check-out, there is a 400 baht charge per meal and a 400 baht charge for the afternoon yoga class. We ask that guests still vacate the room at 10 AM so that our housekeeping staff can clean the room in time for the next guests.

During the winter retreats October until February, pick up is at 8:45 AM at 3 Kings Monument, and check-in is 10 AM. We only accept guests that are able to attend the entire retreat from check-in until check-out. If you are not here by 10 AM check-in, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation and replace your reservation with someone on the waitlist. We are closed between retreats for cleaning and recharging and are unavailable to host at that time.

The remaining balance will be paid upon arrival in cash, Thai baht only. Foreign currency and credit cards are not accepted. You may however choose to pay by bank transfer. For Thai accounts, we accept QR code or PromptPay transfers. For international accounts, we recommend Wise. You don’t need to transfer before you arrive, you may make the transfer upon check in.

Yes, beginners are welcome here. However, we strongly recommend that you take some classes online or in a studio and study the basics of meditation before coming. You don’t need to be strong, flexible, or in shape to be successful here, you just need to have a positive attitude. You probably won’t be able to do every single pose while on retreat, you might not be able to hold your focus for extended periods of time, and the teachers won’t be singularly focused on you and correcting your every pose. We encourage you to let go of expectations and just do your best. That’s how to make progress in your practice. 

The yoga and meditation practices here are not always easy, and you may feel that some questions or doubts have not been addressed completely. That is very normal during a short all-levels (not beginner specific) retreat. Our intention is to simply provide a starting place for your practice. After leaving here, we hope that, at the least, you would feel confident enough to walk into a beginner yoga or meditation class and know the basics of what it’s about.

We welcome experienced yogis as well here at Suan Sati. You may find that our varied styles of teaching will bring you to another level in your practice, whether your intentions are physical or non-physical development. However, this is not a high-paced, sweat-drenched, handstand-on-only-your-thumbs style fitness retreat. There will be some potentially physically demanding moments peppered into your retreat in the form of long holds, deep stretches, and opportunities for arm balances and inversions. You are always welcome to increase the intensity of your practice by taking a more challenging variation of any pose.

How do we define spirit or spiritual? Usually we’re referring to some part of us that is deep inside, something beyond the physical. In that sense, yes, this is most definitely a spiritual retreat because we’re highly interested in getting to know ourselves in a deep and meaningful way. Some ways to access that more meaningful level are meditation (usually silent), asana, discussions on your interpretation of spirituality, group exercises like eye gazing, art, dance, music, writing, and chanting and singing mantras, to name a few. No one is ever forced to participate in these, and people who self-define as non-spiritual are very common here.

As for the religious aspect, we do not consider ourselves to be a religious retreat. However, we do draw upon several traditions in our retreat as they are a part of our lives and personal practice. For example, we commonly utilize Buddhist teachings or Hindu mantras in our retreats. When we chant a mantra giving praise to Ganesha, one way to connect to that might be to see His qualities in us and how we can work to bring the best out of ourselves. Subscription to any faith is not necessary and can actually be counterproductive when thinking too much about the source instead of feeling into the power of the mantra or the teaching. So, don’t fear, you aren’t expected to change your belief system, but you will have the opportunity to go as deep as you wish into yourself with experienced teachers as guides to support you on your journey.

At Suan Sati, you will get exposure to different styles of meditation that you may connect with. Some teachers share chanting, others may use guided meditations, and others may use things as varied as breathing exercises, singing devotional songs, or even ecstatic dance! The heart of the practice here though is mindfulness with breathing, known as Anapanasati. It is a very simple but not easy technique of concentrating on the breath. This is not a technique that you will master in a few short days, and you will be disappointed if that is your expectation.

We have many books and resources to give you some information on the technique, but the best advice we can give is to just keep coming back to the breath. Come back as many times as possible in order to train the monkey mind to stay focused on the breath. It is not those who “get it” quickly that master the technique, but those who are determined to keep trying as many times as it takes with a positive, compassionate, patient attitude towards themselves. Those who have the most difficulty are those who after their first few sessions, don’t see progress and determine the practice is not working. Here we invite our guests to introspect on what’s not working, the practice or the practitioner. As with any practice, if you want to get the most out of it, you have to put the most into it!

