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Yoga Retreat Horror Stories

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

I have always loved to travel, so when I began teaching yoga, I naturally also wanted to lead yoga retreats. Yoga retreats are a great way to share what you love and explore either a brand new place or take participants to your favorite location. They present a beautiful opportunity to bring a group of like-minded people to one destination.

Iā€™ve been on quite a few retreats and Iā€™ve led many of my own. My love for yoga has taken me to Mexico, India, Costa Rica, Peru, Morocco, Dominica, Cambodia, and the list goes on. On paper and on my social media, these experiences might look like they were cleanly executed, smoothly operated, drama-free experiences. The reality is that there were a few stomach viruses, hospital visits, robberies, and missed flights.

On the other end of that, there were plenty of smiles, new friendships, adventures, opportunities for growth, unforgettable moments, breathtaking sights, once in a lifetime experiences, bucket list cross-offs, and so many more positive memories than difficult ones. Looking back, I can honestly say that I wouldnā€™t change the majority of anything I did. However, there are definitely some major things that I wish Iā€™d done differently, or known about beforehand.

I couldnā€™t get out of bed for twelve hours straight

Before the start of one retreat, I arrived a few days before the rest of the participants were scheduled to get there. I like to do this so I can get acclimated to the area and learn about certain shops or restaurants. I was staying in a really mellow surf town near the beach and got to know some of the locals. They had mentioned that there was a really bad stomach virus going around and almost everyone in the area was out for a few days at a time with it. I didnā€™t pay too much attention because Iā€™d never gotten sick in a tropical place before and honestly believed I was somehow immune to whatever was going around.

The next night, I woke up drenched in sweat and realized that I was in fact not immune to what was going around. Iā€™ll spare the details, but it was really bad. Luckily, I had access to fresh coconut water and I also had activated charcoal tablets. I also didnā€™t have to be anywhere for a day or two, so I had time to allow the virus to pass through me.

A stomach virus, or anything that prevents you from functioning properly, may be unavoidable when youā€™re on a yoga retreat. You can be prepared for whatever may manifest by:

  1. Researching local pharmacies near your location in advance
  2. Packing items like activated charcoal or Imodium
  3. Talking to locals about how they stay healthy and vibrant
  4. Exploring local shops with natural remedies
  5. Arriving a little earlier to adjust to the area

You canā€™t predict sickness or how anyone will react to local food or water, but you can try your best to be prepared for the worst

My then boyfriend (now ex) had to be rushed to the hospital

This may sound like a no-brainer for some of you, but I had to learn about the importance of travelers insurance the hard way. When I was co-leading another retreat, my boyfriend at the time was on the retreat as a participant. He insisted on getting travelers insurance before we left and I honestly didnā€™t understand why. Iā€™d already traveled to so many places in the world and I never needed it for anything.

On the retreat, we had a mountain biking adventure scheduled for the participants. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and everyone was really excited. About halfway through the excursion, my then-boyfriend fell off his bike and was injured really badly. Since we were in the mountains, it took a while to get him to a hospital. When we did, he was fully taken care of and all expenses were covered by his travelers insurance.

Whether youā€™re on an adventure-focused retreat or a leisurely getaway at a resort, itā€™s important to be prepared for any type of accident by:

  1. Requiring all participants to obtain travelers insurance. Itā€™s really affordable and itā€™ll cover most hospital stays, medication, and so much more
  2. Consider co-leading the retreat with another person in case someone has to travel with an injured participant
  3. Research where all hospitals or medical centers are located before you arrive
  4. Make sure all participants sign a liability waiver
  5. Talk to your point of contact at your destination about the pros and cons of including certain activities
  6. No one wants to think about someone getting hurt and needing medical attention, but itā€™s much better to be prepared and informed should something happen

I barely missed an armed robbery

You can be in one of the safest cities in the world and still experience crime. This specific retreat was a little ā€œoff the beaten pathā€ and a short bike ride away from some secluded beaches and cute cafes. On some retreats, there may be free time where nothing is scheduled and you have an opportunity to leave the group and go off on your own. One night, a few participants went out to explore the beach but I was too tired and decided to stay in.

Two of the people came back telling the group they were robbed at gunpoint and their wallets, phones, and passports were stolen. Everyone was okay and their passports were recovered, but no one wants to experience something like that on a yoga retreat!

Some big safety rules that I follow when traveling alone and also when bringing groups of people on retreats are:

  1. Never carry anything valuable with you and leave all important items in your locations safe or with someone who is staying at the retreat center
  2. Donā€™t assume that quiet and secluded spots are safe because theyā€™re in a touristy area
  3. Make copies of your passport, drivers license, and any other important documents in case any of them are lost or stolen
  4. Encourage participants to stay with the group
  5. Create a ā€œThings To Knowā€ document for your participants and include safety information about the area

We donā€™t live in a perfect world, but you can create a safe environment for your retreat if you provide the right information and encourage your participants to stay safe.

I lost my wallet at the airport

I used to pride myself on being incredibly organized and being a really smart traveler. Iā€™d never lost anything in another country and Iā€™d always been really efficient at every airport Iā€™d ever been to. When I was boarding my flight back home, I reached into my bag for my wallet only to realize it wasnā€™t there.

Despite getting to the airport three hours early, there were a ton of delays at check-in and throughout each security checkpoint. I thought I was going to miss my flight, but I made it to the gate right on time. I was out of breath, sweaty, and not the way I wanted to feel post-yoga retreat when I realized my wallet was gone. Iā€™d left it at one of the security checkpoints and luckily, the pilot told me I had time to run and get it.

You, or your retreat participants, can be organized and still misplace or lose something. Airport stress, crowded marketplaces, new cities, and outdoor adventures can cause anyone to feel really frazzled. Some tips to avoid losing important things are:

  1. Try not to carry too many bags and encourage your participants to pack light
  2. Have a designated place for items like your wallet, passport, and boarding passes
  3. Arrive as early as you can to your scheduled flights and any excursions
  4. Tell someone you trust where you have your valuables
  5. Remind participants that theyā€™re responsible for their own personal belongings, but be prepared to help if someone loses something important. You may have to talk to airport security or hotel managers

I wouldn’t have left my wallet like that if I had a specific spot for it and if I were a little more calm. A lot of unnecessary travel anxiety can be avoided if you prepare, stay organized, and arrive early.

