What To Expect On A LuxurYoga Retreat

So many of you are joining us or the first time, and it’s Wonderful!

A lot of people do not know what to expect from a yoga retreat, especially a “luxury” one, because there’s just too many “share a tent, we’ll give you salad” retreats (look in our web page’s “your host tab” to learn more about those and my misadventures in other retreats https://luxuryoga.com/your-host/).

If you are a yoga beginner or have decided to join a retreat for the first time what you probably really want to know is:

• What do I have to have to wear?
• Do I have to like vegetarian food only?
• Will there be internet access?
• Will we be allowed to drink?
• Or will it be a week of my holiday be spent with hardcore vegans chanting non-stop while holding sage and crystals?

Well, I hope you are pleased to know that we do have some answers:

You do have a lot of free time, but yes, you will be doing yoga twice a day.

Our retreat is not a boarding school or boot camp, and you won’t be expected to be moving and chanting from sunlight to sunset.

There are two classes per day, morning and noon, usually in our indoor yoga shala or on our open-air deck. In the evenings, after dinner, we always run an activity to “wrap up the day” and help you relax before bed. These activities vary. Sometimes is a deep guided meditation. Sometimes is mantra chanting, sometimes is watching a Yoga documentary in our in-house cinema.

Between classes, we have what we call ‘free time.’ That’s probably a strange concept to many of us, I know. You will be shocked at how many people just look lost and confused when we tell them “now you can eat, go sunbathe, take a sauna or a walk, it’s your free time, do whatever you want.”

Please understand “free time” it means a few blissful hours where you decide what’s YOUR plan.

We encourage our guest to spend as many days as possible avoiding emails and internet stimuli. We believe the internet it too “fast-paced” and overloaded with everyone else’s information.

To be able to better and to your own needs, thoughts and feelings we encourage (don’t demand) that you go on an “internet” detox because it speeds up the mental cleansing process that many of you want to come to the retreat for, in the first place.
We understand sometimes being out of office is difficult (believe! I do! ( but if possible setting an email auto-reply saying “I will not be able to respond to emails until next week” is an excellent way of feeling less compelled to be online.

One former yoga teacher of mine once said

“Imagine your body is a water hose all tangled up with knots. The retreat is a way to slowly untie those knots and let your energy, like water, flow throughout your whole self again”.

Being very well rested speeds up this untying process and helps to let go of more tension. Because you are on the go for 14 hours a day, we strongly suggest you use the other 10 to rest, read and journal. Rest is an essential part of the retreat. It’s as critical as every yoga class and every meal.

Yogis can have good taste and do not need to go backpacking through the Himalayas with a Guru (is you do, that’s cool!) to be able to “retreat.”

Your home for the week (Luxuryoga Retreat) is kind of hard to describe because it was set up as “my dream yoga retreat” (after way too much money and time spent struggling in some tent eating salads).

So bear with me, I’m biased, but reviews support me. Our retreat is a huge place, an amazing house with large gardens. I guess it has a boutique hotel feeling. The perfect place to combine an all-inclusive, quality holiday time with learning more about yoga. We believe really comfortable accommodation, amazing food, organic toiletries and super soft sheets and towels are more conducive to a “mind and body” decluttering process. So expect all of that. We also provide you with your own yoga mat, bathrobe, slippers. All rooms have air conditioning and blackout blinds. Rest is crucial to us.

We tend to encourage people to wear whatever they are comfortable with. However, too loose clothes might interfere with your more dynamic yoga practice (remember, we are untying knots. Not getting into more).

‘These retreats are designed for people to get their head around the retreat concept, while enjoying excellent quality teaching in an amazing, dedicated piece of paradise, in a convenient, yet amazing location.’

The surroundings are generally part of the magic of a retreat. Our really large, outdoor area is magnificent. Although we are in the heart of a rural community, outside Elche, most people do not feel like ever leaving the retreat. We are close to two UNESCO World Heritage sites, which makes it a brilliant way to explore a new part of the world in style (and top up your tan) while finding yourself.