A unique facility located in the lap of nature, nestled within the campus of SWAN Yoga Retreat. It is not an Ayurveda hospital, an Ayurveda clinic, or a fancy Ayurveda resort — it is a combination of it all.
SWAN Ayurveda in Goa, India, is a unique facility located in the lap of nature, nestled within the campus of SWAN Yoga Retreat.
We have created a space where healing is the main focus, using the age-old knowledge of Ayurveda.
It is not an Ayurveda hospital, an Ayurveda clinic, or a fancy Ayurveda resort: it is a combination of it all.
Ayurveda is not a service. Panchakarma is not a package. They are living traditions that require the right conditions to unfold. Healing is not created by a single treatment, a therapist, or a physician. It emerges from an ecosystem — from the people, the place, the rhythms of the day, the food, the practices, and the intention with which they are offered.
For over two decades, SWAN has been quietly cultivating those conditions. Founded and guided by practitioners of Ayurveda and Yoga, it was created as a place where healing and learning exist side by side. Nestled within the tropical landscape of Goa, it is a space where ancient knowledge is not merely taught, but lived.
At SWAN Ayurveda we focus on the treatment part without compromising on comfort, and we cater to people from all over the world.
The quality of an Ayurvedic treatment depends not only on the therapy prescribed, but also on how it is administered. Our Ayurvedic therapists are trained in Kerala, a region internationally recognised for its long-standing tradition of Ayurvedic practice and therapeutic treatments. They bring practical experience in traditional Ayurvedic therapies and understand the importance of careful, attentive treatment.
At SWAN, therapies are not offered as a fixed spa menu. They are provided according to the Ayurvedic doctor's prescription and form part of an individual treatment programme. Treatments may include traditional Ayurvedic massage, Abhyanga and other therapies prescribed according to the guest's requirements.
During Panchakarma, the role of the therapist becomes particularly important. The therapists work closely with the doctor and follow the prescribed procedures, while paying attention to the guest's comfort and response throughout the treatment. Treatments are carried out in dedicated treatment rooms on the SWAN campus using appropriate Ayurvedic oils and preparations.
The objective is simple: careful treatment, attentive hands and close coordination with the Ayurvedic doctor.
Pradeep comes from Kerala and brings extensive practical experience in traditional Ayurvedic therapies. Over the years, he has developed a thorough understanding of Ayurvedic treatment practices and a disciplined approach to his work.
At SWAN, he is committed to providing each guest with attentive care and an authentic Ayurvedic experience.
Originally from Kerala, Sarika is an experienced Ayurveda therapist with a deep familiarity with traditional Ayurvedic treatments and therapies. With years of hands-on experience, she brings a gentle, attentive and caring approach to every treatment.
Her calm presence and dedication help guests feel comfortable and supported throughout their Ayurvedic journey at SWAN.
Originally from Kerala, Surya is an experienced Ayurveda therapist with many years of practical experience in traditional Ayurvedic therapies. He approaches his work with patience, care and attention to detail, helping create a comfortable and supportive treatment experience for every guest.
At SWAN, he works closely with the Ayurvedic Doctor and wider team to support our guests.
We have trained and experienced Ayurvedic therapists and doctors on the campus, who make sure only the best care is provided to our guests.
Every Panchakarma and therapeutic program begins with careful assessment and continues under the guidance of experienced Ayurvedic doctors. Your constitution, imbalances, lifestyle, health history and therapeutic response are continuously observed throughout the stay. Treatments are refined as needed — ensuring that Ayurveda remains what it was always intended to be: a personalised system of medicine rather than a standardised protocol.
Dr. Siddhesh Bandekar is an experienced Ayurvedic physician with more than 15 years of clinical practice. His work is centred on traditional Ayurveda, preventive healthcare and a personalised approach to wellbeing. At SWAN, he is responsible for the Ayurvedic consultation and for determining the appropriate course of treatment for each guest.
