Getting your OM on in the local studio is great, it’s good for your mind and for your body.
But for those times when you really want to recharge, zen out and get in touch with your inner spiritual animal you might start looking for a yoga retreat – it might be a few days, a week or go all out on a month long spiritual journey. Whatever you’re looking for, you can find your inner peace at any of these top yoga retreats which are so good you’ll want to add them to your bucket list – yogi or not.
White Light Yoga Retreats
These retreats are scattered across the globe and run by one yogi – Steffy White (Steffy does one of the best flow classes at Frame). From Somerset in the UK to Ibiza to the incredible Algarve based retreat in Olhao, Portugal. Each retreat has its very own theme, something to work on while you are there and take away with you long after the retreat has come to a close.
The May retreat ‘Free to Breathe’ runs for six days in Portugal – centring around finding that place within yourself, within your mind and body where there is space and time for you, always. Learning to give yourself the freedom to breathe. Not only are the takeaways from this incredibly invaluable but the surrounds in which you get to do so are stunning. While this one is sold out, Steffy’s ongoing retreats are worth booking in advance, with Bali, Tulum and Somerset all coming up.
Each location is carefully selected with rooms which are designed to calm and relax, making you feel right at home. Every day is scheduled to include an onsite chef preparing healthy and nutritious meals, yoga session’s morning and night, and optional workshops for cooking, meditation and self-practice. From rooftop views, to crazy-good Balinese massages and hanging in a hammock, the choice is yours.
Xinalani Retreat
For when you want to go completely off the grid the Xinalani Retreat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico should be at the top of your list. Immersed in the jungles and beaches of Mexico this eco-chic retreat is in a league of its own. The retreat offers a variety of packages, so whether you are in need of a solo escape to re-centre yourself or you and the girls need a week long girls trip, Xinalani is the ideal retreat.
Book into one of the all-inclusive retreats for a week full of nourishing food, two yoga classes daily, optional activities such as SUP, snorkelling, jungle hikes or surfing or relax and indulge yourself at the luxury spa. The retreat encourages guests to go off the grid – there is no Wi-Fi here, it’s a time to disconnect from the outside and reconnect to yourself in both mind and body. Different instructors bring different experiences to each retreat, so do some research and look into what you want to get out of your experience. And if waking up in a eco-chic suite to the sounds of the Mexican jungle and views over the emerald ocean with white sand beaches and clear saltwater this is definitely the retreat for you.
Ananda Spa
If it’s good enough for Oprah…! Ananda Spa retreat is probably one of the most luxurious and sought after getaways for perhaps every person, ever. This retreat is in the Himalayas, India – the birthplace of yoga, so the quality of the instructors here, you can rest assured, are second to none.
You can visit Ananda Spa for many reasons, if you’re into yoga, or want to get into it – dive head first into one of the yoga packages. Starting from a 5 day intro to yoga, to 7, 14 or 21 days of holistic yoga. For more of a life and mind changing retreat, the goal here is to use the therapeutic qualities of the practice to heighten every aspect of your mind, body and spirit. With lifestyle consultations, guided meditation, daily yoga and spa treatments this retreat is for those who are looking to walk away with a higher sense of being.
Each suite is designed to relax you and the spa offers in room treatments and all of them offer breath-taking views of the surrounding valleys or the Maharaja’s Palace. This is utter serenity.
Nihi Sumba
Sunrise salutations, cliffside, on the yoga platform that overlooks the ocean waves of the Indian Ocean below – if that doesn’t sound like the perfect way to start to any day, I don’t know what does!
Nihi Sumba is more a ‘choose your own adventure’ type of retreat. It is pure rugged luxury on this Indonesian island, offering private villas or luxury rooms within the resort. Think crisp white linens, canopy beds, wooden accents and plush furnishings, and some even have lush outdoor baths – the dream. They offer daily schedules which include morning meditations and yoga flows, healthy and nutrient dense meals, and your choice of activities or spa treatments. The retreat is planned by their onsite health and wellness expert and they call it the Nihi Reset, and maintain that it isn’t an escape but a return to a well lived life, a place to connect with something larger than yourself – more a place to find purpose and a sense of being.
Silver Island Yoga
6 nights on a private Greek island, yes please. This is the best yoga retreat in Greece, and if the crystal clear blue waters and beautiful white architecture aren’t enough, the thought of spending a week on a private island should be to put this on your bucket list. Once a jet-set private playground, Argironisos now welcomes a rather different clientele. Led by talented and well trained yoga teachers who each have their own individual teachings to share with you, from nourishment of the body and soul to finding your own passion to heart opening yoga. Each beautiful, and each different in their style and teachings.
Included in the retreat are 2 daily yoga classes in the open air overlooking the ocean, partnered with fully locally sourced, produced and prepared onsite meals, organic wines with dinner and all equipment to use at your disposal during your stay. There are kayaks available for those who are seeking some adventure or grab some snorkelling gear and go for a swim. A private island to practice yoga and just enjoy the serenity.
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