‘Getting the most out of your first yoga retreat’ by Yogamatters

We were delighted to welcome Helen from Yogamatters to Indian Summer yoga retreat with Sally Anne Reynolds here at Poundon House for her to experience an &Sister retreat. This was also her first retreat, so it was a very special occassion, as you can only experiecne your first retreat once!

Here’s what Helen has to say….

‘I’ve just come back from my first yoga retreat. It was the Indian Summer Retreat with Sally-Anne Reynolds, hosted by &Sister at the very beautiful Poundon House in Oxfordshire.

And this is an article  will only ever be able to write once. Because you only get one chance to go on your first yoga retreat. Every other yoga retreat I get to go on from now on (and I plan to go on as many as I can!) will be different because of the experience I have already gained.

So this is not your typical review. All of those are already out there if you search for them. This is a list of ten tips on how to get the most out of your first yoga retreat, drawn very much from my own personal experience and from conversations I had throughout the weekend.

 

1. Choose your yoga retreat well

This is a question I get asked all the time because I work for Yogamatters: ‘How do I choose the right retreat for me?’ I have no clear cut answer. As we went around the circle when we all first arrived, we introduced ourselves and explained a little about why we were there. For some, it was as simple as location and date. They had a free weekend, didn’t want to travel too far, so googled…and came. Simple. For others, it was more planned. A reunion with a friend they hadn’t seen in a while. A final treat before returning to work after illness or maternity leave. For some, it was that sense of overwhelm and needing to get away. For me, it was something even less tangible. As soon as I read the words ‘Indian Summer’ and the description of the weekend, I was hooked.

 

September is always a difficult time for me, leaving behind the summer and heading off into the darkness. Anything that could make me feel more positive about that was surely going to be a good thing. There was a sense of nurturing in the description that I warmed to, an enveloping in positivity and light – ‘immersive and uplifting’ with a yoga practice that’s ‘peaceful and deep, yet energetic and joyous’.  All carefully designed and planned to allow you to be ‘your vibrant best self’. Yes, that’s definitely what I want! I’m in!

So yes, by all means choose the right place and the right time, but also consider the right vibe. You have to connect with this, relate to it, desire what it is offering…Let your heart guide you.

To read the rest of the blog, please click here.