Every Ayurvedic programme begins with consultation. Dr. Bandekar considers the individual's constitution, present condition, lifestyle, dietary habits and specific requirements before prescribing the appropriate therapies. This is particularly important for Panchakarma and longer Ayurvedic programmes, where treatments cannot simply be selected from a standard menu.
The doctor determines the therapies, their sequence and their duration, and reviews the guest during the programme when adjustments are required. He works closely with the SWAN Ayurveda therapists and the residential Yoga team so that the treatment programme is properly supported by appropriate food, Yoga, rest and daily routine.
Dr. Bandekar is also associated with Goa University and holds a degree in Alternative Medicine. His background in psychological counselling contributes to his broader understanding of the relationship between physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing and lifestyle. He also travels to Europe for seminars and professional consultations, sharing his experience of Ayurveda and holistic healthcare with an international audience.
At SWAN, his role is particularly important in ensuring that Ayurveda remains individual, supervised and rooted in the principles of traditional Ayurvedic practice.
We use locally sourced herbs and medicines, and we make some of our own medicines, which are used in the treatments provided to our guests.
A small herb garden is being developed around the Ayurveda facility, where we are growing different herbs. Because they are taken fresh from the garden, the efficacy of the medicines increases many times over.
In Ayurveda, the kitchen is an extension of the treatment room.
Meals are prepared according to Ayurvedic principles, taking into account constitution, digestive capacity, season, and the stage of treatment. Freshly prepared each day, the food is simple, nourishing, and designed to support the healing process. Every meal becomes part of the therapy.
Being located within the campus of SWAN Yoga Retreat, the effects of constant prayers and mantras chanted in the retreat temple create a very positive and effective vibration all around. This makes the healing faster and longer lasting.
Surrounded by the tropical beauty of Goa, SWAN offers a setting that naturally supports restoration. Palm trees sway in the breeze. Birds announce the morning. The pace of life slows. The nervous system begins to soften.
Our eco-conscious cottages and open natural spaces allow guests to reconnect with rhythms often forgotten in modern life. In such an environment, rest ceases to be an activity and becomes a state of being.
Traditionally, Yoga and Ayurveda were never separate disciplines.
At SWAN, asana, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra, cleansing practices and Ayurvedic therapies are woven into a single integrated experience. Each supports the other, creating a comprehensive approach to health that addresses body, breath, mind and awareness.
Healing becomes deeper when these traditions work together.
Yoga at SWAN is taught by the founders themselves — a small resident team whose teaching runs from asana and pranayama through to philosophy, Yoga Nidra and nutrition. Between them they carry several decades of practice in the classical tradition, and they teach here through the season.
Gyanmitra Saraswati is the co-founder of the SWAN Foundation for Ayurveda and Yoga Research and co-founder of SWAN Yoga Retreat in Goa, India.
For more than two decades, he has been involved in teaching Yoga, Yoga philosophy, meditation and Yoga Nidra, while also working to preserve and share traditional knowledge of Yoga and Ayurveda through residential programmes, courses, retreats and community initiatives.
His primary Yoga education was received at the Bihar School of Yoga, where he was initiated into Dashnami Sannyasa by his Guru, Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, and immersed in the traditional study and practice of Yoga.
His education in Ayurveda includes formal training at Arsha Vidya Yoga Peetham in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where he studied Ayurvedic treatment therapies and the principles and philosophy underlying their therapeutic application. This training in Ayurveda forms an important part of his work at SWAN.
At the retreat, Gyanmitra oversees the Ayurvedic therapies and treatments being provided to guests, working closely with the resident Ayurvedic physician and the team of therapists to ensure that the treatment process is properly supported and integrated with the wider residential programme.
He also teaches the Ayurveda Basic Course at SWAN, introducing students to the foundational principles of Ayurveda, its understanding of constitution, lifestyle, food and the traditional approach to wellbeing.
