Replenish & Restore Yoga Retreat
with Melissa Smith
RetreatsVinyasa Flow and Yin with Melissa Smith
Melissa returns to Ulpotha with her signature therapeutic style of yoga, inviting you to reconnect with yourself and with nature. Over two weeks you will be guided through a balance of morning slow-flow sessions that gently build strength and awareness, and evening practices that ease into restorative yoga and Yoga Nidra.
Her approach blends traditional postures with somatic movement, mantra, meditation and breathwork, always with variations so you can practise at your own pace. Melissa’s teaching is both playful and deeply supportive, encouraging curiosity while creating space for profound rest and renewal.
Melissa Smith at Ulpotha
What's included:
Accommodation on a twin-sharing basis in comfortable beautifully designed huts open to the surrounding nature
Yoga classes twice daily (No yoga on Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings)
A yoga-friendly breakfast and two sumptuous vegetarian meals, plus snacks, juices, and teas
Indulge in a free massage/week from one of our visiting therapists
Transport for 1 excursion (half or full day) per week to nearby cultural heritage sites (entrance fees not included)
A Typical day at Ulpotha:
07:00 - 07:30: Tea and fruit
07:30 - 09:00: Yoga
09:00-09:30: Breakfast
09:45-12:30: Massages/Ayurveda/ swimming/relaxing
12:30-13:30: Lunch
14:00-16:00: Massages/Ayurveda/swimming/relaxing
16:00 - 17:00: Tea and snacks
17:00 - 18:30Yoga/Meditation/Sunset walks
19:00 - 20:00: Dinner
Transport to and from Ulpotha and travel insurance is not included.
Ayurveda treatments are not included in the price, please see prices on our booking page.
Your Teachers & Therapists
Melissa Smith
Yoga TeacherMelissa Smith, M.A., LMHC, is a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 educator specialising in Yoga Therapeutics, Restorative and Sustainable Yoga, and mindfulness. She is an international retreat coordinator, a trauma-informed teacher and an advocate for caregivers supporting those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Her teaching is slow, precise and supportive. You will work with functional movement and strength, grounded in sound biomechanics and simple yogic philosophy. Expect space for deep rest. Melissa invites you to listen closely to your body and to let intuition guide your practice. She is experienced with injuries, ageing and special conditions, and welcomes complete beginners through to long-time practitioners. With more than 30 years in health and wellness, Melissa credits teachers including Leeann Carey, Jules Mitchell, Stephanie Adams, Nicolai Bachman, Donna Farhi, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Lance Schuler and her first mentor, Carie Garrett. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she teaches classes and bespoke retreats at Pranava Yoga Studio, and is a licensed psychotherapist (LMHC) focused on life transitions, grief and trauma modalities. Melissa will guide mindful, steady sessions that combine traditional asana, somatic movement, mantra, restorative shapes and meditation. The aim is simple: to feel embodied, awake and at ease in body, mind and spirit. On some evenings, there will be gentle therapeutic Thai Yoga Massage, nurturing restorative practice and quiet Yoga Nidra. What you will experience with Melissa Functional, sustainable movement with clear alignment Options for injuries, ageing and special conditions Restorative practice and guided relaxation for deep rest Somatic inquiry, mantra and simple meditation Occasional therapeutic Thai Yoga Massage and Yoga Nidra in the evening
Pi Jem
Visiting TherapistPi Jem is one of Thailand’s ‘amazing gems’ – a very skilled traditional Thai massage therapist who trained with many of the great Thai masters and now teaches worldwide.
