Do you lead a busy life, with work and family commitments, and find it tough to find time for yourself? Or maybe you even find it challenging to take time to notice your breath or the beauty of the world around you?
I can totally relate. I felt similar when I was working in a high stress corporate career, living a busy and often hectic life in Manhattan, living life to the full and saying yes to every opportunity that arose.
At least I thought I was living life to the full.
I now realize this was not truly a full life, in the sense of fullness, wholesomeness, and balance. I was merely living a busy, jam-packed, and sometimes even chaotic life!
In November 2002 I was scheduled to attend the annual National Field Hockey Festival in Palm Springs with my local field hockey team from NYC. Every year, we traveled during the Thanksgiving week to this same tournament, wherever it was being held within the US. It was always a lot of fun and camaraderie traveling with such a large mixed group of around 30 outgoing and active men and women, supporting each other, working as a team, partying and sharing laughs, jokes and good old British humor. After all, many of our group were fellow Brits, living the driven and opportunistic Manhattan lifestyle.
After a recent relationship break-up, I decided that attending this annual trip, that my ex would also be attending, was not the type of trip I wanted that year.
To this day, I still do not remember fully what inspired me to look into attending a yoga retreat, since I had only been practicing yoga for a little over a year at that time, and had certainly never previously considered retreating from my fun and crazy lifestyle. I do however remember the feeling more drawn to some quieter and more alone time, rather than the high-energy and team-bonding that I knew came along with the hockey tour.
I felt a need to re-treat from the crowd this year.
My goal was not necessarily to relax and destress, which can often be reasons to attend a yoga retreat. I believe my intention at that time was to find more clarity within, taking time to read books, feel a sense of peace and quiet, reflect on life, be alone, and not constantly entertained and over-stimulated by other people and situations such as competition, team tactics, partying, and planning.
So off I went to my very first retreat in November 2002! I chose a beautiful resort in Utah called Red Mountain Resort, and I signed up for the Adventure Retreat that included morning hikes in Zion National Park, mountain biking, yoga, pilates and other fitness classes, massage, and healthy cuisine with a special turkey dinner meal on Thanksgiving Day. Being in the outdoors, doing lots of exercise, and spending a week in the mountains, as well as practicing yoga and finding my zen, was absolute bliss and just the trip I had been looking for.
I found that first retreat to be transforming in a way that I hadn't envisaged. I had no prior expectations. I wonder if the rookie in me helped me to soak up all the energy and beauty and discover that I could still have a fantastic time, even without my field hockey buddies and beers!
The second retreat I attended was 4 years later in 2006 at a time in my life when I was recovering from some injuries and health issues after becoming overtrained while racing and competing in competitive triathlons. This time I decided to venture somewhere more tropical because I was in need of more relaxation and rejuvenation and less exercise. I traveled to Mexico and stayed at the stunning Maya Tulum, surrounded by the most beautiful beaches, just south of the historic Mayan ruins at Tulum. I had visited Tulum 10 years prior with my boyfriend at that time, backpacking, camping and sleeping in hammocks on the beach. This time I was re-treating myself to a lot more luxury, with a private beach-front thatched roof cabana, delicious and high quality cuisine, 2 daily yoga and meditation classes, and an opportunity to completely destress and relax. I remember even falling asleep during Savasana. That's how relaxed I became.
As my intentions and goals for attending yoga retreats, as well as my experience during the retreats, have evolved over the years, I've personally discovered first-hand the many and varied benefits of attending a retreat.
Since I have more recently led yoga retreats for others, I have learned my clients' intentions for attending, as well as the benefits they have experienced and shared at the end of the retreat, often more than was originally expected.
With this depth of knowledge and personal experience, I've put together the top 7 benefits that I feel are most relevant to attending a yoga retreat, even for beginners or for those who do not consider themselves a yogi or a yoga retreat goer!
In my experience, one of the key reasons that people attend a yoga retreat is to reduce stress, take a break from their busy daily life, which is usually filled with responsibilities and chores, and take time to deeply relax! We spend so much of our lives working, meeting deadlines, running errands, taking care of families and kids, and often forget to pause and focus on our own physical and mental wellbeing. As such, many people live their lives in a state of 'fight or flight' or survival mode, constantly "doing" and never making time for merely "being". This can increase cortisol levels in the body which can in turn cause fatigue, burnout, anxiety, depression or other health issues.
At a yoga retreat, the combination of daily yoga and meditation, quality sleep, nourishing food, and spending time in a beautiful natural environment creates an overall stress reduction effect on the mind and body that a weekend at home often cannot replicate.
As we practice yoga, breathing and meditation, we find more presence in the moment as our mind becomes more focused and relaxed, and we begin to create space within our body and mind. This space can give us a feeling of lightness, relaxation, stress relief and recharging our batteries.
