9-day retreat
The alignment-and-props method of our 5-day course, given nine days: balances, hips, twists, backbends and supported inversions each on a day of their own, with a lighter day in the middle to let it settle.
Overview
Quick answer
Our 9 Day Alignment Yoga Intensive runs at Arambol Beach, Goa, from $250 for the course only (or $400 with food & accommodation), in fixed batches from November 2026 to March 2027. It uses the same props-based method as our 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course, with room for standing balances, hips, twists, backbends and supported inversions on days of their own, plus a sequence built for your own body. It is not a teacher training; for that, see our 100 Hour Alignment Yoga Teacher Training.
The 9 Day Alignment Yoga Intensive takes the method of our 5-day course — precise alignment, full use of props, one region of the body at a time — and gives it the time it actually wants. Five days covers the foundations: the legs, the pelvis and spine, the shoulders, a supported inversion and a full practice. Nine days lets those foundations go deeper and adds what a short course has to leave out: standing balances on a day of their own, a day for the hips, twists treated as a subject rather than an afterthought, and backbends and supported inversions taught separately instead of sharing a morning. Day 5 is deliberately lighter — one practice and a free afternoon — because the body consolidates what it has been taught when it is given a pause. Two further threads run through the nine days, and a five-day course has room for neither. You build a home sequence that fits your own proportions and your own week, rather than a routine borrowed from a video. And you learn to see alignment in someone else: watching a partner’s feet, pelvis and shoulders and saying what you see, which trains the same eye you use on your own practice without turning the course into a teacher training. Blocks, belts, bolsters, chairs and the shala’s wall ropes are on the mat from the first morning, at our Arambol campus a few minutes from the beach.
Feet and legs, pelvis and spine, shoulders, standing balances, hips, twists, backbends and supported inversions each get a day of their own instead of sharing one.
Blocks, belts, bolsters, chairs and the shala’s wall ropes make each posture correct before it is deep — for stiff bodies and experienced ones alike.
You leave with a home practice built around your own proportions, stiffness and week, and the reasoning behind its order.
Observing a partner trains the eye you use on your own practice. Observation only — no practice teaching and no assessment.
Is This You?
The Journey
Day 1
Foundations: feet, legs and the standing poses
An opening session and a first practice kept deliberately plain, so the teachers can see how each of you moves before correcting anything. Then the base every later day stands on: the feet and ankles, and the standing poses that load them — triangle, warrior II and side angle — set up with a block and a belt. In the theory session, where to look first in a standing pose, on your own mat and on the one beside it.
Day 2
The pelvis, the spine and forward bends
The pelvis decides what the lower back does. Forward bends and lunges with the chair and the bolster taking the load, so you feel the difference between a spine that lengthens and one that rounds. In the theory session, how to look at a spine — your own, and the one on the next mat.
Day 3
Shoulders, arms and the upper back
Downward dog, plank and overhead work taken apart joint by joint, with belts across the upper arms and the wall for feedback. The difference between opening a chest and jamming a lower back — which the balances tomorrow and the backbends on Day 8 both depend on.
Day 4
Standing balances
Tree, half moon, warrior III and the standing hand-to-foot pose, built from the standing foot upward. The wall and a block take the fear out so the alignment can be seen, then the wall comes away. In the afternoon, pairs watch each other’s standing foot and pelvis and say what they see.
Day 5
A lighter day, to consolidate
One morning practice instead of two, going back over the first four days slowly with the questions you now have. The afternoon is free — Arambol Beach is a few minutes away — and the evening is a long restorative session over bolsters. It is the pause the second half is built on.
Day 6
Hips
External and internal rotation, seated and standing, with blocks under the sitting bones and belts for the legs. Cobbler, the wide-legged poses and pigeon preparations set up so the hip does the work rather than the knee. In the afternoon, the first draft of your own home sequence.
Day 7
Twists
Standing, seated and reclined twists, and why most people twist from the lower back and the neck instead of the ribcage. The chair and the wall make the rotation honest. Afternoon observation in pairs, this time on a partner’s spine and shoulders, and a second pass at your sequence.
