Top five reasons to go on retreat
A serene Moroccan courtyard such as the one we enjoy during our Marrakech yoga retreats.
Are you considering going on a yoga holiday or retreat, but feel unsure if the experience will be for you? Written from a wide perspective of being long-standing retreat guests, independent travel journalists (reviewing other retreats) and organisers, here are our top five reasons to take the retreat plunge:
1. Everything is done for you. And food!
One of the great things about a led retreat is that, bar any flights or transport, the organisation and catering is entirely done for you! Long days are lightly structured around yoga or meditation classes and wonderfully nurturing food. Meals are taken at specified times and - depending on the nature of the retreat (be sure to check) - tables are laid and cleared away for you. There’s no shopping to do or meals to plan or cook. Wonderfully tasty snacks and meals appear - and the cleaning up is taken care of (again, do check whether this is the case with other providers). So more time for you! Bliss.
2. You’re tired and need some headspace
The pace of contemporary life can be non-stop and, at times, overwhelming. It’s easy to feel that your time is not your own and any spare moments are filled with routine rushing, commuting, ‘to do’ lists and tasks. An organised retreat gives you time and space to step away for emails, texts, chores and everyday check lists. In this space your time becomes truly your own. Unwinding from these daily demands and the damaging chronic stress that can accompany our modern way of living is one of the gifts of retreating.
3. Yin and yang: alone time balanced with group time
Our own experience is that time out on retreat can be a rather wonderful balance of re-charging alone (whether that’s enjoying a bath, a slow walk from the door, an afternoon snooze or setting down to read) and coming together with like-minded souls at mealtimes and for led classes. A wholesome dance of yin and yang.
4. An immersive deep dive into practice
Whilst plenty of people come on a yoga or meditation retreat have an established practice, plenty more are curious beginners. One of the most rewarding aspects of leading retreats is that so many of our guests are completely new to yoga and/or meditation. For us as teachers it’s a particular privilege to work with ‘beginners’ - though in reality we are all beginners. As Zen teacher Shunryu Sukuzi said, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”. And for newcomers to practice the routine of twice daily led classes (at least - in our luxury Norfolk mindfulness retreats there are at least five daily sessions) offers a rare deep dive into practice.
5. Cultivating healthy habits with longevity
It can feel like an uphill struggle to establish habits that will enhance or physical and mental health and to relinquish ones that are less helpful! Yes it is very possible, particularly with the support of a like-minded community. As retreat teachers and students we have experienced this process in own lives and are in the privileged position of being able to share this learning. Even very short retreats can be a brilliant way to sow the seeds of small changes and routines that, with motivation, can be continued once we’re back in the swing of every day living. For example, learning tools and hearing about resources to support a short daily meditation or yoga nidra (lying down guided relaxation) practice; or cultivating a particular quality - such as kindness or patience towards yourself - that will support your wellbeing in the precious months and years ahead.
Join us in Morocco’s wonderful Atlas Mountains for Our 2024/25 New Year Yoga & Walking Retreat?