Whilst feeling relaxed and more at peace during the retreat is important, the key is to be able to take these feelings and clear state of mind forward into our daily lives beyond the retreat, knowing that we can always cultivate this relaxed state of mind even once our daily responsibilities resume. Returning participants say they find themselves reacting to stressful situations less and feeling more balanced in mindful in their approach to challenging situations.
During the closing circle at the end of the retreat, participants appear more relaxed, present, inspired and positive about their life adn their journey ahead. Their closing messages include beautiful and inspiring learnings and gratitude.
When attending a retreat, it is always advisable to leave laptops, computers, phones and other technology at home, or at least to switch them off during the retreat as much as possible. Many retreat centers are located in the mountains or by the ocean, in places where there is often limited cellphone service. This is fantastic because there is no temptation to check email or social media, or call friends and family back home.
Disconnecting from technology not only helps us to connect more deeply with ourselves and others at the retreat, it allows us to take a break from the electromagnetic radiation that pollutes so much of our environment and possibly contributes to additional stress, poor health and even disease. It's been reported that the average adult now spends over 7 hours per day looking at screens. This exposure to artificial blue light, constant notifications, and the psychological demands of social media and email creates a chronic stress state that has become "normal". However, this state is far from our normal natural state of relaxation when our nervous system can reset and we feel at peace.
Detoxing is the process of removing toxins and toxicity. Disconnecting from technology and the electromagnetic waves can be considered detoxing, often referred to as a digital detox.
There are many different ways to detox the body, practicing yoga being one of them. The physical yoga postures can assist with the detoxing process as we move our bodies into positions that massage our internal organs and digestive system, assisting in elimination.
Yoga twists in particular can be powerful detoxing postures, as we squeeze toxins from the internal organs and tissue then allow fresh oxygen and blood to travel to these organs when we release from the twist. Inversions, such as shoulder stand, headstand, handstand, legs up the wall pose are also fantastic detoxing postures. As we drain the toxins from the feet and legs, where we can often store stagnant energy and heaviness, we allow the toxins to move towards the parts of our body used for elimination.
Drinking plenty of water after practicing these detoxing postures is important in order to assist with the elimination and detoxing process. Breathing deeply and practicing pranayama is also a method we can facilitate and speed up the detoxing process. Since yoga classes during retreats are often longer than classes in studios, I find there is more time to practice pranayama and deepen and connect with our breath, helping to balance the flow of natural energy through the body.
Another effective method of detoxing our bodies is through food. Certain foods can be very detoxing and cleansing for the body, such as vegetables, fresh pressed juices and high fiber whole foods. During a yoga retreat, meals are usually prepared with this in mind, using local, fresh, seasonal and organic produce, sometimes vegetarian or vegan, and often homemade with no additives and no refined or processed foods.
A yoga retreat can also be an opportunity to detox from alcohol. That said, at many of our Body Flows Yoga Retreats in Sonoma Wine Country, we do enjoy a little tasting of local, organic and biodynamic wines. Often these wines can be clean and healthy and provide many health benefits, if tasted in moderation.
We have talked only about detoxing our bodies so far. It's important to detox our minds as well! Detoxing our minds from all our negative thoughts, stresses, anxieties, emotions and anything that does not serve us. Purifying our minds from these thoughts and emotions can be deeply healing in combination with detoxing our bodies.
For more information about detoxing, feel free to read our article 7 Ways to Detox Your Body and Mind.
The majority of yoga retreats are held at beautiful locations in nature, close to the ocean or in the mountains. Spending time in nature is so healing and rejuvenating for us on many different levels. Breathing in fresh air, taking time to notice and appreciate the abundance of the natural world around us, alive with trees, plants, flowers, and birds, and the miracle of the earth's structures and properties such as the mountains, ocean, rocks, caves, and other natural beauty of Mother Earth.
This photo was taken at one of our retreat centers in Sonoma County, sitting atop a hill in the Russian River area.
Much of our day to day lives are spent indoors, in houses, offices, cars, restaurants, bars and stores, and walking through urban streets where we are surrounded by concrete and man-made structures, with very little natural life.
After living in cities for 15 years, then moving to Sonoma, a small town close to nature and the countryside, I began to feel more grounded and connected to nature and to myself again. I feel a sense of expansion with more space around me than when I lived in NYC and San Francisco, where I sometimes felt a little claustrophobic. I believe this space has allowed me to be more open, more creative, and more connected to the natural world.
Spending time in nature, in the mountains, on the trails, and watching nature's wonders pass us by, I find myself listening more closely to the wisdom from the Universe. My vision and life goals have become clearer and I have a sense of unlimited and infinite possibilities. I no longer feel the same stress or anxiety about situations that I did in previous years. There is more to be aware of and thankful of each and every day. Living on this beautiful earth in this lifetime is truly a precious gift.
The Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing has been studied, with research showing that time in natural environments reduces blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels, and activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is the area associated with self-critical thinking. It's no wonder our retreat participants feel relaxed and more at peace at a yoga retreat surrounded by peaceful nature.