Here is a link to a free PDF copy of Anapanasati: Mindfulness with Breathing By Buddhadhasa Bhikku: https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books5/Buddhadasa_Anapanasati_Unveiling-the-Secrets-of-Life.pdf

Here at Suan Sati, we have many influences in our teaching styles. These include Classical Hatha, Anusara, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Bhakti, Yin, Restorative, and many more! Generally, our morning classes are dynamic, designed to get your body moving, build strength and flexibility, and sharpen your body awareness. Our afternoon classes are slower to balance the morning classes, and focus more on stillness, mindful movement, and relaxing and letting go.

Some of the yoga classes at Suan Sati will most definitely challenge you, both physically and mentally. This is intentional, as we have seen the great benefits of this type of practice in ourselves and our guests over the years. When we approach the edge of our comfort zone, we can break down our preconceived ideas of what is possible on and off the mat. This is how yoga can totally transform your life. While you certainly don’t need to have any level of strength or flexibility to join our retreat, you will need a positive attitude and a willingness to put forth the effort to receive the benefits from your practice. With that being said, we never pressure anyone to go past their limits and we always practice safely, using props, modifications, and variations as needed for each individual’s body and limitations. Taking a rest is always available during our classes, and there is no expectation that everyone should be able to do every pose. Read more information on our yoga vision.

We ask that all guests participate in every yoga and meditation session on the schedule. Without full participation in the program, guests are not accessing the full potential of our program to effect positive change in their lives. We understand that some days your body is sore and calling for rest. If you are not feeling up to full participation in the session, we advise that you come to the shala and simply take extra child’s poses when you need it. You will get much more benefit from being in the shala and observing and absorbing the energy of the session than staying in bed. 

We often have a long waiting list for our retreats, so we ask that guests commit to attending every session as there are others waiting who would gladly do so. Not attending every session could potentially result in guests missing an important teaching that would help their practice grow, and in turn guests could feel frustration or dissatisfaction with themselves or our program. If you are physically unable to attend a session, please let us know in advance and we will accompany you to the local clinic or hospital if needed.

Suan Sati features a rotating cast of new and returning teachers each year. That means that we can’t tell you far in advance who will be leading your rereat. However, you can rest assured that the experienced teachers guiding you will embody the openness, playfulness, care, and devotion shared by everyone in our family.

The founders of Suan Sati, Will and Lisa, split their time between Thailand, Austria, and traveling the world. The timing of their residence at Suan Sati varies each year, so it’s not guaranteed that they will be there when you visit. Please trust that even if the founders are not leading your retreat, the teachers guiding you will uphold their vision and spirit.

The winter months from November through Mid March are cool and dry. From March until May, the weather is dry and hot. The rainy season runs from June to October, with June and October the lightest months. Rainy season is a great time to be here because the evenings are cool, the air is clean and clear, and everything is green and blooming. Northern Thailand doesn’t experience a monsoon like other places, the rains are usually only for an hour or so per day and the rest of the day is warm and sunny.

Please take the time to research the average temperature and rainfall before booking so that you are not caught unaware of the weather conditions. Every so often, a guest will express frustration with the weather, particularly the heat, and take that frustration out on us. We have made the conscious decision not to install air conditioning as it is an intense demand on our solar electricity system and global electricity supply in general. If either the heat of Chiang Mai or our decision to forego air conditioning is an issue for you, we recommend booking into the cooler winter months instead of the hot or rainy seasons.

For more information on Chiang Mai’s weather, please visit this link: https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Chiang-Mai,Thailand

Guests should bring comfortable clothing to meditate and do yoga in, lightweight long sleeve clothing to protect against mosquitoes, warm clothing for winter months (November to February can get down to 9 degrees Celsius), a BPA-free reusable water bottle (not disposable plastic), STRICTLY natural personal hygiene products ONLY (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen etc.), a headlamp (your phone’s flashlight works great), enough cash to pay your balance (there are no ATMs nearby), and good vibes!

We provide yoga mats and all the props you’ll need. If you have a special mat, yoga towel, or cushion you use at home, you’re welcome to bring it. We provide towels in the rooms for your use. We do not allow hair dryers or other heating elements as they use a lot of electricity and can cause a power outage with our solar electricity system.

During our winter retreats, we offer guests the opportunity to disconnect from their devices and take a break from the internet. We realize that some guests may have a need to use the internet for work, communicating with family, buying plane tickets, etc. If you have an urgent need for internet, we will happily accommodate. During other times of the year, Wi-Fi is available on a limited basis but we recommend that you try life on retreat without internet. You may find that you have a better connection!

Yes, there is. Unless you’re trying to quit, then no, there isn’t 🙂

There is a local clinic in the village for minor issues, and several excellent hospitals within 40 minutes drive.