5 considerations before Booking a Yoga Retreat
Yoga Retreats can offer the chance to get away from the day-to-day, deepen your Yoga practice, connect to new people, and explore a new place. There are all types of Yoga retreats out there ranging in price from budget to luxury. The type you choose will depend on your own intention for going on a Yoga holiday, what you hope to get out of it, and practical aspects like dates, location and price. We’ve put together 5 considerations before booking a Yoga retreat to help you book with confidence, whatever kind of trip you want to go on!
There are many different ways to find a Yoga retreat nowadays. You might use a site like Book Retreats, go to your own teacher’s retreat, or book one on the recommendation of a friend. Sometimes people are going on a holiday anyway and just search for a Yoga retreat that is in the same place on the same dates. Other times people choose the Yoga retreat first and then plan their whole trip around it.
However you’ve ended up looking into your next Yoga retreat, we’ve come up with some green flags to look out for. There’s so much more that could be added to this list but we’ve whittled it down to 5 of the considerations that we feel are super important.
Jas teaching Yoga on Yoga Retreat in Brazil. Photo by Bruna Brandao at Rosemary Dream.
Here’s what to look out for when choosing a Yoga Retreat:
1) Inclusivity and Accessibility by Design
Yoga is for everybody who wants to explore the practice, and no one should be left out. The retreat hosts should be taking inclusivity and accessibility seriously from catering for different dietary needs to adapting class to suit a range of people. Ideally retreat hosts have a booking form with space for participants to let them know about access needs like injuries, underlying health conditions and allergies. A good Yoga teacher will be committed to planning classes to suit a range of needs and liaising with the kitchen to pass on any important dietary needs. It’s also important that they’re actively working on how to hold more inclusive spaces that are welcoming of all identities and bodies. This shouldn’t be an after-thought with accommodations only offered when asked. It should be weaved into the retreat plan foundations from the start.
2) Clear Communication Throughout
A big green flag is when the retreat hosts are responsive to questions to help provide you with all the information you need before booking. It’s a big deal booking a group trip. You want to know what to expect and feel taken care of. This should start from the first contact with your retreat host. It's also usually helpful if you already know the teacher, as then you can be sure you enjoy their teaching style. If not then they should be happy to jump on call or answer any questions about their Yoga training/ qualifications/ experience if you want to get to know them a bit better.
3) Experienced Group Trip Planners
To expand on the above point, the whole joy for you as a participant is knowing that all the organisation is in safe hands and that things will run smoothly once you're there. Planning group travel, hosting and running a retreat is a huge job with lots of moving pieces. Make sure the people you're booking with have done this before! Learn about their previous experience with events/retreat hosting and group facilitation. Don't be shy to ask. Not just anyone can pull together an immersive experience and unforgettable retreat. I have a whole page dedicated to my past retreat experience on my website, which is a big green flag and something I recommend looking for with any retreat host.
4) A Location that Excites You
According to a recent report yoga, exercise, and spa vacations were the most popular wellness getaway kinds of all. This means you can find Yoga retreats in all kinds of different places across the world. So where do you want to go? What do you want to get out of your time on retreat? Are you looking for adventurous outdoor activities like ski-ing in the snowy mountains alongside your Yoga? Or a relaxing beach location with plenty of time to sunbathe, swim in the sea and have quiet time to yourself? Getting clear on what you want/need can help you to choose a location that you’re truly excited to visit.
5) Yoga Styles and Vibe that Fits You
There are so many different styles of Yoga and retreats out there. Make sure it’s clear exactly what kind of Yoga you will actually be doing on your retreat. You’re also gonna wanna check if the vibe feels fitting, as there’s nothing worse than being stuck on a retreat that gives you the ick! I saw one retreat advertised with a tagline along the lines of ‘ascend from 3D to 5D and manifest your Higher Self’s deepest vision with aura cleansing kundalini awakening energy dancing quantum leaping.’ Basically a load of word salad that didn’t tell me much. Each to their own, but I instantly knew this one wasn’t for me. You’ll likely be able to tell from the retreat bio/marketing and chats with the teacher whether it feels fitting or not for your needs.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post and that it was helpful in supporting your search for the best yoga retreat for you. It was a collaboration between me (Jasmine) and my co-teacher on retreats, Dora. If you have any questions about retreats in general I’m happy to help! Contact me here.
Photo of the Greek Island of Ithaca where we hosted our May 2023 retreat taken by Harry Hamburg in 2021