Yoga retreats provide us with time to reflect on our lives, through journaling, meditation and deep contemplation. These reflections may include thinking about what's currently going well in our lives, what could be going better, and specific actions or decision that may assist us in moving forward in a more positive manner.
Self reflection may feel somewhat selfish or maybe even a little scary. We may be fearful of what we will discover about ourselves when we take time to reflect and sit with our deepest thoughts. Uncomfortable emotions and vulnerabilities may arise. THe real practice is to be fully present with these emotions, whether good or bad, not judge your thoughts or emotions about situations in your life, merely notice and listen with curiosity and openness.
It can be helpful to journal as we take this time to reflect and hear more deeply our thoughts, judgments or emotions. Journaling can be a powerful tool to let go of what is not serving us if it's an emotion or negative thought. Journaling can also be effective for remembering any thoughts of clarity and visions that may arise when you're in a more balanced state.
Creating time and space to reflect in this way is so important so that we can continue our journey through life on a path that serves us and others, while also satisfying our dreams and our deeper life purpose.
During the closing circle at many of our yoga retreats, participants often share inspiring and enlightening insight about something that may have come to them during the retreat, and that they're going to take with them into their daily life. This can be as simple as discovering that they wish to be more kind and compassionate to others, or to create an intention to spend more time on self care and self love.
The profound statements and wisdom that I hear from my retreat participants at the end of each retreat is so incredibly heart-warming, and allows me to remember that I am still a beginner and always learning from their teachings and reflections as well.
Daily yoga and meditation classes are the core aspects of any yoga retreat. This photo was taken at our primary Sonoma Wine Country retreat center, where we lead multiple retreats per year.
Even if you are a beginner or have just taken a few yoga classes in your life, many yoga retreats will welcome you with open arms and create a safe and supportive space for all levels. One of the beautiful gifts of yoga is that it truly is available for everyone. That said, it's important to check with the retreat leader to find out if the style and level of yoga during the retreat will work for you. Read our article How to Choose a Yoga Retreat for some helpful tips when searching for a yoga retreat.
You may learn new yoga postures or techniques to progress or master a postures. Retreats are great opportunities for teachers to take more time and break down specific postures or sequences, providing personal assistance, modifications and options for all levels.
Here are some articles we've recently written describing a sequence of 11 yoga poses to ease shoulder pain, 11 yoga poses to ease lower back pain, and 3 simple tips for a yoga handstand!
It is likely that you will breathe more slowly and deeply during yoga retreat classes, drawing on the energy of the mountains or ocean and nature around you. This will help to relax the nervous system and create an inner calm and sense of peace. You may practice some different yogic breathing techniques called Pranayama, to help balance and expand the flow of life force energy through all levels of your being, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
You are likely to have the opportunity to attend a guided meditation or a silent seated meditation. As well as finding some relaxation and peace during meditation, the goal of a meditation practice is to understand and train the mind to let go of negative thoughts and delusions, tap into your creativity and your true peaceful, loving self and realize our true potential. To learn more about meditation, we invite you to read our article about transforming your life with a simple meditation practice..
As well as taking time to reduce stress, detox, reflect, connect with nature, and deepen your yoga and meditation practices, we hope you will also have fun, meet like minded yogis and perhaps make new friends!
By sharing a supportive and mindful space with others during a yoga retreat, friends are often created more easily and the friendships can feel more meaningful, as vulnerabilities may have been shared and participants feel more sense of love and compassion. Many lasting friendships have been created during our Body Flows Yoga Retreats, of which we are so grateful.
We love creating community amongst like-minded yogis, and witness so much gratitude, love and kindness that is shared, with a collective intention to take the yoga teachings forwards into our lives and share with our respective communities.
Are you now feeling a little more inspired and confident to attend a yoga retreat?
If you're new to yoga retreats and not sure where to start, feel free to read my article How to Choose a Yoga Retreat
Check out our upcoming retreats. We lead Yoga and Hiking Retreats in beautiful locations in Sonoma California, Sedona, Lake Tahoe, Desert Hot Springs and other exciting travel destinations worldwide.
Feel free to share any yoga retreat experiences or questions in the comments section below. We'd love to hear from you!
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Sally Mitchell is the founder and lead instructor of Body Flows Yoga Retreats, with over 16 years of yoga teaching experience and 12 years leading retreats worldwide. Current retreat destinations include California, Sedona, Greece, Scotland and Portugal, with new retreats launching in Spain, Japan, Norway, Bali and New Zealand. Sally has also led past retreats in Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Colorado and Oregon. She holds an E-RYT 200 Yoga Alliance certification and is also a Certified Massage Therapist, Reiki Practitioner, ChiRunning and ChiWalking Instructor, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Sally has been featured in CBS, Shape Magazine, Woman's Day, EverydayHealth and numerous wellness publications. She is passionate about creating transformative retreat experiences that combine yoga, meditation, hiking, cultural immersion and genuine human connection for all levels.
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