How to get the most out of your yoga retreat : Our Top tips

You’ve booked yourself a yoga retreat – how exciting!

As well as feeling excited you may also feel a little anxious too and so, to help you get the most out of your yoga retreat, here’s our Top 10 tips to help you get the most out of your precious holiday time and yoga retreat.

1. Enjoy the Journey
Let your retreat begin the moment you leave the house. This means giving yourself enough time to travel to the airport / bus station or whatever mode you’re using to get to the retreat. You don’t want to start your retreat feeling stressed due to lateness or travel delays. So … plan to spend some time at the airport so you can unwind, mooch around the shops, enjoy something to eat, read that book or simply watch the World go by. If you’re planning to arrive at the destination a day or so before retreat, use that extra time to get out and explore your new ‘home’.

2. Let go of any expectations

A yoga retreat is a new experience for many and the best way to get the most out of any new experience is let go of fixed expectations. Fixed expectations means your mind is pre-conditioned (blinkered?!) as to how you think the retreat will/should unfold & this means you’ll not notice the absolute gems and small detail that bring the retreat to life.

It’s like taking a yoga class with a different teacher .. you go into the class with an open mind and you’re pleasantly surprised when the new teacher does things differently or you have a ‘A-ha’ moment that helps progress your practice. Let go of expectations .. it’s exciting!

3. Be open-minded
We often become ‘blinded’ by doing the same thing & seeing the same faces day in day out. We loose that sense of ‘wonder’. On a yoga retreat you’re going to meet new people and be introduced to new experiences and opportunities. Approach your retreat with the eyes of a child. Children are consistently curious, enthusiastic and open minded about everything and everyone they meet and see for the first time.

4. Be brave and step out of your comfort zone
Staying open–minded is important but it’s also about good to try unfamiliar things. We all know how scary it might be to step out of your comfort zone but holidays are a great opportunity to do different things & have new experiences. So go ahead and try new things.

5. Be open to making changes
The days you spend on a yoga retreat will certainly get you into better shape and allow you to rest deeply. But a retreat is also an opportunity to notice how great you feel when you invest time into your health. So let the retreat inspire you to incorporate some of the healthy habits when you’re back home.

6. Talk to people
While there aren’t auditions that let only like-minded people on a retreat, chances are the people you’ll meet will have quite a few similar interests as you (yoga for starters!) So talk to your fellow retreaters & enjoy meeting new people. Many of our past retreat guests tell us they are still in touch with the people they met on our retreats. Make sure you don’t miss out on that.

7. Take some time to get to know the place
Our yoga retreats are situated in some stunningly beautiful locations, so make sure you walk around and get to know them in your free time.

8. Try the local cuisine
Following on from the previous point, be brave and try out the local cuisine while getting to know the place. Even if you’re from the same country where the retreat is held, different regions have their unique cuisine and you might find yourself surprised by the variety of different foods you’re able to find.

9. Give yourself a digital detox
Make a promise to turn off that phone, the tablet/laptop for at least half a day every day whilst on retreat. Just be in the here and now. In fact, give close friends and family details of where you’ll be staying so they can contact you if an emergency does arise. This way you don’t even have to pack your digital devices.

10. Relax and enjoy
I know there are so many exciting things to be done and there’s never enough time but don’t forget that you’re on a retreat. Sit back and enjoy a good book, the beautiful scenery or a lovely chat with another guest … or why not all three?!