Something special seems to happen for human beings when close to the ocean. The magic of the seashore and beach visits have been an essential remedy to our modern, increasingly urbanized, way of living.

Is it an evolutionary artifact, left over since we began this journey out of the water about 650 million years ago? Or is there some intrinsic value to both our evolved minds and bodies by being both on land and in the water that a beach offers?

Do we relax by the water, at the beach, because it coincides with personal time? Or is it the power of Mother Nature in all Her Glory? In that sense She works on our systems in any truly natural setting, on a mountain or in a forest. Yet the land-meets-water component of Mother seems to be particularly healing, especially rejuvenating.

Though I have had the good fortune to set up a special place like Samahita in pure nature, on the beach, life limits me to be away from it for many months in the year. All I know is each time I arrive back at Samahita’s beach I need to immerse in the sea water. Quickly, tiredness from a half-way-round-the-world travel evaporates and any travel weary puffiness dissipates. The next morning I’m a new man.

Naturally science has something to say about this, such as both the sound of sea waves and staring at the ocean impact your brain waves to a state of calm and peace, or the richness of contrasting colors and their emotional effect, as well as the impact of being and walking barefoot on the sand. The mere proximity to the ocean improves your state of mind, as a group of Japanese researchers concluded in their 2016 study.

A separate Science journal study found how blue is associated with a boost of creativity. Not just breathing in, but even the smell of the sea, perhaps due to the level of negative ions in the air, do something special to soothe and calm you. In an esoteric sense there is something about the impact of the energy-meridian lines of this great body of water on our own systems. Overall, conclude the Japanese researchers, this coastal experience “positively affects individual wellbeing.”

But as I was going through my notes and database of science papers I stumbled upon a paper I had saved a few years back on “The Secrets of Rainbows”, written by one of the American Meteorological Society’s members.

And then I opened my photo file from the past few months and saw in front of me this double rainbow shot from Samahita’s beachfront (see header image).

Though early philosophers from Aristotle (~350 BCE) to Avicenna (~1000 CE) speculated on the origin of rainbows, knowing them to be a feature of sunlight falling on raindrops, it was only in 1637 when Descartes offered a satisfactory explanation in his Discours de la Méthode. Ironically the same Descartes who has given us the mind-body dualistic separation today under Cartesian thought, where mind is distinctly different from the body. Opposite to the understanding of consciousness and energy (citta and prāna) in ancient Eastern thought systems.

Regardless, from Aristotle to Patanjali to Descartes to the modern fashionably attired yogi-type person, we all love, admire, and go silent in front of Rainbows. For instance, do you know as the sun’s rays fall on a raindrop they emerge at an angle of less than 42º while projecting a cone of light back to the sun exactly at 42º?

And do you know that billions of these raindrops distributed along a cone at the correct viewing angle contribute to the phenomenon of this “magic” we term so simply as a rainbow?

And do you know when in the day the tallest, meaning highest arc, rainbow occurs? Just after sunrise. Due to the sun being only about 2º over the horizon.

But what about the magic of a double rainbow? Well that’s simple (not really)!! It’s because the sun rays experience two internal reflections in spherical drops.

All that science aside, here’s what is quite cool about the double rainbow, and something I only learnt while writing this. Take a closer look at Samahita’s double rainbow photo above. Notice anything? …….. {time passes} …… Look again at the colors of both rainbows. The order of the colors in the secondary rainbow is reversed from those of the primary rainbow, a sort of mirror reflecting rainbow pair.

Apparently Hawaii is the rainbow capital of the world but we’re pretty happy with what we find on Samahita’s beach. Another Thailand specialty.

And, yes, you guessed it, Samahita’s new beachfront rooms give you a morning (in fact all day) view of the sunrise, rainbows and more (not guaranteed:), and that healthy, rejuvenating Mother Nature gift of being on land at the water, right at the beach.

Close your eyes, listen to the sea, smell the air, breathe in the extra electron of negative ions, so when you open your eyes you feast on colors of blue, pot of gold rainbows, and tropical palm trees. From your room!

Come join us. And be happy.

Not only has Samahita made it to 20 years but we’ve doubled our beachfront.

From December 1st this year we go from 100m to a full continuous 200m of beautiful beach front.

But that’s not all. Over the years many have expressed the “dream” to come to a place like Samahita and stay right at the beach. It seems that dream’s time has come.

Samahita has taken over the luxury villa and garden property next to us. We have designed and built 20 new spectacular rooms – right at the beach. All king size beds. All new features. 7 of these rooms are direct beachfront, with full unobstructed morning sunrise and all day beach views. 3 more have unique beach views right from the bedroom and deck, all day. And the remaining private rooms at this beachfront property have a mixture of views of the sea, beach, tropical garden and our magnificent 80m tall tamarind tree at the center. There is also an additional swimming pool in this area along with seated sala areas right at the beach. Most importantly, the area flows contiguously from the Meditation garden around the yoga shalas and back to the pool area.

Samahita has always been self-funded, committed to putting earnings back into the property, the facilities, the staff, and more. At times that is not easy, especially through the recent closure period. Yet there are times to make bold moves, use “buddhi” and go further to improve what we do. This independence allows Samahita to maintain total integrity to who and what we are.

Samahita started, and continues, as a place 100% dedicated to bringing Wellbeing into people’s lives. We live it, We practice it. We offer it. We do our best to put it in a purpose-built retreat center, in the classes, wellness amenities, through the food, and how you experience your stay. Because your personal time and space is just as important as the classes you go to and the programs you attend.

