7 Great Reasons to do a Yoga Retreat

A yoga retreat is a great way to fully experience the power of yoga, and the impact it can have on both body and mind.

A good yoga retreat should take you beyond your mat and offer you an experience of the broader practice of yoga – which you simply can’t get from a class once or twice a week.

Swami Shivananda condensed yoga into 5 principals for physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing:

A good yoga retreat should incorporate all these aspects. After just a few days of a fully rounded practice, you will feel more relaxed, clear-headed and lighter. People often experience moments of real insight as they take time out from their everyday life in the healthy, positive and supportive environment of a yoga retreat.

So, here are 7 great reasons to do a yoga retreat this year:-

  1. Time Out

We live in an age of overload. As we juggle the demands of home, work, relationships and finances our psyche suffers. Our nervous systems are under constant strain. Taking a few days away from these demands gives your system a break. Your retreat should allow time to simply do nothing, as well as offering guided relaxation practices such as yoga nidra to help calm your nervous system.

  1. Unplug

We are subject to a reported 20,000 images and spend an average of 8 hours each day consuming media. In fact there’s even a new term for it, “infobestity”! Most yoga retreats have limited or no access to internet, TV and other media. Aaahhh, blessed relief!

  1. Cleanse

Breathe deeply – feel the cleansing effect of the breath! Eat fresh, light food, stay off the booze, minimise your caffine intake and you’ll be amazed how much lighter you feel inside after just a few days!

  1. Go Deeper

A good yoga retreat will provide you with context for your yoga practice. You’ll have the time to appreciate the wisdom and depth of the teachings. You’ll also have the opportunity to deepen your connection with your own body through daily asana practice and use of the breath.

  1. Get perspective

We are all so wrapped up in ‘doing’ nowadays that it’s difficult to take time out to reflect and assess what’s really deserving of our time and attention. Are there things we can let go of? Are there particular thoughts or issues taking over our lives that we need to get back in check?

  1. Re-prioritise yourself

Have you ever paid attention to the cabin staff doing the safety demonstration on an aeroplane? Remember the bit where the oxygen mask drops and they say “ensure you fit your own mask before looking after children or other passengers”? A yoga retreat is a kind of ‘safety’ demonstration where we’re reminded that we need to take care of ourselves first in order to give to others!

  1. Set goals

The net effect of this space, time and nourishing practice can be the gift of insight. I’ve often heard people say that they experienced a “light bulb” moment in relation to a particular issue, or that taking a step back gave them renewed energy and focus for the future. It can be a great time to set some goals. But a word of warning – these are not ‘take over the world’ kind of goals! These are goals about self-care and positive behaviours. Perhaps they’re things NOT to do, rather than ‘TO DO’.

Yoga Indra runs a couple of yoga retreats each year. Check out our special events page for upcoming dates. You can also find good yoga retreats in Australia (particularly northern NSW and Queensland) and Bali, Thailand and Vietnam (which are often more affordable than those in Australia). I encourage you to do your research first and ensure that the program and type of yoga being taught is in line with your needs. I also encourage you to consider doing a retreat alone – while having a friend for company and support might seem like a good idea, the freedom of being alone without the need to consider anyone else is hugely liberating – and you will always meet new, like-minded people at a retreat if you feel like a chat.

So what are you waiting for? Go retreat! 🙂

Namaste

 

About Jane@YogaIndra

Jane Miller, is an internationally accredited Hatha Yoga teacher, living and working in Adelaide, South Australia. Jane originally studied in the Sivananda tradition and has gone on to explore a range of other traditions and techniques that she shares with students through her community yoga studio, Yoga Indra.

Jane has been practicing yoga and meditation for over twelve years and continues to develop her knowledge and commitment to the ancient practice of yoga as the science of living.