Yoga Retreats Offer Something for Everyone

This is an article that I wrote that will appear in the next issue of Riviera News Magazine® a bi-monthly publication with beautiful photographs and art work serving the Riviera Maya. You can access maps, information about cultural events, and articles about wellness and the Caribbean lifestyle on their web site, www.rivieranewsmagazine.com.

A yoga retreat is a vacation that is centered on yoga. It’s an opportunity to dive deeply into yoga and spend quality time with yourself without the distractions or responsibilities of daily life. It’s like plunging into a clear blue pool of water – emerging energized and refreshed.

Yoga retreats offer something for everyone. If you take yoga classes regularly, a yoga retreat helps to accelerate your learning by providing time and space to savor and integrate what is presented in each class. If you are less experienced with yoga, a good retreat will give you a chance to discover unknown aspects about your strength, flexibility, and balance. For all levels of students, meditating and practicing yoga twice a day, as is the case on most retreats, will de-clutter your mind, recalibrate your nervous system to a healthy vibration, and open a vista of peace that you’ve perhaps never encountered before.

Frequently, yoga retreats are set in beautiful surroundings. Those held in the Riviera Maya offer the Caribbean Sea, beautiful beaches, fresh breezes, stars, birds, palm trees, and lush vegetation. The beneficial effects of practicing yoga in a natural setting are profound for people coming from busy lives in the city. It is very soothing to allow your own body rhythm to merge with the rhythm of the tides and the rising and setting of the sun.

Going on a yoga retreat can be as much about having fun and making connections as it is about going inward. Friendships are formed and participants here in the Mayan Riviera often enjoy group activities like snorkeling or exploring Mayan archeological sites. Some retreats are tailored to specific needs like couples renewing their relationship or girlfriend getaways.

To choose a yoga retreat that is a good match for you, it is advisable to confirm that the instructors are certified teachers. Then consider the following:

• Does the retreat accommodate people of all ability levels? How are beginners supported? If you are new to yoga, you probably want to avoid going on a power yoga retreat with people who’ve been studying yoga for years!
• If you are an avid yogi who wants to build stamina, choose a program that offers two active classes a day with evening sat sang (devotional speech and chanting practices) to uplift your consciousness.
• If you are seeking rest and replenishment, you may want a retreat where you can have plenty of free time to journal, reflect, and spend time in nature. A retreat that offers yogic philosophy and meditation techniques might be perfect for you.
• If you want to do yoga plus other vacation activities, look for a retreat that includes recreational outings such as kayaking or presents thematic classes – such as cooking, wellness, or studying Spanish

Finally, confirm what is included in the price of the retreat. Ask for a copy of the daily agenda and inquire whether special diet requests can be met. There’s an abundance of yoga retreats to choose from in the Riviera Maya. Take a deep breath and make a big step towards a more healthy and magnificent you!

Please consider joining me on our next Girlfriend Renewal Yoga Retreat, November 2-8, 2008 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico at the beach-side, Alhambra Hotel. Our March Eat Pray Love Yoga retreat was so popular, that Amorhania Lenero and I decided to offer it again! We’ll let the wisdom of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book inspire us to take bold steps towards creating a life of joy, creativity, and love. This is an all-inclusive More Than Yoga Retreat.