There are a few things youâll need to focus on when planning your first ever yoga retreat. We’ve gathered advice from some of our expert teachers and put it all in this one post for you to have for safe keeping. â¨
This is just a high level overview, but still important things to consider!
1. Start a waitlist
Create momentum!!! Get people excited. Start “soft marketing” before enrollment begins. This can look like capturing emails on social media, start a newsletter & include buzz about the retreat with a way for them to “opt in” to hear more and be the first to receive the link. Once you have a roster of interested people, the spaces are bound to fill up! The more people you reach in the beginning phases, the higher chance it’s likely that it sells out.
2. Work with the retreat center
Ask the retreat center what type of marketing they do. In addition to everything you’re posting/creating, the retreat center also has an audience that they can market to. This means reaching more people!
Additionally, when it comes to any type of marketing for your retreat, lead with emotion. People buy from people. Chances are, if they already follow you and/or the retreat center and have had a good experience with either one, it’s likely they’ll want to have that experience (or something similar) again… and will book just based off of that.
3. Look into insurance
Know if you need event insurance through the venue or not. If you do end up needing insurance, it’s good to have a jump start on it so you don’t have to worry about it in the midst of additional planning for the retreat and people asking you questions.
Insurance isn’t always mandatory (through the event space), but is sometimes required. Check thoroughly with the retreat center’s policies before you embark to go on the trip to save yourself from any headaches down the road.
4. Co-lead it with another teacher
The ability to tap into two different teachers’ student base makes it viable to sell and bound to sell it out. It also makes it a well-rounded retreat. If you’re mostly a vinyasa yoga teacher and you’re looking to have some mellower practices, think of partnering with a yin yoga teacher or meditation & sound facilitator to create an all encompassed experienced.
If you are co-leading it with someone, be sure to have a good contract. It’s crucial to establish who is responsible for what when co-leading a yoga retreat. Clear communication and boundaries can help make for a smooth trip, which leads to our next point…
5. Establish boundaries
When on the retreat, be clear about your boundaries, both with the person you’re leading it with but also with students on the retreat. It doesn’t make for a good time when it feels like there is no “down time” or time outside of the yoga experiences to let the vibes of the trip set in. People might expect you to be in working mode the entire time, and that isn’t realistic in an industry where much of what you do is sharing your energy and knowledge – it can be exhausting!
Establishing boundaries from the beginning can help both students and you and your co-host feel comfortable and have a general idea of what to expect once on the trip. Even though it is a yoga retreat, people may want to go off and explore on their own. They might make friends and want to spend time with people they met on the trip. And you and your co-host might want to go find a spa or other spot to take a yoga class rather than teach one.
6. Flights & familiarity
Make sure thereâs direct flights to the place you’re going if it requires a flight. It also helps if the destination is a place you’ve gone before.
Traveling can be such a huge factor and most people will appreciate it if it’s as efficient as possible. Knowing the route thoroughly yourself not only helps you to guide others, but it takes the pressure out of having to figure out new territory.
7. Incentivize
Give away free stuff! People love a goodie bag – especially when it’s tied into something they’re passionate about (aka yoga). There’s an artful way to work with brands and get them to send you free stuff in exchange for bringing awareness to their product and getting people to interact with their brand.
Most of the time, compiling goodie bags is a great way to say thank you while also introducing your peers to products you know and love. It’s a win-win!
If you’re looking to get more info, we’ve created a whole Yoga Retreats online course with all the info on how to get started leading retreats and keep leading them with ease.
