The advent of 2021 is special for the Vedic Wellness Industry as retreats and training centres wait eagerly for new clients post lockdown. It is also the year where most people would like to unshackle from the Work From Home Life or say Live At Work Life.
So how to find a good yoga retreat in 2021? Here are 11 things to keep in mind while searching
It might be your first yoga retreat or maybe your last one might have not gone according to plan. We can understand, at only Balancegurus.com we have 1100+ registered retreat organizers that organize north of 12300 retreats per year in 64 countries that is a lot of options to choose from and not all retreats and organizers are equal.
By the end of the article you would have all the tools & knowledge necessary to become a MASTER YOGA RETREAT FINDER so let’s dive and unravel the myths and mysteries.
Let's look at client Inquiry and we shall use this as a reference to dig deeper into the 11 things to keep in mind while choosing a yoga retreat in 2021 (all inquires posted in this blog have been permitted by the sender and inorder to maintain the privacy of the person the identity is hidden)
1. Location of the Yoga Retreat
Location is vital and best to tackle this first, location depends on what you dig the tropic beach vibes or the call of the mountains, are you looking for a rustic retreat away from the hustle and bustle or are you looking for a retreat close to the city so you can indulge in the city life or do you wish to go on a desert safari and gaze at the million stars that adorn the night sky.
Location can also mean different things to different people for example near the beach is not the same as on the beach so if you hear beach and picture yourself having a beach view cottage, basking in the sun and taking a dip when you fancy you might be surprised when your retreat is actually a mile away from the beach with no ocean view but still being sold as a beach yoga retreat.
When in doubt it's best to ask the retreat organizer for the exact location of the retreat and you can always go on a video call and get a tour of the property to put your mind at ease.
Due to the current global situation you also have to see if your country will issue you a visa to your travel destination, check the travel advisory issued on the embassy website, the return/arrival protocol and the cost of the flights in and out.
Choosing a location is easy; it's all about how the place makes you feel even before you get there.
2. Best time to go & seasonality
If your mind is fantasizing about a specific location you might want to check the best time to travel to that location.
Bali for example is a great destination to visit beautiful beaches, amazing cultural depth, treakable volcanoes but it rains in November and December and this can completely change your yoga retreat experience.
Costa Rican Jungles have a magical vibe to them and they are not far away from the States by flight, but in the summer and rainy season the weather can be insanely humid in the jungles enough to make you wet even your innerwear so maybe that is again what you don’t want.
Here is a seasonality chart to help you make the correct seasonal choice
Best places to visit in Jan - Mar
Best places to visit in Mar - June
Best places to visit in July - Oct
Best places to visit in Nov - Jan
The best time to go experience a yoga retreat is always when your heart yearns to go as no matter the time of the year there is always a great yoga retreat happening in some part of the world.
3. Goal, Focus and Expectation from the yoga retreat
Not all yoga retreats are cut from the same cloth likewise neither are all participants, everyone has different levels of experience hence different expectations from the yoga retreat and the retreat leader.
The skill is in finding a retreat that is aligned with your expectations.
Let's look at a few inquiries
From the above Inquires, we can see that people not only have different budgets, they also have different expectations of what they want to do at the yoga retreat.
It is not uncommon for people to want a yoga holiday rather than a yoga retreat but knowing what you are signing up for can cause a lot of misery later on.
A yoga holiday is a relaxed health vacation where you eat right, sleep well, enjoy the beautiful ambience of the property and its surrounds and do a bit of yoga in a small group or even private setting. The vacation mostly moves with your pace and is customized around your needs. This kind of holiday mostly falls into a luxury vacation as the emphasis is on the property, its amenities and the location.
A yoga retreat is a vacation centred around yoga and authentic yogic lifestyle. Participants are expected to wake up around sunrise for the first yoga class/workshop and you can expect to do 3 to 4 hrs of yoga daily. The schedule mostly moves with the pace of the class and the yoga teachers. The emphasis is on the experience and knowledge of the yoga teacher and on an overall lifestyle correction.