Samahita is committed to being here for another 20 years, independently and privately run, staying on top of the practices and the latest information, data, science, and more that supports them.

Our philosophy of “Great value at a Fair price” continues just as the purpose and special energy you feel when at Samahita remains nurtured and enhanced.

These new rooms are called our “inhale” Beachfront Rooms while the rooms that have served us so well for so many years are our “exhale” Gardenview rooms.

We are NOT increasing the rates of our “exhale” Gardenview rooms. They remain at the low season rates set back in 2018. In a time where it seems like every place and service is in inflation price rise mode we stand by this philosophy and continue great value and fair pricing. Keep your budget low and still enjoy the rooms you know well.

Our NEW “inhale” Beachfront Rooms are a rare gem of unique beach location with a modest-luxury-comfort, without waste often found in “luxury” resorts and hotels. These “inhale” rates are just a small increase over the current rooms. You might be able to afford a little more for an ideal beach stay. For example, a new beach private room is only $40 more a night than the regular gardenview privates. If you want the exclusive beachfront spot then that is just a little more!

Whether you stay in the All New “inhale” Beachfront Rooms or still enjoy our “exhale” Gardenview rooms, you will benefit from all the upgrades Samahita has just invested in – new comfy-huggable bath towels, new “love-my-sleep” mattresses, double-layer curtains (black out with sheer), little in-room extras, essential oil in-room diffuser. And at the pool and beach, new beach chairs, new comfy-huggable beach-pool towels, an attractive new walking path, and an upgrade to the beach wooden fitness-yoga shala. Spectacular. Plus, investment in a fully upgraded WiFi system and internet access and speed across the entire property, adding access points by every room and common area, cables changed to the latest fiber optic, so when you do connect it’s efficient. And when not, we still encourage a digital detox.

Now more than ever, come join us. Book your stay! and naturally ….. photos of updates will keep coming.

Samahita completes its 20th year this year, from 2003 to 2023. And just like a new born baby back then it has gone through its infancy, growth stages, fresh maturing, to now, what feels like, a clear and comfortable confidence in what Samahita is and why it was set up.

Before the physical Samahita took form we would lead retreats and trainings, initially in Costa Rica (1999-2001) and then in Thailand (2001-2003). Around March 2003 while leading a training I was asked would I not open my own center. I still recall my reply, “No,” but I did elaborate. “Why would I want to run a place and deal with all the hassles and burden when I can teach a program and then go home and do my own thing?”

Well literally a month later I had to reverse those words back into my mouth. Not from any ambition or plan but rather the place we rented put a proposal to us: do we want to take over the lease of the bungalow setting we have been using? Now a dilemma. Do I say “yes or “no”? And if I say “no” then why? Am I avoiding something?

I did my due diligence and analysis and saw financially we would be no better off but, and this is what it’s about, we would run and guide a place that was dedicated to wellbeing, to practice, connecting with oneself, transforming. And we would not compromise on food or the essence of what a Wellbeing Retreat Center stood for. So within 10 days of deliberation I answered “yes”!

Right from the beginning we offered complete courses on the breath as I was already established as a senior prānāyāma teacher, along with the reputation in what everyone called “yoga”, basically the physical part. Meditation and healthy, but importantly, delicious food rounded out our simple early formula. We were on the beach, but no pool, no fitness, no wellness, just the yoga shala. Simple.

And people came. So by 2008 we moved to our current spot, on the beach in the south of the island. What grew with us was to value and take care of our staff, like family, and support them and their lives. This extended into the community where we found ourselves supporting the local school and the animal shelter.

A key factor to run our own place, now being known as Samahita, was to make earth-conscious, eco-friendly, sustainable choices. For 20 years we have never stocked or sold disposable plastic, always offering free drinking water stations to use with a refillable bottle. We never put those little hotel-style toiletries in our rooms. To make the point, 15 years after us making that decision the State of California passed a law banning such single disposable products by hotels.

We also got involved in tree planting, mangrove forest support, and, of course, beach cleaning. At different times of the year we see what humankind has thrown in the water and the sea in its power and wisdom throws back on the beach asking humans to clean it up. And so many guests staying with us join in. Thank you.

This is love. Love all beings. Share. Love the nature we are in. Care.

To run and manage a place with the utmost attention, so expenses are covered, people earn a good living, taxes are paid – is an example of yoga in action.

In addition to what we do here: Wellbeing for You. Through practices, treatments, the environment. Care and share.

What we offer, we do, we believe in, and stand by, and literally put our money where our mouth is. We demonstrated this through two years of covid closure, taking care of all employees and the care of the center at considerable cost.

And we’re still here, reaching 20, and growing. Happy, full of joy, and delivering that to anyone who comes here.

This is why I can comfortably state at this point that Samahita is a pioneering sustainable Wellbeing Retreat Center. And what is wellbeing? This is how I wrote it in our information:

Wellbeing means being proactive, engaged and involved in how you take care of yourself and the world around you, every day in life. “Wellness” is only one component of Wellbeing. This means participating in practices with an integrated breath-body-mind approach. And, more conscientious by being conscious of your impact on the environment, supporting sustainable business, and thinking of others, both people and all living creatures.

My research work looks at wellbeing “for you” from the point of view of psychological, physiological, and metabolic markers. But operating a living, vibrant center means we can help others and love the earth. Every bit makes a positive difference.

Please take a look at our Wellbeing page.

On there you will also see our effort to support the Burmese migrant kids who had to flee their native Myanmar and need support and education. Join us and donate to the Andaman Center for Migrant Education.

Wellbeing for the Planet.

Wellbeing for Humanity.

Wellbeing for You

Come join us