Remember to have fun

The biggest mistake Iā€™ve ever made on a yoga retreat was forgetting to take some deep breaths and have a good time. Itā€™s easy to get caught up in logistics, everyone’s unique needs, jetlag, and everything else that comes with traveling. As a yoga retreat leader, I always want everyone to have a good time and I want everything to run as smoothly as possible. Sometimes things go as planned, and sometimes they donā€™t.

Yoga has taught me to take any mishaps and figure out how to switch gears and make it work. Iā€™ve learned to prepare but not be too attached to plans. Iā€™ve also learned that I need to let go of expectations and enjoy my time when things run smoothly. The opportunity to travel and practice yoga in beautiful places is truly a gift and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

ā€” Written by our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training mentor and Ayurveda Coach, Lisa Bermudez Lisa Bermudez of YogaRenew

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04/05/2023
Love1
Woman in Side Plank

Weekly Class Theme: Seva

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

In a world of greed, selfish desire, and pain how do we open our hearts to love, compassion, abundance and connection? How do we contribute our highest form of self to the world when it is so easy to be entangled within our attachments, such as money, promotions, and material things which seemingly bring promise of better life?

The answer is Seva. Seva means ā€œselfless service,ā€ which is pretty self-explanatory but is best interpreted as doing work not for the fruits of your own actions, but for the betterment of the world at large. Within the Bhakti Yoga system, Seva specifically means doing oneā€™s duty in life with the only intention of serving divinity and the highest good of humanity directly or indirectly.

As a Yoga practitioner, it is likely that your perspective of life has widened. You might very well believe and truly see that this hamster wheel of wake, work, sleep, repeat is not the way to experience life and experience true inner peace. You might also be in the throes of such a cycle. Your job might provide stability and security which is necessary to navigate life. The obligations that you tend to on a daily basis might provide sustenance towards yours and your loved onesā€™ preferred lifestyle. In essence, what Iā€™m saying is that you might not want to make vast changes right now. It very well may feel in alignment for you to stay put even if you donā€™t feel complete and total satisfaction.

So what might be the remedy? How can we take our actions, current and future, and fill it with love? The answer is Seva. By participating in Seva we instantly open our hearts to the present moment. Whatever it is that we are doing is for another and in that way we have the ability to heal our hearts, expand our love, compassion, and abundance, and ensure that our intentions are pure and honest. When we shift our focus of what weā€™re doing and why weā€™re doing it from our own thoughts of greed and desire towards thoughts of contribution, love and divinity, we give ourselves the space to step into each moment as our highest and best selves regardless of the task at hand.

For anything that you do in life, if you firmly believe that you are contributing to a greater good, the way you show up will be different. And even if youā€™re not directly doing service such as feeding the homeless, participating in a trash clean-up, or volunteering for an organization you are indirectly contributing to the goodness which is ever-present and transcendent.

Disclaimer: By following the path of consciousness, there is a high chance that you will realize the hamster wheel youā€™re on is not the only path towards stability, security, and sustenance. There may very well be another path which provides those things in addition to total fulfillment and true inner peace.

Supporting Pose 1: Open Wing

Person in open wing or broken wing pose on a yoga mat

Open wing gets right into opening the inner arm, which again is connected to the entangled organs of the heart and lungs. This pose is helpful to organize the tissues of the arm and chest to go in the direction of side plank.

How to get into open/broken wing:

  1. Lie on your belly with the right arm extended out to the right at about shoulder level.
  2. Spread your fingers and slowly roll onto your right so that you are lying on your right leg, hip, side body, chest, and head.
  3. Crawl your right fingertips out as you do so.
  4. You can organize your legs in a variety of ways. Stacking the legs with straight or bent legs might feel good. Bending the top leg and placing the foot ahead or behind the bottom leg might feel good also. Note: stacking the legs in some way will closely resemble the legs in side plank.
  5. You can take the top arm in a variety of variations as well, including a half bind, you can keep the hand on the floor in front of you, or resting on your torso.
  6. Try to let your head rest either on the floor, a block, or a blanket.

Supporting Pose 2: Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Person in downward dog on a yoga mat

Downward Facing Dog stretches the arms and chest while also teaching good foundation in the hands.

How to get into downward facing dog:

  1. From a tabletop position, spread the fingers and press through the fingertips, the pointer finger and thumb, and the four corners of the palm. The four corners of the palm are: base of pointer finger, base of little finger, inner heel and outer heel of the hand.
  2. Lift the center of the palm up for Hasta Bandha, which is similar to lifting the inner arch of the foot.
  3. Walk the knees back a touch, then lift the knees off the floor, straighten the legs, and straighten the arms to reach the hips up and back.
  4. Keep the foundation of the hands and turn the creases of the elbows forward to lengthen the arms.
  5. Relax the head between the arms.

Supporting Pose 3: Half Moon (Ardha Chapasana)

Person in half moon pose with a block under their bottom hand

Half Moon has many similarities to side plank including the spreading of the hands, arms, and chest. The top leg is also in similar form relative to side plank.

How to get into half moon pose:

  1. From triangle pose, bend your front (right) knee to shift the weight forward.
  2. Take your right hand to the floor or block and lift your back leg.
  3. Press the right hand down to stretch the right arm and reach your left arm and hand straight up to the ceiling. Spread your fingers.
  4. Reach the ball of the left foot back and spread your toes.
  5. Your gaze can either face the side wall or follow the left hand to the ceiling.

Peak Pose: Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

Person in a side plank pose on a yoga mat

Side plank is a very appropriate pose for our topic of seva! Seva requires us to offer our heart through all that we do. This pose requires good organization of the arms and hands. The arms and hands are connected to the heart and lungs via meridians, blood vessels, and soft tissues. So the way we place, stretch, and coordinate our arms and hands affects the stimulation of the heart and lungs. Furthermore, this pose stretches the tissues across the chest and upper back making way for the heart to expand.