Day 8
Backbends
Bridge, camel, bow and backbends over blocks and bolsters, with the chest and shoulder preparation from Day 3 doing the work and the counter-poses that keep the lower back safe. Taught with the contraindications said out loud, and modified for anyone who needs it.
Day 9
Supported inversions, your own sequence and closing
Supported inversions with the wall ropes, chairs and bolsters — shoulderstand, halasana and legs up the wall — with the neck kept free and the contraindications stated plainly: neck injury, high blood pressure, pregnancy, menstruation. Then the sequence you have been building since Day 6, practised in full and largely self-led while the teachers correct, and a closing circle.
Nine days, one subject a day: the foundations of the 5-day course — legs, pelvis and spine, shoulders — taught at greater depth, then standing balances, hips, twists, backbends and supported inversions each on a day of their own, with a lighter consolidation day in the middle. The afternoons build a home sequence for your own body and train your eye on a partner’s alignment. What it leaves out is everything that makes a teacher training: no anatomy examination, no teaching methodology, no practice teaching and no assessment.
Daily Rhythm
This is a full teaching day. Day 5 is lighter — one morning practice and the afternoon free — and timings can shift with the weather and with what the group needs.
What's Included
Fixed start dates
Pick a batch and book it online — your deposit moves to any other batch within 12 months, and we confirm your place within 24 hours.
$250 USD
$250 for the course only, or $400 with food & accommodation, for your chosen batch.
Fixed batches from 9 November 2026 to 12 March 2027, all at our Arambol campus in Goa, including one from 23 to 31 December, over Christmas and up to New Year’s Eve. This course is Goa-only: from May to September our teaching moves to Bhagsu, Dharamshala — so if you are travelling in those months, ask us about the 8 Day Retreat or the 5 Day Yoga & Meditation Immersion in the mountains instead.
Reserve with a $75 deposit — fully transferable to any batch within 12 months. Refund policy
If you really want to learn how to do all the asanas properly, enjoy all the benefits of each one, and then teach asanas properly to your students, this is your place. I took the 9-day intensive alignment course and then continued going for drop-in. I can see how my practice has improved.
Pal Ish
Intensive Alignment Course
Why Alpesh Yoga
Learn from a Yoga Alliance registered school — the same accredited teaching standard behind our internationally recognized teacher trainings.
Authentic Hatha Alignment, Hatha Vinyasa Flow, pranayama, meditation and philosophy, taught through traditional yogic teachings rather than a studio-fitness approach.
Learn from experienced yoga teachers who give you personal, hands-on guidance throughout your retreat.
Join a diverse community of students from around the world, training together in a small, supportive group.
Start with a short retreat and continue into a full 100, 200 or 300 hour teacher training later, at either campus — the same teaching, different depths.
Practice in the peaceful surroundings of Arambol Beach, Goa or Bhagsu, Dharamshala — settings designed for focus, healing and personal growth.
Founder & Lead Teacher · 22+ years
Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher
Founder of Alpesh Yoga. Introduced to yoga as a child, Alpesh managed epilepsy through breathing practices learned from Jain monks, and has taught traditional, alignment-based yoga to students from around the world for over two decades.
Choosing Well
The longer sibling of the 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course, and like it, Goa-only. Same method, same props, same one-region-a-day structure — but five days can only cover the foundations, and nine give balances, hips, twists, backbends and supported inversions a day each, plus a lighter day to consolidate and time to build your own sequence. The 8 Day Retreat is the broader week: alignment in the morning, flow in the afternoon, philosophy and meditation around them. The 50 Hour Intensive is the hardest-working, roughly eight guided hours a day of everything at once. Choose this one if alignment itself is what you came for, and five days would leave you wanting the second half.
