We can all witness it, travelling has evolved over the years, reaching new formulas that adapt to modern times. And fortunately one of the current trends is to take better care of ourselves. And not only when it comes to food and physical exercise, but also in a more holistic, more global and more profound way.
Many of these healthy habits have arrived through physical activities, but they also reach many other areas. This is the case with yoga.
Most of us know that yoga is a discipline based on relaxation, breathing, exercises and positive thoughts that has gained many followers and practitioners over the last few decades. Different ways are appearing little by little in which we can include it into our daily lives, and for some time now, holiday periods are also one of them, thanks to yoga retreats. Let’s look into the concept and get to know these retreats a little better.
But, what is a yoga retreat?
If yoga has great benefits on our inner balance, by combining it with healthy food, group experiences and complementary activities surrounded by nature for several days we see that these benefits increase greatly. We’re convinced of these, and there are many others like us who are increasingly choosing yoga retreats to enjoy their holidays, so it’s an activity that’s obviously on the rise.
It’s basically a healthy holiday experience that normally takes place in a hotel or other types of specific accommodation in an isolated setting and in contact with a purely natural environment. This is accompanied by specialised activities led by instructors or specialised schools and organic food in full board. Many of these retreats also include special activities geared towards improving different aspects or group experiences centred around connecting with nature. Let’s now take a look at some examples so we can have a better idea of the different possibilities on the market in case you decide to opt for one the next time you go on holidays.
Yoga retreats in Spain are not very well organised, but you can find better offers in other countries. Here, most retreats have fixed dates as they’re led by teachers who arrange them from time to time, so there’s very little or no flexibility.
Finding a yoga retreat…
The best option is to ask your yoga centre or teacher to help you find a place where they’ve had some previous experience with.
When you search on social networks or directly through Google, make sure to add the current year to find out about upcoming retreats or some recent ones.
There are also specific online platforms where you can ask for recommendations about particular accommodation options, other websites are specialising in travelling to yoga retreats.
You should then start to look more at the programme of activities, information about the guide or teacher, where they do the yoga classes and other aspects like the menu to know about all the details.
Silver Island in Greece, Yoga Rocks in Crete, La Rosa del 4 Venti in Bari, Italy, l’Arbre aux Etoiles in Normandy, France are all well-known yoga retreat centres in Europe.
And in Spain, we have Suryalila in Cadiz, Ashtanga Yoga Ibiza in San Miguel, Ibiza and Molino del Rey in the Costa del Sol.
When looking at more distant destinations, you should bear in mind that in Asia, where yoga is hugely popular, summer is not the best time because of the monsoon, so destinations like Thailand, Goa, Rishikesh and Sri Lanka are better at other times of the year.
Hotels and Yoga Retreats
If you decide on a small boutique or eco hotel with a specific yoga programme, you should go for one with a more flexible option than a defined programme.
You can find hotels with deep values associated with yoga and good classes, which today translates into a haven of peace and include natural therapy services.
The following stand out MasQi, in Alicante, Son Gener, Majorca, Hurricane in Tarifa, Hotel Brummel in Barcelona and Hostal Empuries in the Costa Brava.
You can also find hotels that normally don’t specialise in retreat programmes, but occasionally include specific dates in collaboration with specialised schools and add other activities aligned with yoga. In these cases, you need to pay even more attention to the programme to make sure that what’s on offer is indeed what you’re expecting.
Whether you decide on one type of accommodation or another, we can ensure you that there are plenty of options to enjoy activities that bring those healthy benefits you’re looking for when choosing a yoga retreat to enjoy your holidays. Now all you have to do is pick a destination and when you want to get comfortable.