How to get into side plank:

  1. Start in downward facing dog.
  2. Maintain the foundation in the arms and hands from DFD (press the four corners of the palm down, lift the center of the palm, spread the fingers away from one another, and stretch the arms).
  3. Keep the right hand on the floor.
  4. Bring the legs together and swivel the heels (with control) to the right so that your left foot stacks directly on top of the right foot and the toes face the side wall. Spread your toes.
  5. Take the inner right elbow towards the front of the room and continue to stretch the arm (without hyperextending) while the left arm reaches straight to the ceiling. Spread the fingers. To avoid hyperextending, try engaging the bicep and tricep to support the straightening of the arm.
04/04/2023
Love7
Revolved Head to Knee Pose

Weekly Class Theme: Prana

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

ā€œEveryone desires more life energy. If energy could be packaged and sold in a shop, it would be the most successful business ever.ā€

This is a quote from the book, Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar at the beginning of the chapter dedicated to prana.

If you are a yoga practitioner, it is likely youā€™ve heard this word prana. You may have done study on prana and you might participate in pranayama practices, but what actually is prana?

Prana is the vital life force energy that is present within all beings and all of reality. It manifests physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and it is the breath of life within all living forms. Every vibrational energy which exists is prana. Itā€™s hard to even define because it is that all-encompassing.

Some things that prana is NOT: It is not the breath, although breathing is a manifestation of prana. Prana cannot be seen or picked up. Prana is not a particular substrate. It is simply, and not so simply, the vital energy which is always present before, during, and after life.

Pranayama and Prana are not the same, although they feature the same word. While prana refers to life force energy, pranayama refers to breathing practices which help to expand, move, organize, and control prana. You might have realized that when you began to practice yoga, your world shifted. Your perspective on life might have widened and after practice you might feel yourself shift into a higher frequency state. This is because of an increase in prana. Thatā€™s of course wonderful, however, If you continue to increase the available prana with no sense of organization or control, this could lead to some unfavorable circumstances such as combustion, depression from mental extremities, or unsteadiness of breath and body just to name a few.

This hopefully does not deter you or scare you in any way, but this is merely meant to point out the power and importance of pranayama practice in tending to prana. Asana helps to and is necessary to prepare the body for pranayama. With consistency, appropriate guidance, determination, and patience your practice can help you access this illuminating and transcendent tool. And guess what? It cannot be bought in a package, it is always available to you, and it is completely free…

Supporting Pose 1: Easy Seat with a Side Stretch (Sukhasana)

Easy seat is fairly accessible for a wide variety of people. Because class is often started from this position, you can pretty quickly and efficiently get into the side body lengthening which is necessary for our peak posture.

Easy Seat with Side Stretch Pose

How to get into Easy Seat with a Side Stretch:

  1. Sit on the floor with the right shin crossed in front of the left shin.
  2. Take your arms out into a T-shape. Turn your whole arm (from the shoulder down to your palms) up towards the ceiling.
  3. Shift your torso to the left and then laterally bend to bring your left hand down to the floor about a forearmā€™s length away from your hip.
  4. Sweep the right arm over your ear and reach towards the left side wall.
  5. Keep both sit bones grounded. Overtime you can walk the left hand out farther coming into a deeper side bend.

Supporting Pose 2: Triangle with Arm Overhead

Triangle is always a great pose to teach the straightness of the legs. Revolved head to knee has one straight leg and one folded leg, so this pose is appropriate in teaching the actions of the straight leg. The variation with the arm overhead gets us going in the same direction as the peak.

Woman Doing Triangle with Arm Overhead Pose

How to get into Triangle Pose with your Arm Overhead:

  1. Face the side wall and step or hop your feet apart about 3 feet in length.
  2. Turn the whole right leg (from hip to toes) towards the front of the room. Lift the toes and lift the kneecap up.
  3. Take your arms out into a T-shape and turn the arm bones up towards the ceiling like you did in easy seat above.
  4. Shift your torso to the right and then laterally bend to bring your right hand down to your shin or a block (on the outside of your leg). Once your hand reaches the shin/block, just turn your palm and forearm to connect the arm to whatever surface youā€™re using. The bicep should keep rolling forward.
  5. Sweep your left arm up and overhead and gaze underneath your arm towards the ceiling.

Supporting Pose 3: Half Squat Pose (Skandasana)

Half squat has one folded leg and one straight leg just like our peak pose! With this particular arm variation, you have one arm reaching towards the foot of the extended leg with the other arm over your head, also similar to our peak pose. Meaning, this here is a great prep pose for our grand finale.

How to get into Half Squat Pose:

  1. Start in a wide leg forward fold with your hands on the ground.
  2. Turn the back leg and toes out slightly and fold the leg.
  3. As you fold the leg and start to shift towards the back of the mat, turn the front leg and toes up towards the ceiling so both legs are externally rotated. Lengthen the front leg as much as possible so the heel can connect to the floor.
  4. Bring the back of the pelvis towards the floor and lift the chest and head up.
  5. Bring your hands into prayer shape.

Peak Pose: Revolved Head to Knee (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana)

Revolved head to knee is a forward fold and a twist. I would say thereā€™s even a bit of a backbending element as well. Prana requires the body to be steady and strong and that the spine is supported in all directions making this the perfect posture for our discussion in prana.

Revolved Head to Knee Pose

How to get into Revolved Head to Knee Pose:

  1. Sit on the floor in a seated straddle position.
  2. Fold the right leg in half and externally rotate the leg so the knee is resting towards the floor. If the knee doesnā€™t touch the ground, you can bring a block or blanket under the knee.
  3. Keep the left leg extended as you spread the toes and lift the kneecap.
  4. Take your arms out into a T-shape and turn the arms and palms to face the sky.
  5. Shift your torso to the left and then laterally bend to bring your left forearm along the inner left shin. The traditional posture connects this hand to the inner arch of the foot.
  6. Sweep the right arm up and overhead to reach towards the front of the room in the direction of your left foot. The traditional posture connects this hand to the outer arch of the foot.
  7. There should now be a window created between your two arms. Using your exhale, turn your torso to the right, widen your elbows, and look underneath your right arm to the sky.

Sources: Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar

light on life book cover

03/29/2023
Love5
Person in Goddess Pose

Weekly Class Theme: Kindness

By Yoga Teachers

Weā€™ve all heard the saying: ā€œkindness goes a long way.ā€ To be completely honest with you, I am not sure where that quote comes from but I do believe that I ascribe to it in my daily life. Any normal situation automatically becomes better when kindness is involved IMO. Buying a coffee and the barista is kind? Great coffee experience. Getting on public transit and the bus driver is kind? Normally nightmarish commute experiences are elevated. Receiving help from a kind retail associate? Iā€™m way more likely to enjoy my time and buy something.