See our other retreats→This is not a teaching qualification. You learn to see alignment in a partner because it sharpens your own practice, but there is no teaching methodology, no practice teaching, no assessment and nothing that counts toward Yoga Alliance registration. If you want to teach this method, that is the 100 Hour Alignment Yoga Teacher Training in Goa — and nine days here is a good way to find out whether you do.
See the 100 Hour Alignment Yoga Teacher Training in Goa→Accommodation & Food
Simple, comfortable rooms a short walk from the shala, with three home-style vegetarian meals a day. Twin-share and private options are available at both campuses.
See accommodation & food
Life Here
Reviews
It was all I needed: two different kinds of asana practices that complemented each other, plus pranayama and yoga theory. It was all really well explained! Moreover, I felt at home!
Gemma Bru Ballarà
5-Day Course
I took the 8-day alignment with Alpesh, which was an amazing experience. As a beginner, the course was challenging, and I learned so much about the practice of yoga. I had been in a 30-day retreat prior to this course, and I learned much more here in 8 days with Alpesh than in the entirety of the 30 days.
Yaxi Wang
8-Day Alignment Course
I recently completed a yoga program at Alpesh Yoga School, and I am genuinely impressed with the transformative experience it provided. Alpesh is knowledgeable, patient, and creates a welcoming atmosphere for practitioners of all levels.
Hemant Sharma
“Yoga from the heart.” Travelled from Denmark specifically for a 10-day retreat: “developed me more in 10 days than any other yoga teacher… definitely the best yoga instructor in Dharamsala.”
TripAdvisor reviewer (Denmark)
Yoga Retreat, Dharamshala
Reviews from Google
Rated 4.9 across 156+ Google reviews
April 2026
Came here as a complete beginner of yoga to do the 200h TTC. The amount of improvement I felt over this short time was really incredible to be honest. I learned a lot and the atmosphere here is just very welcoming and supportive, like a little family.Read on Google→
March 2026
Lovely space and teachers. We never got to take Alpesh‘s class (too lazy in the mornings) but he is a great personality and very warm and friendly.Read on Google→
January 2026
I’ve just completed my 200-hour TTC with Alpesh, and the experience was truly transformative. Alpesh’s teaching is one of a kind—deeply foundational and refreshingly authentic. The consistent emphasis on alignment and muscle activation, day in and day out, rather than rushing into Instagrammable poses, is nothing short of revolutionary. "Leave your shoes and ego outside the shala". Alpesh’s "serious" tone and almost obsessive cues during class hide a big-hearted human being who is deeply attentive to everyone’s individual needs. Weeks after the course, you’ll still hear his cues echoing in your mind—“kneecaps up” and “hip squeeze”—and that’s a very good sign 😊. The training is thoughtfully structured, and the two additional teachers Maithily and Rashmi are equally knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely wonderful human beings. I would recommend this course to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of yoga—not just asana practice, but yoga as a holistic system—using the body and breath as tools to explore far more than physical movement. BONUS point: the food. Fresh, made from scratch every day with so much love and care. I’m still dreaming about the coriander chutney, masala dosa, and endless rivers of masala chai. I have never felt so blessed.Read on Google→
January 2026
Alpesh is simply the best! If you’re in India, he is the number one address for authentic and highly knowledgeable yoga classes. I miss this place and all the people so much and hope to come back asap. All the best, Alpesh 🫶🏽Read on Google→
January 2026
I had the best time. The yoga was truly special, the philosophy classes were inspiring and thoughtfully led. There is much to learn. What made it truly unique was the atmosphere—it felt like being part of a family.Read on Google→
December 2025
I recently completed my ttc and am so happy i chose Alpeshyoga school. I was welcomed like in a family. The teachers are fantastic, the morning classes with Alpesh are the best i've ever taken. He manages to convey his deep understanding of alignments with extreme precision and passion. Maithily, the theory teacher, with her incredible knowledge and culture, was able to explain her lessons with extreme clarity, always making the class enjoyable and engaging. And finally, Rashmi, with her empathy and depth of soul... Made the evening practices a unique experience that i recommend to everyone. And the food prepared with love by two very sweet ladies... Amazing! For me, they were not just teachers but also true friends... This experience has brought profound changes to me. I thank them all and hope to join them soon for another journey together🙏Read on Google→
November 2025
Alpesh thank you for sharing your knowledge! I have an amazing alignment course with this school! The other teachers and the food is incredible as well. I recommend this place for anyone who is searching to learn something and more about yoga ❤️Read on Google→