You should be a regular yoga practitioner to get the most out of this retreat else it can soon become overwhelming. Most people come off this retreat recharged and with a slightly better yoga practice.
Trust your gut feeling when it comes to choosing a Yoga Retreat or a Yoga Holiday and consult your wallet and see how it feels.
4. Updated Retreat website with COVID & guest safety protocols
Having read this far we are sure you have a pretty good idea about WHERE, WHEN and WHAT your Yoga Retreat in 2021 is going to be about. Now you should be ready to check out different organizer’s websites, their offers and their reviews.
Your safety and security is our top priority and so should it for the retreat organizer and this will be visible in their communication, website and email.
Here is a small COVID checklist for you
The only person the location and the organizer have to convince about safety, sanitization and their ability to operate in these conditions is you and if you are not convinced keep on looking.
5. Pickup & drop facilities and their sanitization level
The most comfortable way to reach your selected yoga retreat would be a private taxi from the closest airport in times like these and especially if this is your first time in the country.
While most luxury yoga retreats inspect their taxis and monitor the health of the taxi drivers not all of the retreats do and most of them collaborate with private taxi companies, in this case ask questions about sanitation and inspection till your gut is satisfied.
6. Yoga Teachers & retreat leaders
This is your holiday and you have worked hard for it. Hence you want to make sure you are well taken care of, feel safe and are taught by a teacher that has more experience than you on and off the yoga mat.
Here are a few things to keep in mind
7. Price
Don't be lured only by cheap prices always check what is included, there could be many reasons why the retreat is cheap for example there might be 50-75 people in the retreat which is fine if you are looking for a festival vibe, 3 meals might not be included and in a few rare occasions, even accommodation might not be.
Are the photos you see on the website updated? What does the place currently looks like? If your gut feeling is “I am not sure” then you should ask the retreat leader or the property manager for a virtual tour of the property.
It is also possible that you are required to arrive a day earlier so you might have to book an extra night or your connecting flight could be very late in the evening and you might want to extend your stay so it's always good to know the price of an extra night’s stay.
“The devil is in the details”
So don’t rush into a booking and read the fine print and finally check how to get there you might need to hire a private taxi or rent a Turboprop (in case the retreat is on a private island).
So always check the details for the inclusions.
8. Length of the yoga retreat Days/Nights
This is something that causes a lot of confusion, some retreats mention packages in Days some in Nights the global rule is Days=Nights+1 but some retreats have their own methodology so make sure you check.
As far as the length goes longer is not always better maybe all you need is a weekend break to reset your clock or maybe you are completely burnt out and need an entire month to get back to your full potential.
The answer to how long a retreat do you need depends on how you feel and what you need at that moment, most retreats have the possibility for an extension unless the retreat leader is not local and the property has been rented for a specific time frame.
9. Size
A group of 75 people or a small group of 7 or a private 1 on 1 yoga retreat it’s all possible depending on what your mind and body really need at that point in time.
The size of the group also defines the pace of the yoga retreat. If you are looking for something that runs on your schedule and a place that offers you the luxury of high thread count sheets to sleep and a great spa then a private luxury retreat to pamper your soul would be ideal.
A lot of yoga teacher training centres have multiple yogashalas so they organize yoga retreats too and these retreats might take place during the teacher training increasing the total number of people at the location might be a good idea to know that in advance so that you are prepared.
Bigger is not always better.
10. Style & level of yoga being taught
From restorative yoga to Mysore style Iyengar yoga you can find all kinds of yoga retreats with yoga teachers of different levels of experience and style of teaching.
If you have never attended a class taught by the yoga teacher at the retreat then it is advised to get to know more about the class and their style of teaching so your expectation, your skill level and their teaching style are inline and you have a great time at the retreat.
11. Solo or with your yoga buddy
Let’s break this down into 2 sections
With your Yoga buddy
Solo
To summarize trust your gut feeling while you find answers to the questions we have covered above and if you find yourself needing guidance or help write to us at [email protected] we would be happy to help you find some great yoga retreats.
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