If you ask me, there are few reasons to not be kind. Some might say that we donā€™t owe a stranger anything, but personally I believe that one act of kindness can create a ripple effect. This begs the question, where does kindness come from? How can we cultivate kindness?

Kindness, like most other ā€œpositiveā€ emotions, comes from the place where they all come from. Your own inner well of self-love. Yup, it always comes back to YOU. As a little experiment, this past month I focused on increasing this well of self-love and self-worth. And what do you know, I felt kinder not only to others, but to myself. This created a sort of feedback loop of kindness coming in and going out. I took time to notice my inner self talk. I reflected on the areas in which I was tolerating less than what I truly want. I enjoyed activities that make my heart feel free and aligned (lots of snuggling on the couch with my dog).

As I reflect on this work, I really do feel like a kinder human being and like that kindness is contributing to an overall better place for everyone.

Peak Pose: Goddess (Utkata Konasana)

Although maybe not a traditional Iyengar posture, Goddess pose is typically seen in Vinyasa style classes. While seemingly simple, the pose is quite vulnerable with the front body wide open. It requires a spreading of the chest and inner hip groins, which is quite opposite of the patterns normal life asks of us (generally speaking). The shape itself also symbolizes openness, receptivity, and surrender.

Supporting Pose 1: Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana)

Person in Bound Angle Pose

This is a great starting position to begin to get into the inner groin muscles. Coming from a seated position can be relatively accessible for participants and anyone can moderate how much they are folding, thereby moderating how intense the stretch is. Although itā€™s not pictured, a blanket under the bum might be comfortable and help to make the fold a bit more accessible.

How to:

  1. Sit on the ground with the soles of your feet together and knees wide.
  2. Take your hands to the bottom of your shins and fold forward. If possible, you can press your elbows into the inner thighs to widen the legs.
  3. Keep your spine long as you reach your heart over your feet.
  4. Once youā€™re at your edge for folding, allow your head to relax.

Supporting Pose 2: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Warrior II

Whatā€™s easier than opening both inner hip groins? Opening one inner hip groin! Warrior II is not only great for generally preparing the body for Goddess, but it also helps to teach the actions of the open hip and open leg necessary for the peak pose. The spreading of the chest is also similar here as in our peak.

How to:

  1. Face the side wall and hop or step your feet about 3 feet wide.
  2. Turn the back toes in slightly and rotate the front toes, leg, and hip out to 90 degrees.
  3. Bend the front leg to 90 degrees so the thigh is parallel to the floor.
  4. Keep widening the inner thigh so the knee is going in the same direction as the second and third toe.
  5. Widen your arms towards the front and back of the room and take your gaze over your front hand.

Supporting Pose 3: Tree (Vrksasana)

Tree is another great hip opener (hip external rotation) which helps prepare the practitioner for Goddess pose.

How to:

  1. From mountain pose, stand on the left leg.
  2. Come to the ball of the right foot and externally rotate the right toes, leg, and hip out to face the side wall.
  3. Lift the right foot to the inner left groin.
  4. Press the right knee back in space to lengthen the inner thigh while remaining mindful that the right hip is in line with the left hip.
  5. Take the arms wide and up to the ceiling.

Peak Pose: Goddess (Utkata Konasana)

Person in Goddess Pose

How to:

  1. Face the side wall and hop or step the feet about 3 feet wide.
  2. Externally rotate both sets of toes, legs, and hips.
  3. Bend both legs to about 90 degrees. If you cannot fully bend to 90 degrees, or if you notice your knees are uncontrollably caving in, narrow your stance.
  4. Widen the knees to lengthen the inner thighs and bring the knees in line with the second and third toes. Be mindful that the pelvis remains under the chest.
  5. Take your arms out to sides and bend them to 90 degrees with the fingers facing upward.
  6. Breathe and welcome the moment. šŸ™‚
03/23/2023
Love3

Weekly Class Theme: Vata

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

Ayurveda is a science that helps you understand your own rhythms and the rhythms of the world around you. It’s often called the sister science to yoga because Ayurveda and yoga are meant tobe practiced together.

Yoga helps you tune into your soul and to the divine. It helps you understand the nature of your mind and access your heart so you can remember who you really are. The elements earth, fire, water, air, and ether are the building blocks that make up everything you experience here on earth through your senses. These elements are what combine to form The Doshas (governing forces that permeate everything in nature).

The Doshas Summarized:

  • Kapha Dosha is made up of earth and water and can be recognized as the part of you thatā€™s caring and nurturing.
  • Pitta Dosha is made up of fire and water and can be recognized as the part of you thatā€™s passionate and driven.
  • Vata Dosha is made up of air and ether and can be recognized as the part of you thatā€™s creative, imaginative, and social.

Understanding Vata Dosha

Vata Dosha is made of the elements air and ether and some of the qualities of Vata are cold, light, dry, mobile, subtle. Air is literally all around you and is always moving. When youā€™re in total stillness, you can still feel the air around your skin, eyes, nose, and ears. Ether is sometimes understood as space or this “stillness” I’m talking about here. Itā€™s what can “contain” or “hold”. When air and ether come together to create Vata Dosha, there is potential for creation and also a container to just be.

You can see Vata in you whenever you come up with a new idea or a different plan. Vata manifests as your ability to express, craft, and share. On the other end of that, Vata is also the only Dosha that moves, so this may lead to feelings of emptiness or lack. Excess Vata can also cause restlessness, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.

One of the main principles of Ayurveda is:

LIKE INCREASES LIKE AND OPPOSITES BALANCE.

For example, if itā€™s cold outside and youā€™re shivering, you will get colder if you drink ice cold water. If you drink hot tea, you will warm up because the tea is hot and thatā€™s the opposite of cold. Sometimes, we experience an overload of certain qualities and that Dosha will come out of balance.

When you come on to your yoga mat, you can balance out Vata Dosha by favoring a slower, more grounded practice that doesnā€™t involve too much uncertainty. A Vata-balancing practice can involve longer holds, deeper breaths, connecting to the foundations, and avoiding too many variations.