June 2025
It’s difficult to explain how I felt during the 5 day course I did in Alpesh Yoga. But in a few words, it was all what I need. Two different kind of asana practices which complemented each other, plus pranayama and yoga theory. All really well explained! Moreover I felt like home! All the teachers were welcoming, and all of the know what they were talking about. They were open-minded and they listenend to me when I had questions (I had a lot) even I considered them silly! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom!Read on Google→
March 2025
Alpesh is a very good yoga teacher. Although I have been a yoga teacher who has been practicing yoga regularly for years, I have experienced great expansions both physically and spiritually. He holds space very well, knows the body very well and works it like an architect day by day, and he is also very cute. I want to attend his classes again next year for at least 2 months. Alpesh Yoga is the meeting point for yogis and yoginis of all ages from different cultures🪷 Thank you AlpeshRead on Google→
March 2025
I Took the 8 day alignment with Alpesh which was an amazing experience. As a beginner the course was challenging and I learned so much about the practice of yoga. I had been in a 30 day retreat prior to this course and I learned much more here in 8 days with Alpesh than in the entirety of the 30 days. Alpesh and the other students in the program were also a joy to be around and felt like family. Alpesh even helped me book my train ticket to Mumbai and make sure I got to my destination safely as a first time traveler in India. Would love to take future courses with Alpesh.Read on Google→
March 2025
I am happy that I chose to study with Alpesh. The teacher training course was professional and experiential. I am already looking forward to returning for further training. BeckyRead on Google→
March 2025
Beautiful place and beautiful people, teachers with great knowledge and passion, alpesh yoga is a great place to gain experience, practice under the supervision of great teachers and wonderful people, from all over the world. I recommend it with all my heart 🌼Read on Google→
February 2025
I first met Alpesh in March last year while traveling through India. I attended a drop-in class and ended up staying for five days. Eventually, I continued my travels, attending yoga classes wherever I went—but none of them ever felt the same as with him. For months, our schedules didn’t align for a Yoga Teacher Training (YTT), but finally, in December, I had the opportunity to attend his course. It was one of the best decisions I made. Alpesh is an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced teacher who truly understands each student’s individual needs. He pushes you beyond what you think you’re capable of while always ensuring that your practice is safe and aligned. As someone with back issues I deeply appreciated his ability to modify asanas for me, making yoga more accessible while still challenging. If you’re looking for a teacher who will challenge you, support you, and help you grow—not just in asanas but in understanding yoga at a deeper level—I highly recommend learning from Alpesh and his team.Read on Google→
January 2025
This was the highlight if my year this year. At first i was kind of frustrated because it wasn’t like the studio we used to see in social media. But being here was a transformation i never expected, alpesh is a good teacher, he can be strict but for me its how it should be, a teacher should always push his students to their limits to learn. I enjoyed my time here and i wished i could’ve stayed longer❤️Read on Google→
March 2026
Thank you, Alpesh, for your wonderful energy, your sense of humor, and your intense classes with excellent corrections. I've admired how you've worked with each of us, despite our different languages and levels. Excellent teacher! Thanks to you, I've returned to yoga and I hope to come back next year.Read on Google→
March 2026
I’m so happy I completed my TTC with Alpesh. He’s an amazing teacher and practitioner whose classes are simply the best I’ve ever attended, on any continent. During the course, I sometimes asked myself if it was easy or difficult, and while the difficult aspect was there, it was purely physical. Learning from Alpesh and Rashmi about yoga was a privilege, and every minute at the school was so precious. The truth is, once you’re there, you feel at home and simply don’t want to leave :) I miss the school so much already, and I feel so, so grateful for the time there! ❤️Read on Google→
January 2026
I was incredibly lucky to be the only one in my 100-hour TTC course and received exceptional support. The yoga classes were excellent, and all the teachers were very friendly. Alpesh took me under his wing, and I experienced everything as relaxed and very welcoming. I'm grateful for this wonderful experience at Alpesh Yoga and would book there again in a heartbeat.Read on Google→
January 2026
I recently completed my yoga training with Alpesh Yoga Goa and had a great experience. It really felt like home. Alpesh is a wonderful teacher — a perfect mix of strict and soft — and his teaching is clear, knowledgeable, and straight to the point. The food was also delicious and very nourishing. I’d highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an authentic and well-structured yoga experience in Goa.Read on Google→
