Yoga and wellness vacations promise recreation, transformation, contemplation, rejuvenation, along with mental, physical, and spiritual discipline. People go to a Yoga Retreat for life-changing experiences and for an opportunity to de-stress. These large Retreat centers offer courses in individual and spiritual development along with Yoga Retreats. Some also offer alternative treatments like aqua therapy, oil massages, Panchkarma therapy, Pilates and Reiki. The usual daily schedule at Retreat centers features two sessions of 3-hour Yoga classes daily. You can spend the remainder of the day by indulging in activities like hiking, reading, or meditating. You’ll also have a few hours off for leisure activities like music, dance, swimming, and biking.
How to choose the ideal Yoga Retreat:
Research
Many teachers have written about their personal choice of Yoga centers. Conduct a thorough research on the teacher you wish to be guided by at the retreat. Most gurus also go on a Yoga Retreat with their Yoga classes once a year. So ask your regular teacher whether anything is planned.
Choose wisely!
If you’re used to a more meditative Hatha Yoga style, a sudden transition to 3 hours of rigorous Power Yoga may not suit you. Most Yoga Retreats teach 3 to 6 hours of yoga per day. The style depends on the gurus teaching at the Retreat. So choose a Retreat that teaches your favorite yoga style for your training level.
Travel!
Sometimes traveling to far-flung Yoga Retreats can be expensive. So research budget seats, off-season discounts, and package deals to save on air fare.
Accommodation
Some Retreat prices are all-inclusive of quarters, meals, and classes, while others differ. Inquire about what the price of admission includes.
Best Yoga Retreats in Europe!
Although different people may choose different Retreat centers, here’s a cheat sheet of the best Yoga Retreats in Europe.
Hamneda, which is located in southern Sweden, is a yoga school that was founded by Swami Janakananda. The yoga taught here is based on the Tantric tradition. Ibiza, in Spain, attracts a sophisticated crowd for its discos and all-night raves. But from April to September, Godfrey Devereux, England’s most popular yoga teacher, arranges a yoga retreat in a thirty-foot canvas dome on the slopes of a verdant mountain where he teaches Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga.
In Crete, Greece, along with the sun and sand, Guru Radha (disciple of Pattabhi Jois) hosts a Yoga Retreat that propounds Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, along with alternative therapies like African dance and drumming, Tai Chi, Pilates, Reiki, Iyengar Yoga, Feng Shui, Astrology, Massage, Herbal Body Wraps and more. By now you must have realized that the allure of yoga vacations is almost universal. So go ahead and book yourself a good Yoga Retreat for a mind, body and soul rejuvenation.
Have you been to any good Yoga Retreats in Europe? Which one is your favorite? What was the experience like?What are Yoga Retreats?