Vata Dosha & Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)

Janu Sirsasana is a great pose to work towards in a class that is focused on balancing excess Vata. Itā€™s a perfect one for anytime youā€™re feeling frenetic, anxious, empty, like you canā€™t make a clear decision, or during the time of year when itā€™s more windy and dry. Janu Sirsasana is incredibly grounding, lengthening, and also a perfect pose to allow more focus on the breathing. Itā€™s also a pose that can he held for a longer time and a pose that provides the space to focus on how the breath can help lengthen your body and release what isnā€™t serving you anymore.

Supporting Pose 1: Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)

When prepping for a forward fold, itā€™s really nice to start to come into shapes that have the elements of the forward fold youā€™re working towards. For Janu Sirsasana, itā€™s helpful to begin opening up the hamstrings and becoming aware of the back of the leg. Itā€™s also important to understand how your leg straightens. It can be a little difficult to understand that the leg muscles need to engage in order to straighten the leg. There should also be an awareness and connection to your toes, which is something you can discover while on your back.

Woman in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) Variation: Reclined with a Strap

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) Variation: Reclined with a Strap

How to:

  1. Lie down on your back with a strap. If you donā€™t have a strap, you can always use a hand towel, scarf, or anything thatā€™s long enough to loop around your foot while keeping your leg long and your shoulders on the ground.
  2. Bend your knees and step your feet to the ground. From there, notice how your hips are hopefully pretty even and then bend one knee in towards your chest so you can loop your strap around the ball of your foot. As you extend your leg towards the sky, keep your foot slightly flexed and try your best to keep your shoulders on the ground. Engage your thigh to fully lengthen your leg.
  3. Lengthen your other leg out in front of you, keeping your heel on the ground. Slightly flex your foot and think about your pinky toe moving towards your ear. If you feel like extended this leg created an imbalance in your hips, just rebend your knee and step your foot back to the floor.
  4. Stay for a few cycles of breathing. You may engage your thighs with each inhale and then see what you can release through the backs of the legs with each exhale.

Supporting Pose 2: Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)

This pose is a great teacher because itā€™ll ask you to begin to quiet your mind while also resisting any urge to move around and look around. When youā€™re in this pose, especially if you fold forward, it can be a very reflective time to focus on your breathing and to notice what parts of your body feel tight or open. You may even notice that as you stay in the pose, your breathing may slow down and in turn, your thoughts will slow down too.

Woman in Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)

How to:Ā 

  1. Begin seated and bring the soles of your feet together, like youā€™re putting your feet in a “prayer” shape. If you need to sit up on a blanket or any kind of padding, please do so.
  2. Bring your heels as close to your torso as you can, without compromising your long spine and your ability to sit tall while breathing deeply.
  3. Press the pinky edge of your feet together (this the part of your feet that you feel on your yoga mat) and peel the inner edges of your feet apart. Imagine your feet are like a little book that youā€™re opening up slowly and gently. This will allow the inner thighs to soften.
  4. If youā€™d like to fold forward, softly extend forward of your feet. You may bring your hands to some blocks or walk them forward in front of you. Stay for a few cycles of breathing.

Supporting Pose 3: Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)

Paschimottanasana is another pose that will help you quiet your mind and prepare for Janu Sirsasana. Itā€™s a pose that asks you to reach forward into new space, while exposing your back body. This is often a metaphor for moving forward into the unknown while acknowledging that your past is behind you and youā€™re moving onward knowing you canā€™t change it.

Woman in Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)

How to:

  1. From a seated position, extend both legs out in front of you. If you need to sit up on something, elevate your seat so you can sit well and breathe deeply.
  2. Do your best to keep your legs straight, but itā€™s okay if you need to have a slight bend in your knees. Take a peek at your toes and imagine your little pinky toes can slightly reach back towards your ears. This will help activate your feet.
  3. Inhale to lengthen your spine and exhale to extend over your legs. Try to lengthen your spine with each inhale and release over your legs with each exhale. Your hands may be beside your legs or at your feet.

Peak Pose: Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)

Woman in Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)

Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)

How to:

  1. Sit tall and take padding beneath your seat if you need.
  2. Extend your right leg forward and bring the sole of your left food to your inner, upper right thigh. Try your best to keep your extended leg in front of you, as opposed to out to the side.
  3. As you breathe in, lengthen your spine and turn towards your extended leg. As you breathe out, turn a bit more while sitting tall.
  4. As you fold over your extended leg, continue to lengthen your spine with every breath in and revolve towards that extended leg with every breath out. You may place your hands around your extended leg or keep them closer to your hips.
  5. Try to focus on your breathing as you remain for a few cycles of breath. Perhaps think of something youā€™d like to focus on more with every inhale and something that youā€™d like to release with every exhale.

Whether itā€™s Vata season or you feel you or your students are working with excess Vata, focusing on grounding poses like forward folds can be transformational. Adding breathing cues into your practice can also help balance out the franticness that often comes with excess Vata.

03/15/2023
Love7
Child's Pose on a yoga mat

8 Yoga Poses to Help Ease Period Pain

By Lifestyle & Wellness, Yoga Asana

If youā€™re someone who goes through a monthly cycle, you have probably at one point or another experienced ā€œperiod painā€ or PMS (premenstrual syndrome). Period pain arises from a shift in hormones due to the different phases of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms can include but are not limited to cramping, headaches, nausea, and body pain like lower back pain or breast tenderness. Other symptoms related to the menstrual cycle can also include fatigue, food cravings, acne, bloating, and mood swings.

An average cycle lasts somewhere between 28 and 31 days. Actual menstruation, which is the shedding of the lining of oneā€™s uterus after pregnancy has not taken place, is bioindividual and can last 3 to 7 days. Whether youā€™re experiencing ā€œperiod painā€ during your actual menstrual phase or in a different phase of your cycle (itā€™s common to experience pain during the luteal phase), itā€™s not uncommon to ignore our symptoms and ā€œpush past them,ā€ accept them as part of our fate, and/or to treat them like the enemy. Contrary to what we may believe, it can be deeply healing to acknowledge and embrace any and all symptoms and to honor our cycle and therefore our connection with Self.

Hormone shifts happen throughout the whole cycle. It should be noted that intense chronic pain from oneā€™s period is often the result of hormonal imbalances which can be regulated with some lifestyle changes (think exercise, diet & nutrition, and time/energy management). Oneā€™s yoga practice can meet us at all phases of the cycle and certainly help to honor and accept our bodies, even on the days where cramps, bloating, and fatigue may be present. And while these poses may not fully heal any pain, they can certainly help one to slow down, respect oneā€™s body, and settle into the intuitive and feminine nature of oneā€™s period.

