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Yoga Retreats: What Do You Get Out Of Them?

Updated on December 26, 2015

What is a Yoga Retreat?

For most people, yoga is basically a routine that can be performed a few minutes during the most convenient time of the day. It is commonly done during the end of the day for relaxation and stress relief after a strenuous day at work. Sadly though, the serene and calm experience that yoga has to offer its participants only happen within that brief time.

Therefore, yoga retreats make a great solution for those who want to experience a deeper spiritual and physical nourishment from practicing yoga. It is typically a three-day to a week of retreat that literally enables you to escape the challenges that you face on your daily life. During this time, you will be joined by other yogic enthusiasts as you gain more exposure about yoga techniques while you practice it at the same time. Thus, these retreats are often structured programs that is a social experience at the same time.

Choosing the Yoga Retreat Instructor

This is the most significant factor to consider when entering a yoga retreat. To help you decide, below are some pointers:

  • Find a yoga instructor that resonates your goals and objectives.
  • Make sure to find a quality and competent instructor. Since there has been a new batch of young yoga enthusiasts, they can easily be misled by false statements made by those who claim to be yoga experts. Therefore, seek any proof of qualification that show their capacity for teaching yoga.
  • Consider the methods they use since it is a good indicator of their dedication to yoga. For instance, assess their own daily yoga practice.
  • The years of experience teaching yoga is also an important factor. This is because your knowledge of yoga is continually harnessed as you practice it, and also ensures that they have acquired new techniques and methods of yoga.

Finding a Realistic Program

Before joining the yoga retreat program, make sure it is realistic enough in fulfilling your objectives. If possible, you would want a balanced program that offers you enough time to practice a variety of yoga techniques while also providing you the relaxation and rejuvenation that your body desires. After all, it is a vacation still and it should be able to give you enough time to absorb the benefits that yoga has to offer.

Therefore, you want a yoga retreat that is well paced so you don't end up going home feeling burnt-out than relaxed. Aside from the actual practice of yoga, these programs offer complimentary activities such as hiking, biking, and other water sports.

Consider the Location

After you have assessed the quality of the instructor and the program itself, you also need to look at the location of the retreat. The most ideal place for a retreat is a place that allows you to effectively enter your "yoga zone", meaning those that provide the most convenient place for meditation and execution of yoga practice.

Aside from the accommodation, make sure the place has a dedicated room where you can perform yoga. The facilities are important factors to ensure that you can assess anything related to your performance of yoga.

Preparation Requirements

Before you leave home to join a yoga retreat, make sure to come up with a checklist to ensure you have everything you need during your trip. This will help ensure that all benefits that can be experienced are maximized. You can try contacting the retreat center where you will be participating for what materials they can provide. This will save you luggage space and ensure that you have every essential item with you.

  • clothing for yoga
  • yoga mat
  • towel
  • water bottle
  • personal items such as clothes, toiletries, medications, etc
  • location gear
  • activity gear
  • sandals/shoes
  • hat
  • flashlight
  • alarm clock, and many others

Emotional Benefits

This is probably one of the biggest benefits that yoga retreats have got to offer its participants. The mere idea of being away from home and from your work responsibilities create a sense of being at ease since you are away from your everyday stresses. Indeed, it is hard to get away from such stressful situations but you have something to do about it.

A yoga retreat provides you with an opportunity to relax and unwind. The physical relaxation does more good on your emotionally and spirituality more than anything else. Often, these retreats are held in areas with scenic views that cater to your full relaxation. This is great for proper meditation and enhancing mental well-being.

On the other hand, stress is also highly associated with an emotional imbalance. Yoga is very ideal for creating harmony of your body, mind, and spirit. So, if you wish to revitalize your emotional health, then you should consider entering a yoga retreat.

Other Benefits of Yoga Retreats

To learn more about what you can get out of joining a yoga retreat, read further below:

*You will get to experience new sights that can rejuvenate your body and spirit.

*You can learn new yoga techniques or methods, or learn more about the traditions of yoga.

*You will benefit from a holistic treatment that boost your overall health system.

*As with typical yoga sessions, yoga retreats encompass a wide range of benefits that range from the spiritual to the physical. However, this particular setup can provide you with the proper means to attain that with a higher success rate and in less time.

*Yoga retreats are more expansive, which makes it ideal for students who want to gain a broad understanding of yoga techniques that are not necessarily offered in yoga classes due to time restrictions.

*The environment that yoga retreats offer encourage students to try and learn more about yoga techniques, which is not possible with regular classroom setup.

Deeper Yoga Practice

If you want to enter a deeper level into your yoga practice, then joining a yoga retreat is highly recommended. As you improve further on your knowledge and skills regarding yoga, there is also an expansion on the benefits that you can acquire. During this time while you are away for the retreat, you can dedicate your time to focus on the practice itself.

There is certain amount of precaution to take when joining yoga retreats since you are enthrusting your body and mind into this experience. Therefore, it is important to take note of the criteria listed above to ensure that you are joining the most suitable retreat for you. Since yoga is a unceasing process of learning and acquiring new knowledge and techniques, this would be a perfect opportunity to jumpstart that deeper learning process while experiencing the benefits all at once.

YouTube vids on Yoga Retreats

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