5 Reasons to Treat Yourself to a Yoga Retreat in 2016

Before I started leading yoga retreats, I thought they were just for the yoga elite.

I thought I would never be a retreater because I made all of these assumptions about who you needed to be in order to go on such a lavish vacation; I thought you needed to have a lot of time, a lot of money, and a really good reason to go. I thought you needed to "earn" a yoga trip to an exotic locale, and I didn't think there was any way that I would ever be deserving.

But once I went on my first retreat--and then after I started leading them--I realized that ALL of my preconceived notions were wrong. You don't need to be rich, you don't need to have tons of free time on your hands, you don't need to earn it or prove yourself before you can justify a retreat: you just need a retreat. I need a retreat. We all need more retreats in our lives. 

The people who attend yoga retreats come from all over and from all different backgrounds, lifestyles, and life stages; couples, singles, mothers and daughters, men, women, people in their early 20's and people in their late 60's, both advanced practitioners and fairly new students, people overcoming trauma or tragedy in their lives, people who have crazy high-pressure jobs and never take any time off, retirees, serial retreaters, and those who have never traveled solo or gone on any vacation at all attend. 

And although retreaters come in every shape and size, there's one common thread that runs among yoga retreaters: each and every person who signs up for and attends a retreat has decided to make an investment in him or herself. Each person who attends has decided that even if they have to pinch pennies or save for that trip for over a year, it is worth it to get away, unplug, and practice every day while vacationing in a place where he or she can truly relax. 

It's a total gift.

So, just in case all of the above doesn't convince you that you are ready for your first yoga retreat--or if you're like me and you have a hard time justifying treating yourself or paying for a solo vacation--here are 5 more reasons to gift yourself a retreat in 2016:

1. You will make unbelievable connections [with people that were formerly strangers] and be reminded of the importance of community, opening up, and learning about other people's lives. 
No matter the group, something magical happens when you take a group of people from all over the country (or world) and put them together at a retreat center, villa, or cottage for a week. The relationships that are formed are often life-changing, and it's amazing to be a part of this kind of loving, accepting, open community. ​

2. Your relationship to your yoga practice will change. 
It's rare that in your daily life, you have time to practice every single day--let alone twice per day, which is often what happens on a yoga retreat (if you want it to). When you're in your body, moving and breathing for 2-4 hours each day, things shift, poses open up, your body opens up, and often, you leave with a newfound love and appreciation for your practice. 

3. You'll have an uninterrupted chance to look inward on a daily basis and reconnect with your purpose, your values, your journey, your relationships, and your current life path. 
In "normal" life, we don't find much space to really reflect or engage in deep self-study/self-discovery. On a retreat, you're alone with your thoughts and experiences, you're often away from your laptop (and hopefully, your phone!), and you have plenty of time to lounge around reading, meditate by the ocean, + write in your journal, which provides an amazing opportunity to delve deeper and find clarity. Big changes come out of retreats--and so do little but important life discoveries. 

4. You will experience a week full of sensory pleasures! And lots of laughter, tears, and everything in between. 
The food! The conversations over food! The inside jokes! The massages (or facials or reiki, depending on what is offered on your retreat)! The excursions! The books! The sights and sounds! Retreats are full of simple pleasures and enjoying them is pretty awesome. 

5. Because it's time to learn how to invest in yourself. 
When your house needs $1500 worth of work on it, even if you don't necessarily have the money, you often find a way to make it happen because you know that it's an investment. When you pay for schooling or training programs, a couple thousand dollars is simply the cost of tuition and it's a given because you're investing in your education. But for some reason, when it comes to investing in our mind + body, in our mental and emotional health, and in our rejuvenation and replenishment, a lot of us have a hard time justifying the cost. Going on a retreat is the perfect way to get out of that mindset and start placing value on taking care of yourself. ​

​So there you go. I think you're ready for your first (or next) yoga retreat and 2016 just might be your year ;) 

If you want to join yours truly on a retreat in 2016, I encourage you to sign up by the end of 2015 to ensure you snag a space in one of the two trips I'm co-leading in the first half of the year (both are smaller, limited retreats so they're going fast!): 

• COSTA RICA ART + ASANA: February 13-20, 2016 {co-leading with Kimberly Wilson}
• NAMASTE NANTUCKET: AN ISLAND YOGA RETREAT: June 5-11, 2016 {co-leading with Laura Whitaker}​

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​You can learn more about each trip on my Retreats page. ​

Happy retreating, bloggies!