1. Child’s Pose (Bālāsana)

Child's Pose on a yoga mat

Child’s Pose (Sanskrit: Bālāsana)

Childā€™s pose is probably my number 1 go-to when I am feeling tired, bloated, and/or crampy. Having the belly facing the floor feels nice for protecting the vital organs, while at the same time letting the belly fully extend towards the ground between the legs. The head down on the ground can feel soothing for headaches or overall fatigue.

2. Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana)

Cow Pose – drop the belly, lift the gaze & chest


Cat pose

Cat pose – round the spine, tuck the navel

The sequence of cow and cat is great for bringing fluidity into breath and body in a very gentle and familiar manner. It might be all the fluid movement you need to connect to your body.

3. High Lunge (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

Person on a yoga mat in High Lunge with Back Knee Bent

High Lunge (Sanskrit: Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

If youā€™re seeking a bit more ā€œhigh energyā€ movement, high lunge is nice to incorporate. I like high lunge because itā€™s a closed hip position and offers the variation of having the back knee up or down depending on how you are feeling. If youā€™re not feeling up for this posture, skip it!

4. Wide Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Wide Leg Forward Fold

Wide Leg Forward Fold (Sanskrit: Prasarita Padottanasana)

If youā€™re sequencing a flow for yourself, going from high lunge to wide leg forward fold might be all the standing poses you need. If you want to sequence a standing pose that isnā€™t high lunge, this one may be perfectly adequate. Like childā€™s pose, having the head towards the floor may help to ease tension in the head while usage of the legs to fold may also release tension in the lower back.

5. Supported Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvāį¹…gāsana)

Supported Bridge pose

Supported Bridge (Sanskrit: Setu Bandha Sarvāį¹…gāsana)

Supported bridge is a nice option for a gentle backbend. It might be our tendency to want to fold into ourselves when weā€™re not feeling our best, so spreading the chest and opening the fronts of the hips with the block can be just what we need to allow the front body to widen.

6. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Supine Twist

Supine Twist (Sanskrit: Supta Matsyendrasana)

Supine twist is an easy and gentle way to bring some movement towards the belly. This might feel good if youā€™re feeling crampy or bloated and this posture (when done with the knees left first) encourages the movement of digestion. You might use props here with a blanket under your knees or between your knees if you are needing some extra support.

7. Pigeon (Kapotasana)

Pigeon pose

Pigeon Pose (Sanskrit: Kapotasana)

Any forward folding posture feels good for me in my body when I am in my menstrual phase. Not only do the physical postures themselves feel good, but the forward folding postures encourage one to look inward. Itā€™s always best to listen to oneself in order to truly honor oneself, especially as it comes with shifting phases. For these reasons, I love pigeon pose when I have my period. In addition, if any low back pain or stiffness is present sometimes getting into the hips can bring about a fluidness to the body.

8. Corpse Pose (śavāsana)

Savasana on a yoga mat on the floor

Corpse Pose (Sanskrit: śavāsana)

Thereā€™s truly nothing like savasana, especially during the menstrual phase. You might consider giving yourself longer rest time when you have your period. Use any and all props under or over your body to support your journey inward.

 

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03/11/2023
Love9
Human in Camel Pose on a green yoga mat

Weekly Class Theme: Pitta Dosha

By Yoga Asana

According to Ayurveda, there are three major life-forces in your body that correspond to certain elements. These are called the doshas. The doshas oversee the way you process and experience all things in this lifetime, here on planet Earth.

The Doshas are:

  • KaphaĀ (earth + water)
  • PittaĀ (water + fire)
  • VataĀ (air + ether)

When you are in balance, you naturally have a balanced amount of pitta. Balanced pitta may manifest as ambition, leadership, passion, motivation, and organization. When pitta is out of balance, it may manifest as fiery and fast digestion issues, anger, irritation, judgemental tendencies, and irritability.

Pitta dosha is made of the elements fire ad water and some of the qualities are oily, hot, sharp, light, and spreading. When fire and water come together, it can create steam. When you think of steam, you probably imagine there being some sort of flame or heat to cause transformation. This is an example of how you need pitta to digest and transform your food, your thoughts, and your emotions.

Pitta can be recognized within you whenever you are passionate about something and whenever youā€™re motivated. Those times when you feel unstoppable and incredibly driven are how you can recognize pitta within you.

When there is excess pitta, which can happen during the hotter times of year and also if you naturally have more pitta within you, you can find balance by cultivating the opposite qualities of pitta. This could mean slowing down, cooling down, and also having fun and laughing.

In a pitta-balancing yoga class, itā€™s helpful to have a purpose. These classes work best when there is a clear peak pose and also when there is a bit of playfulness. Any class that focuses on opening the heart and cultivating more love, gratitude, and compassion is helpful to balance excess pitta.

Supporting Pose 1: Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

The low lunge, and forms of it, is such an underestimated pose in yoga classes! I know itā€™s not necessarily a traditional asana, but you probably noticed that we do a lot of lunges and they can be altered to work for whatever pose we are working towards. In this variation, you will keep your knee down and also play around with lowering to your arms. Itā€™s an interesting variation that can keep high pitta qualities intrigued, while also offering a little bit of a cooling quality.

Human in Lizard Pose on a green yoga mat

Lizard Pose (Sanskrit: Utthan Pristhasana)

How to get into Lizard Pose:

  1. From a Downward Dog, reach your leg up and step your foot forward between your hands. If your foot doesnā€™t make it all the way up to the front of your mat, use your hands to help it up along the way. You can also place blocks beneath your hands in Downward Dog and that elevation can help you get your foot forward.
  2. Move your foot over to the edge of your mat so you can bring both of your arms inside of your front foot. Your shoulder should be inside of your front leg. If you feel like your heel is lifting off the ground, you may need to step your foot a bit more forward. You can also try to bring your foot onto a low block.
  3. Lower your back knee down to the mat and do your best to reach your chest forward. You are trying to bring your hips in front of your knee, as opposed to stacked on top of your knee.
  4. Bring your attention to your back foot and untuck your toes. Imagine your toenails have wet nail polish on them and youā€™re trying to make toenail prints on your yoga mat. You may also bring your attention to the big toe. This will help you find some length through your ankle and your foot.
  5. Stay up on your palms or lower down to your forearms. If the floor feels far away from you, bring some blocks beneath your hands or your forearms. There is often a tendency to reach downwards with the chest, which makes sense because it is such a grounding place to be. However, for this lunge, try to reach your chest forward of your mat.

