How to Choose Your First Yoga Retreat
Hurray! By ending up on this blog, you must be interested in going on your first yoga retreat. If you’re still doubting whether to go – trust me when I say you definitely should. As a relative newbie in yoga, practicing for 2 years, never having been on a retreat, I had many questions, and I can imagine you have some too. Let’s try to tackle them with what I learned!
You do YOU
I’ve been swung from camping with my parents as a kid, to partying with my friends as a teenager, to eurotrips by train with my partner in my early twenties. And now, closing in on 30, life is busy. I was in desperate need of some time off, and none of these usual comforts were available. So I needed to take a step outside of my comfort zone: I needed to choose what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, all by myself. Where to start?
Why go on a yoga retreat
I have been wanting to develop and deepen my practice, so I opted to go on my first yoga retreat. Why retreats are amazing? These are my top reasons:
You can deepen your practice
You’ll take daily classes from experienced teachers. Moreover, a multiple-day programme allows for classes that you might not usually have taken. I had never thought that I would be able to give myself to yoga nidra… But guess who was wrong! Additionally, you’re going to connect with other yogis, who you can learn a lot from. Even if you haven’t practiced a lot before going on a retreat, you can reap the benefits.
You can completely disconnect
You’re physically distanced from daily stresses like work and other tasks, which gives you the opportunity to really just unwind, relax and reflect. The possibility to connect with other yogis, does not mean you have to. You will find that there’s plenty of room to be alone and to do exactly as you please!
Yoga retreat locations
Many retreats are held in beautiful, remote locations surrounded by nature, which helps in de-stressing. Your body will thank you for giving your nervous system a break!
Yoga retreat food
In many retreats, you don’t have to think about food, because the accommodation will serve multiple nourishing meals per day. They are usually vegetarian or even vegan, or you could find a getaway that adheres to ayurvedic principles if that has your preference. It’s such a luxury!
Wearing clothes for yoga all day
I mean… Who doesn’t want to walk around in the most comfy outfit there is: your yoga outfit! Since you’re going to walk around in your yoga clothes a lot, maybe consider if you have enough items to bring. Otherwise, it’s time to buy some new sustainable yoga clothing online! A great excuse to treat yourself to those yoga harem pants you wanted. Or even get a complete yoga set, by adding a yoga tank top.
How to choose your first yoga retreat
It can be overwhelming to choose the best retreat for you. Luckily, we have our community and the internet to help us.
Know what’s important to you
What kind of yoga do you want to practice? Do you have any travel limitations? How long can you go away? Do you want to stay close to the beach or do you love the mountains? Is there something you’re really reluctant to participate in? And what about the teacher – are you okay with anyone? Answering these questions can give you a nudge in the direction that’s right for you.
Ask around
Go to your trusted teachers or yogi friends, do they have any recommendations? What were their experiences? Maybe your school even offers a retreat to attend.
Be flexible
It’s helpful if you can be flexible in your timing. The best retreat for you might be held in a different week than you anticipated. Or maybe your ideal retreat also offers classes you weren’t planning on taking. Can you keep an open mind and allow that that to enrich your experience as well?
Booking your first yoga retreat
Are you ready to start choosing a yoga retreat? Then it’s time to filter the options, for example in a search engine like BookYogaRetreats.com. Don’t forget to read the reviews too, they contain lots of valuable information.
Let the yoga retreat for beginners, begin!
Hopefully, these insights have gotten you excited to go on your first yoga retreat. And if your retreat is already coming up soon: don’t forget to get prepared properly!
Curious which retreat I ended up choosing? In the picture on top of this blog, it’s me walking around at the retreat center Suryalila, where I ended up after extensive research. And I’m wearing my favourite Urban Goddess Dakini yoga pants for women!