Yoga Retreat

Travel & Events Yoga Retreats
#1

Hi, I did a search here on yoga retreats, but didn’t come up with anything useful. I’m hoping the forum can help me.

My wife has been going to various yoga classes for about a year now. She really enjoys it, and from what she tells me, gets a lot out of it. Anyway, she has mentioned the idea of doing a yoga retreat a few times. I want to surprise her with one, but I’m having a really hard time sorting through all the ads and nonsense that you get when you type “Yoga Retreat” into Google. I am not in any way experienced with or knowledgeable about yoga. I do know that from what my wife has told me, she doesn’t necessarily go to only classes of one specific yoga discipline. She seems to enjoy yoga overall as a mental and physical workout.

I think what she would like in a yoga retreat is something that is part vacation and part spiritual/physical journey. I don’t think she is quite ready for anything too extreme. Also, I’m looking to keep the cost under $2000 including airfare. With that information, I’d be grateful if you all could recommend a few options for me to check out. Thanks in advance.

#2

I went to a very nice yoga retreat, Yogaplus in Crete.
It is partly yoga and partly vacation. They have different sessions with different activities in addition to Ashtanga Yoga in the mornings.
Very nice combination and the cost is quiet resonable.

#3

Can’t even estimate air fare as we don’t know where you are. :slight_smile:
Are you thinking of a retreat in the US, or did you want to send her somewhere a little more exotic?

I would suggest you go to yogajournal.com and click on the “retreat” button.
I think I would trust that source a little more than just Googling.

But I did go look to see what I could find, and you are right, it’s overwhelming. I know I couldn’t suggest a place without knowing what she is interested in. One yoga retreat in the Bahamas offered a 4 day course for $320, but I didn’t see any classes that were just plain old yoga, except their yoga for beginners course, which I don’t think I’d choose for your wife, being she’s been doing it for a year already.

You might gift her with a beautiful card that includes a lovely drawn up gift certificate for the yoga retreat of her choice, to be redeemed within the year. Let her choose where she wants to go, and you purchase the tickets and do all the work on that front for her, so that it truly is a gift. What’s more wonderful is she chose it herself! :slight_smile:

Edit: I spoke too soon! I remembered a yoga magazine I have purchased in the past, published by the Himalayan Institute. I clicked a link on their site and found this:
http://www.wanderlustfestival.com/
This only works if your wife is into that kind of atmosphere. :slight_smile:

Here is the original page of links where I found that:
http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/yi/yogainternationalcontent.aspx?id=1107

You may also want to think about possibly letting her invite a friend along. Unless she enjoys lone vacations. :slight_smile:
Best of luck to you, what a wonderful gift and a very lucky wife you have.

#4

I think Joanna63 has the best idea in giving her a card with a gift certificate. It might be fun for her to do the research and find what suits her needs.

I just returned from a 3 day retreat and I truly should have checked it out a little bit better before hand. Too much chanting and guru worshiping and not enough asana and pranayama for my tastes. No judgement on my part because for some people, it was the perfect combination - it just wasn’t quite right for me.

#5

You can’t go wrong with a yoga retreat at Esalen (www.esalen.org) it is truly the most majestic setting I’ve gone to a retreat at. Just pick a week where the one of the workshops is yoga related and you’re good to go.

#6

[QUOTE=KrisR;49190]I think Joanna63 has the best idea in giving her a card with a gift certificate. It might be fun for her to do the research and find what suits her needs.
[/QUOTE]

I think this is the best idea. She gets to choose the retreat of her choice, and you will join with her. Sounds most amazing to me.

#7

Probably best to let her pick, part of the fun. Then you can do the work of arranging it if she’d prefer.

But where are you, you might still get some good suggestions if you say. There are some retreat type places that are general enough to be pretty safe bets, if you don’t want to do the “I owe you” thing.

#8

Not sure where you are located, but Kripalu and the Omega Institute have a great selection. Both located in the eastern United States:

or

Her preference will depend on the type of Yoga she is studying.

What a thoughtful present for her.

#9

Yoga Journal is having a conference! It doesn’t look like a retreat per say, but a yoga intensive where you can learn tons of stuff about yoga. Looks like they have plenty of classes planned though!

http://www.yjevents.com/ny/

#10

www.sivananda.org

#11

Hi there…there’s a really good retreat out in Nicaragua called Mandala Yoga Retreat - look it up on facebook - have a look and see what you think - lots of yoga, organic food, surfing, luxury accommodation on a eco farm