Supporting Pose 2: Upward Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana will help you tap into the length of your front legs while also helping you to find space through your lower back and opening through your chest. This pose will also bring in a sense of openness along with self empowerment that may help balance pitta.

Human in Upward Facing Dog on a green yoga mat

Upward Facing Dog Pose (Sanskrit: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

How to get into Upward Facing Dog:

  1. Begin in a plank pose and lower all the way down to your yoga mat.
  2. Bring your palms beneath your shoulders and lift just your chest, With only your chest lifted, start to engage your thighs and press the tops of your feet into your mat. You may feel your knees lift as your thighs engage, but remember to keep your feet on your mat.
  3. As you lengthen your arms, reach your chest forward and also engage your abdominals. Imagine your tailbone can move towards your heels (you canā€™t physically do this, but the thought of it may help create some length through your lower back).
  4. Draw your shoulder blades together and spread through your collarbones. Make lots of space between your fingers.

Supporting Pose 3: Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Bridge pose is an excellent way to find the alignment of your legs and feet while keeping your chest open and finding that upper backbend. Itā€™s a nice one to help balance pitta dosha because itā€™s not over stimulating and itā€™s also sometimes satisfying to actually be able to see your heart and hips move and align.

Human in bridge pose on a yoga mat

Bridge Pose (Sanskrit: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

How to get into Bridge Pose:

  1. Come to your back and bring the soles of your feet to your yoga mat. Make sure your feet and legs are about hips-width apart and your toes are facing forward.
  2. Lift your hips towards the sky and reach your hands towards your heels. If you feel like your knees are way behind your feet, move your feet closer to you. If you feel like your knees are moving way over your toes, move your feet away from you.
  3. Try to use the strength of your upper back to lift your chest higher. Remember, the strength you cultivate is what helps you open your heart.
  4. If itā€™s available to you, clasp your hands and reach your knuckles towards your feet.

Peak Pose: Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Youā€™ll probably find that a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with back-bending. I always thought that heart-opening was a better name for backbending because backbends require so much trust, openness, and strength. In order to feel like you can trust yourself, you have to cultivate a lot of love and also a lot of humor. They can be playful and fun if you allow them to be and theyā€™re also soft reminders that life shouldnā€™t be so serious,

Human in Camel Pose on a green yoga mat

Camel Pose (Sanskrit: Ustrasana)

How to get into Camel Pose:

  1. Begin on your hands and knees and take a look back at your knees and feet. Make sure theyā€™re about hips-width apart and not too close together.
  2. Take your hands to your hips and come up to stand on your shins. Once again, make sure your knees and feet arenā€™t too close together as this will make the backbend a bit more intense (and not in the good way that pitta may want intense).
  3. Take your hands to your hips and just notice how your hips are right above your knees. Remember youā€™re going to try your best to keep your hips over your knees as you come into the pose.
  4. Now bring your hands to your lower back. It may be helpful here to imagine your abdominals moving towards your hands. For some people, this serves as a reminder to activate their abdominals and to avoid collapsing into their low back.
  5. Lengthen through the sides of your waist. Picture another inch of space coming between your hips and your armpits.
  6. Now, picture a big beach ball behind your heart and between your shoulder blades. With that intention to lift up and over that beach ball, reach your chest towards the sky and then towards the space behind you.
  7. If itā€™s available to you, take your hands to your heels while maintaining that lift in your chest and that length in your lower back. You may even feel the urge to release your head back and see the space behind you. If this feels natural, go for it!

Remember, excess Pitta can cause you to lose sight of your own self care because you may feel like you need to do more than you need to. You may also feel like youā€™re not doing enough, and then eventually do too much. Remind yourself, or your students, to take breaks and to also laugh whenever thereā€™s a mixup between left and right sides or any time there seems to be tension through the face.

 

03/08/2023
Love7
Person in Crow Pose or Bakasana

Weekly Class Theme: Kapha Dosha

By Yoga Teachers

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing rooted in the ancient culture of India. Ayurveda is translated to mean the science of life: (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). The purpose of Ayurveda is to help you to live in harmony with nature at all times in your life so you can connect deeper to your purpose.

When you begin studying Ayurveda, you will begin to look deeper into nature and see different qualities. During the springtime, for example, the snow is melting and you may notice more mud. The qualities of mud are soft and wet. The elements: earth, fire, water, air, and ether are the building blocks that make up everything you experience here on earth, through your senses. They make up the doshas, which are the forces that permeate everything in nature. These are kapha, pitta, and vata. Itā€™s important to remember that you actually are made up of all three doshas, but the qualities of one or more may dominate the way you digest your food or even the way you learn!

Ideally, when you are in balance, you have a balanced amount of kapha. Balanced kapha manifests as maintaining nurturing relationships, having lots of self love, having love towards the people around you, and stability at work. When kapha is out of balance, it may show up as swelling, excess mucus, weight gain, depression, a sense of stagnation, and inability to fully digest food or process emotions.

One of the main principles of Ayurveda is, like increases like and opposites balance.

If youā€™re sad about something and itā€™s raining outside and youā€™re covered in blankets and already feel heavy and slow, you will probably feel even heavier if you order a cheese pizza and eat more than you know you should. If you increase the qualities of a certain dosha, you will feel out of balance.

When you come to your yoga asana practice, you can balance out excess kapha by moving a little more, committing to a practice that builds more heat, and also stepping out of your comfort zone.

Kapha Peak Pose: Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Crow pose is a great pose to work on to balance out kapha dosha. A class that has this pose as its peak pose will also involve a lot of core work, strength-building exercises, and the invitation to perhaps step out of a place of too much comfort. If there is excess kapha, you might find that you only want to practice yin or restorative, but you really need to get moving!