His role therefore bridges the two traditions at the heart of SWAN. Yoga provides the daily discipline. Ayurveda provides an individual approach to health and wellbeing. Together they create the foundation of the SWAN residential experience.
During the Yoga season from October to May, Gyanmitra lives and teaches at SWAN. During the remainder of the year, he travels internationally, conducting Yoga and Ayurveda retreats, workshops, seminars and courses in Europe and other destinations.
At SWAN during the season, from October to May.
Dayamurti, with dual but equal passion for both Yoga and nutrition, is one of the founding members of SWAN and is the guiding force behind the asana and pranayama of the classical Hatha Yoga tradition being taught here at SWAN. Besides that, she gives lectures on food and nutrition and offers Ayurvedic, vegetarian and vegan cooking lessons at SWAN. She has an experience of over 18 years, and her asana classes bring the best out of you, while her lecture on nutrition and her cooking classes are cherished by one and all.
A disciple of Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga, in Munger, India, Daya holds a Master's Degree in Yoga from SVYASA University, in Bangalore, India. In addition, she has completed various other Yoga courses from reputable organisations and Yoga ashrams.
She is passionately dedicated to her teachings while leading a spiritual and simple life. Daya represents the feminine energy of SWAN, and her presence at the retreat is immeasurably enjoyed and appreciated by everyone.
Shivendra Ojha, with over twenty years of yogic experience, is the Co-founder of the SWAN Foundation for Ayurveda and Yoga Research — the non-profit foundation working towards creating yogic lifestyle awareness among the citizens of the world, and also assisting under-privileged and destitute women and children.
Born in a family of priests, astrologers and Ayurvedic practitioners, his humble journey begins from a passionate cricketer to an athlete to a brief stint in the tourism sector; he eventually found solace in Yoga, spirituality and social service.
At the SWAN campus he believes in studying, practising and sharing the wisdom of Vedic knowledge, which includes the Yoga and Tantra philosophies. He also has a keen interest in Sanatan Dharma, the laws of Karma, and Ayurveda.
For the SWAN Foundation, he takes care of meeting with various government and non-government offices, planning exclusive programmes and executing them. Two of his most successful and ongoing campaigns are “Swastha Goa — Sakaratmak Goa” (Healthy Goa — Positive Goa) and girl-child education for the under-privileged. Shivendra Ojha holds MSc and BSc degrees in Yoga.
He may be available to teach personal or group online philosophical sessions — Yoga, Tantra and Happiness Analysis — upon prior request. Please write to us to ask.
As a step in the direction of preserving and spreading the knowledge of Ayurveda and Yoga, we have created a facility in which people can enrol and be part of basic, beginner-level courses — especially designed with the needs of ordinary people in mind.
These courses enable the participant to take away the knowledge and the know-how to be used in day-to-day life, and to benefit from it: to have a disease-free, healthy and balanced life themselves, as well as to help the people around them, their friends and their family.
Guests often arrive seeking healing and leave with something more — an understanding of themselves, their habits, their bodies, and the principles that support long-term wellbeing. Learning becomes a natural part of the healing process.
What makes SWAN unique is not a building, a treatment, or a program. It is the continuity of practice.
The physicians practice Ayurveda. The teachers practice Yoga. The therapists live the work they offer. The retreat itself has been shaped around these principles for many years.
Guests often tell us that what they remember most is not any single therapy, but the feeling of being in a place where the teachings are alive.
That is why people return. Not for a holiday. Not for an escape. But for the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in a way of living that restores balance, cultivates awareness, and reminds them of what health truly feels like.
SWAN Ayurveda is at Assagao, Bardez, in North Goa — a quiet village inland from the coast, within the campus of SWAN Yoga Retreat.
| Address | Assagao, Bardez, Goa 403507, India |
|---|---|
| Telephone | +91 8007 360 677 |
| info@swanayurveda.com | |
| Check-in | 2 PM |
| Check-out | 10 AM |
