At first, I wasn’t sure if retreats were for me. The truth of the matter is I always seek out yoga studios when I vacation because I feel like it is the perfect time to catch up on my yoga. I love experiencing different teachers and, since I was on my own, I got incorporate adventure aspects of where ever I was. Solo travel has it's pluses, but it has it's minuses too. So, with that in mind, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and step into a vacation with an opportunity for not only finding bliss but also personal growth, connection and amazing yoga.
There is something magical that happens when we decide to engage with ourselves, with others and with a new culture. Yoga retreat adventures allow you to soak up a destination, revel in new friendships and make space to discover new things about yourself. As a teacher, facilitating the very real magic that happens on the mat and on the road is where it's at. Below are my top magical retreat loves:
Meeting New Life Long Friends
Truth time: We start out as strangers and then we become family. Yoga retreats bring an exceptional group of people together and we learn that even though we come from different backgrounds and experiences, we have a shared love of adventure, yoga and travel. From that starting point there is then a full week where we all share the same experiences. Experiences that bring us together. We learn about the world from traveling, from each other and from the locals we all meet along the way. Group travel tears down walls, yoga retreats have that extra magic that create friends for life (and awesome future travel buddies!).
Self-Reflection & A Deeper Dive Into Self
I find the yoga retreats will allow you to explore yourself without the distractions of everyday living. We get more time to enjoy our asana practices on the mat and more headspace to absorb them afterward. We get to take time to think about why we love, or don’t love, certain poses. We get time to marvel at the world and have experiences worth marveling at. Endorphins fly, memories are made and time is taken to soak it all up. Maybe, we learn a new pose or a dislike of a pose becomes a connection with your body. Maybe you use a new cultural perspective to establish a personal shift. Is there a better recipe out there for personal growth and reflection?
Unplugging (Um, Yes Please!!)
Retreats are a perfect opportunity to put your devices down and take in all the beauty around you. My recent Panama yoga retreat was an incredible feast for the senses. We just let go and let the universe guide us on adventures. Looking at life through the lens of our eyes as opposed to our phones made us present and grateful. It's presto magic. And when in your busy life do you have time to go to yoga every day? Sometimes you may even go twice a day, or, not all. The option is all yours. These adventures allow you to unplug from the everyday and plug into the extraordinary, the wonderful, the new and the (very much) needed.
And Finally, Letting Go
I love(!) the playfulness of a yoga retreat. You can let go of everything and just be without expectations. The only expectations you have are the ones you put on yourself. I love the fact that I don’t have to be anywhere or do anything unless I want too. I feel like retreats are the one time that my time is truly my own and the same goes for my fellow yogis. Yoga, explore, expand, create, cultivate, learn, grow, feel, find and remember; this is the gift of unplugging and digging in. The feeling of exhaustion at the end of a well lived day and the tired laughter of the truly happy, magic.