January 2026
Alpesh is a very experienced and talented yoga teacher. I have been visiting Arambol for many winter holidays and attend Alpesh classes to improve and strengthen my yoga practice. The classes are very focused, alignment is key to get flow. After three weeks I leave much stronger with much improved posture (sternum up, shoulders back, courage). In Alpesh classes I have become good at headstands and other yoga poses I thought were outside of my reach. Its important for me to Listen to learn and I make an effort. (Mostly;) Alpesh yoga studio attracts good interesting people who are fun and supportive. A great environment to learn, grow, connect and have fun. Thank you Alpesh yoga school. I love the studio and energy. Sean LondonRead on Google→
December 2025
I have gone to many of Alpesh’s drop in sessions, and decided to do the 5 day alignment course with him! I couldn’t recommend his yoga school enough - he is the best yoga teacher I found throughout India. He is so knowledgeable, firm but very kind and focuses on precise adjustments that change the whole pose. He has taught me so much about yoga, especially all the details you miss out on if you are just practicing in the West! I will be back whenever I am in Goa/Dharamshala - thank you Alpesh!Read on Google→
November 2025
Fantastic teacher. Gave me (a novice) confidence to try all moves in the class. All yoga moves were carefully observed and adapted to the experience and ability of each participant. Will definitely be back next time I am in ArambolRead on Google→
May 2025
Completing the 200hr yoga teacher training course has been a dream of mine for quite a few years now and being able to come to India for this reason was so important. But just as important was finding the right school. I knew I wanted to find a place near the beach which led me onto searching around Goa. When I came across Alpesh Yoga I really felt like this was the place I was meant to complete the course. Their website/instagram and other social media have lots to explore and you can really get a feel for what Alpesh has created at his yoga school. I really appreciated the abundant information and prompt communication from Alpesh when inquiring into what course would be best for me. Once I arrived in Goa, all of the teachers welcomed the students with an opening ceremony in the morning before we started our first class. I felt at home right away. My days during the 200 hour teacher training course were really well structured with a good balance between time in the classroom and time on the mat and the food was absolutely delicious. All 3 of my teachers brought with them so much insight and knowledge and were able to deliver it to us effectively with clear communication. I really enjoyed Alpesh's style of teaching, where he is direct and clear with his instructions, involves everyone in the class and gives a profound insight into the benefits of each Asana. All 3 teachers brought their own unique perspectives and helped guide me deeper into my own practice whilst also learning how to guide students myself. I was also lucky enough to share this experience with the other students. Being a stones throw away from the beach allowed me to really enjoy my free/study time each week, with lots of little villages and towns around Arambol to explore too. I really felt like I found the most amazing place to complete my course and I am grateful to have been led to Alpesh yoga. Thank you for everything Alpesh, I hope to return next season 🙏🏻Read on Google→
March 2025
Best place to practise yoga - well structured classes with high experienced teacher; great atmosphere, I would definitely come back to Alpesh’s yoga place in ArambolRead on Google→
March 2025
I’ve been practicing yoga for five years and I improved more in one month here than in all my previous practice. Alpesh is a dedicated and truly excellent teacher. The Shala is welcoming and the people are serious practitioners. Loved practicing here for more than a month, and I’m coming back next season for the TTC for sure. 10/10 recommend 🙏🏼Read on Google→
March 2025
Attending Alpesh’s yoga classes is not only highly informative and inspiring but also a lot of fun! Practicing yoga with a true master is a great privilege! Do not miss this opportunity if you’re in Arambol.Read on Google→
February 2025
I enjoyed my time at alpesh's school a lot and learned so much. As I came as a beginner I wouldn't feel comfortable teaching after the ytt but I have a learned a lot about my body and feel much better even weeks after coming home. Thanks alpesh- you are a hero!Read on Google→
January 2025
I have been doing yoga in many places around the world and around india, and this one might be the best place I've tried. The teachers are very professional. Overall an amazing place if you look for a yoga place in Arambol definitely try this oneRead on Google→
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From our Instagram
Short clips from our classes, ceremonies and graduations at the shala.
