Whether it’s the rainforest of Costa Rica or the mountains of Montana, yoga retreats usually take place in spectacular places around the world. A yoga retreat is like getting two for the price of one: a vacation in a beautiful place combined with a complete yoga immersion experience. If you’re not sure if a retreat is for you, here are 12 reasons that will convince you why you need to make it happen.
1. Literally Relax.
A yoga retreat gives you a chance to slow down while reflecting and realigning the priorities in your life. Both weekend yoga retreats and longer yoga adventures offer a space of calm and tranquility so that you can genuinely listen to your mind and heart.
2. Deepen Your Practice.
Having two yoga and meditation sessions per day as a part of a program that evolves from one day to the next will take your practice to the next level. You’ll be led by experienced teachers who can meet you where you are and provide you with individualized guidance and modifications that suit your body, mind, and spirit.
3. Healthy Eating.
Unlike other vacations where eating can be an overindulgence, the delicious healthy food at a yoga retreat will help to cleanse and nurture your digestive system.
4. Vacation with a Purpose.
When you’re on a retreat, each day has an element of purpose. Your health and wellbeing are placed front and center. Without the distractions of home, each day you'll get clearer about what it is you want to do with your one and only life.
5. Relax without Technology.
During yoga retreats, guests often go on a digital detox, leaving behind mental and physical tensions associated with the compulsive use of technology and minimizing the digital stimulation.
6. Connect to Yourself. And Like-Minded Yogis.
During a yoga retreat, you can choose to spend time reconnecting with yourself or create connections with new friends. If you’re traveling solo, you'll meet amazing like-minded individuals.
7. Recharge Your Batteries.
Most yoga retreats take place in breathtaking destinations that are private, unique, and perfect for hikes that both ground you if you are overwhelmed, and help you charge your batteries if you are tired or depleted. You’ll return home feeling replenished with reserves of energy, clarity, and radiance.
8. Ignite a Better Life.
A retreat will ignite the inspiration you need to make radical changes in your life. You'll integrate new habits like daily yoga, meditation, eating well and spending time in nature, to create a happier, healthier lifestyle upon your return home.
9. Become an Observer of You.
If you’re stressed by your current circumstances, attending a yoga retreat can help you to take a step back and evaluate where you’re at. When we’re too close to the situation, it can be it’s difficult to make decisions. Attending a yoga retreat can give you a new perspective, whether it’s about your own life or through learning about a new culture.
10. Turn off the Noise.
Yoga retreats help you to turn off the noise of your own thoughts. Meditation is often part of a retreat program. If you find it difficult to silence your mind and are always thinking of the next thing you need to do, a yoga retreat gives you a great opportunity to stop these thoughts.
11. Surround Yourself with Positive Energy.
One of my favorite reasons to go on a yoga retreat is to take a vacation full of positive energy. On retreat, you’ll surround yourself with positive thoughts, feelings, and other yogis. There’s no need to worry about vacation stress, just embrace the good vibes coming your way.
12. Detox and Find Healing.
A yoga retreat can be healing for your mental and physical health. Going on retreat can change your life, and help you to deal with any emotional and mental issues that no longer serve you.
Bonus Reason - Practice Mindfulness.
One of the most important reasons to go on a yoga retreat is to finally be conscious of the moment you’re in and practice mindfulness. We can often find ourselves living in the future as we plan ahead, or in the past as we feel with what has happened throughout our lives. On a yoga retreat, you can finally just….be.
Looking for a spectacular yoga retreat?
Join me and yoga teacher Marlo Leaman at the luxurious Rancho Pacifico resort in Costa Rica. Twice daily practices, plus meditation and breathwork, outdoor excursions, and magical healing practices for transformation. Retreat dates: 6/21/20 - 6/27/20. For retreat information and registration, visit Rancho Pacifico.