FAQ
Fixed batches at the Arambol shala, from 9 November 2026 to 12 March 2027 — the full list is in the dates table on this page. Choose your batch when you book and we confirm your place within 24 hours; a 30% deposit, transferable to any future batch within 12 months, holds it, and the balance is paid on arrival.
Tell us your travel window anyway. The 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course runs its own batches, some starting on days this course does not use, and the 8 Day Retreat is booked for your preferred dates rather than in fixed batches. If you book a batch and your plans change, your 30% deposit moves to any future batch within 12 months — see our refund policy.
Nine days is not the 5-day course with extra mornings added. The method, the props and the shala are the same, but standing balances, hips and twists get days of their own, backbends and supported inversions are taught on separate days instead of sharing one, there is a lighter day in the middle, and the afternoons go on your own home sequence and on watching a partner’s alignment — time the 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course does not have. Several batches of the two courses start on the same day, so you can decide once you know how long you have.
Yes. One batch runs from 23 to 31 December at the Arambol shala, through Christmas and up to New Year’s Eve. It is the same course as every other batch, with Goa’s festive week going on around it. If you only have the Christmas days themselves, the 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course runs from 23 to 27 December.
Yes. Props exist precisely so a stiff body can find correct alignment, and nothing is taken deeper than you can hold it well. The first three days are foundations for everyone, whatever their experience. What the course does ask for is nine days of slow, careful attention — if you would rather start with a week, the 5 Day Alignment Yoga Course is the shorter way in.
Anyone after nine fast, flowing, sweaty days: this is slow, precise work with a lot of stopping to look at what a joint is doing. Tell us about injuries, pregnancy, high blood pressure, neck problems or recent surgery in your booking — the backbend and inversion days in particular are modified or replaced in those cases, and we would rather plan that before you arrive than on the morning.
Around five guided hours on a full day, across four blocks: the morning practice, a midday theory session, applied prop work and partner observation in the late afternoon, and a short restorative session before dinner. Day 5 is lighter — one morning practice and the afternoon free. Early mornings and the middle of the afternoon are yours, and Arambol Beach is a few minutes away.
Comfortable practice clothes, a water bottle and a notebook — you will want to write your sequence down. Mats, blocks, belts, bolsters, chairs and the wall ropes are all provided at the shala. Add light clothes, swimwear and sunscreen for Goa.
Very. Most people on the short courses arrive alone, the group is small, and nine days of practising side by side and watching each other’s alignment means nobody stays a stranger for long. Couples and friends can share a room on the with-stay tier — mention it when you book.
No. You learn to see alignment in a partner because it sharpens your own practice, but there is no teaching methodology, no practice teaching and no assessment, and nothing here counts toward Yoga Alliance registration. If you want to teach this method, look at our 100 Hour Alignment Yoga Teacher Training in Goa.
Yes. Nothing is credited toward a 100 or 200 hour course — a training starts from its own first day — but you arrive with clean fundamentals and an eye already trained on alignment, which is the difference between spending your first training week learning and spending it unlearning. Ask us while you are here and we will talk you through the dates.
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