Supporting Pose 1: Cat/Cow with Knees Lifted (Bitilasana Marjaryasana Janu)

Lots of people donā€™t realize that crow pose requires a strong core and a connection to the stomach muscles. You may have heard that when you begin to understand arm balances, your core gets a little bit more of a workout than your arms. When you practice cat/cow with your knees lifted, it will automatically fire up your core and activate muscles you may have never really felt before while in cat/cow. Itā€™s a great move to practice when preparing for crow because it wonā€™t tire you out and itā€™s a bit subtle. When thereā€™s excess Kapha, itā€™s nice to ease into a more intense practice.

Person in table top with knees lifted off the ground

Table top position with knees lifted

How to:

  1. Come on your hands and knees. Try to keep your wrists beneath your shoulders, or a bit more forward of your shoulders if there is any tension in the wrists. Do your best to have your knees right beneath your hips. For this variation, tuck your toes and lift your knees about an inch off the ground. Pause here for a breath or two and notice if you are feeling any sensation in your lower back. Remember, your low back is one of the more mobile areas of your spine and it often wants to do the work when itā€™s not supposed to. If you do feel this a lot in your lower back, imagine someone is gently poking at your belly button. Move your abdominals away from that gentle poke and see if that can help you engage your core more. If that doesnā€™t help, imagine you can bring your front hip points together (you canā€™t physically do that, but for some people, that idea can help activate their core a bit more).
  2. As you breathe in, slightly lift your sitting bones, open your chest towards your mat, and look upwards with your eyes.
  3. As you breathe out, scoop your belly up, round your back, and look back towards your knees or thighs. Keep these cat/cows going for a few cycles and then lower your knees back down. If you have any problems with your wrists, you can try this on blocks or you can make fists with your hands.

Supporting Pose 2: Garland Pose (Malasana)

This pose will help you understand the connection that needs to happen between your arms and your legs in crow pose. Itā€™ll also help your body get used to having your feet together while also having the knees apart. There is a sense of balance between your head and your sitting bones in this pose as well. Please note that some schools of yoga will refer to Malasana as a squat with the feet apart and thatā€™s not the pose weā€™re working with here.

Garland pose (Malasana)

Garland pose (Malasana)

How to:

  1. Begin standing and take your inner feet to touch.
  2. As you open your knees, reach your arms forward and begin to lower yourself to the ground.
  3. Walk your arms forward, but take a look at your feet. Do your best to keep the inner edges of your feet together. Itā€™s okay if your heels lift up, and they probably will.
  4. Try to keep your head in the same line as your tailbone and then either reach your arms forward or bring your arms back behind you, kind of like a garland.

Supporting Pose 3: Boat Pose (Navasana)

Boat pose is a great way to bring attention to your core and also tap into some muscles you probably didnā€™t know you had. Itā€™s one of the poses that definitely gets better as you practice it, but not really easier – and thatā€™s what makes it so interesting to keep coming back to!

Person in boat pose

Boat pose (Navasana)

How to:

  1. Begin seated and then take your feet out in front of you and bend your knees, keeping both feet on the ground.
  2. Bring your hands behind your thighs and lift your feet off the mat. From here, try to find the front of your sitting bones and reach your chest a little forward. Imagine you can also lift the crown of your head up higher to touch the sky.
  3. You can stay right there, or you can extend your legs. You can stay right there, or you can reach your arms forward towards whatever is in front of you. If you feel like youā€™re rounding your back or falling backwards, it may be helpful to bend your knees again.
  4. As you inhale, lift a bit more and as your exhale, try to relax your face.

Peak Pose: Bakasana (Crow Pose)

Yogi in crow pose

Crow pose (Bakasana)

How to:

  1. Begin with your feet together, your knees bent, and your hands in front of your feet.
  2. Try your best to get your knees high up onto your upper arms and as far up towards your armpits as possible. This will help you feet move away from the ground and also help you activate your abdominals to create a bit more of a lift for crow pose.
  3. Spread through your fingers and remember how strong your hands are! They are going to take the place of your feet and support you in this strong pose.
  4. Shift your weight forward, look forward, and perhaps you only lift one foot off the ground, bringing your heel towards your seat. Then switch feet.
  5. If youā€™d like to play with lifting both feet off the ground, remember to keep your gaze forward as you press the floor away from you with your hands and try to bring both heels up to your sitting bones.
  6. You may begin to lengthen your arms because youā€™re pressing the floor away. Think more about resisting the floor as opposed to reaching to it. Birds take flight, they donā€™t usually fall down.
  7. Imagine someone is softly poking at your abdominals and you want to move away from that soft poke. This may help create lift through your core and also help you maintain the pose without relying too much on your arm strength.
  8. Take a break if youā€™re practicing this a few times. For a Kapha balancing class, sit up instead of coming to childā€™s pose.

Kapha Season Class Theme

If itā€™s kapha season or if youā€™re feeling sluggish and unmotivated (or your students are), this class is helpful to bring in a more fiery quality to that stagnant energy. The heat will help balance out the heavy quality of kapha. Think about what happens to mud when the sun comes out. You probably wonā€™t get your care stuck in it and you can move forward without any obstacles – our bodies work just like that!

02/28/2023
Love6

Everything You Need to Know About Leading Your First Yoga Retreat

By Yoga Asana

It’s happening… with a hunger for adventure and passion for the practice, you’ve decided to host yourĀ first ever yoga retreat! Ok… the idea is great… now what?

There are a ton of ways to lead a retreat, but some vital things to consider along the way. While you may have an initial idea for where and how you want to host, ironing out these simple details will help make your planning go that much smoother.

You are your own unique person with your own unique teaching and leadership style ā€” This can be reflected in the retreat and will probably act as the foundation for the people who end up signing up!

Alright… let’s dive in. šŸ˜Ž

*These are a series of helpful topics that, as a retreat leader, you may not always discuss with a yoga retreat center or even a travel company that helps you put together a retreat. Leading a transformative and successful retreat requires lots of research and planning. You also want to make sure you and your participants are safe and well-informed. We designed this article to help in that process, but as always, feel free to take away only what you need!Ā 

Table of Contents:
  1. Important Things To Know About Traveling Internationally
  2. Licensing, Certifications, Permits
  3. Safety, Precautions, and Staying Ahead of Injury
  4. Partnering vs Leading Your Retreat Solo
  5. Deciding Your Cost
  6. Can I Lead a Yoga Retreat?
  7. Learn From My Mistakes

1. Important Things To Know About Traveling Internationally

If you are traveling outside of your country, you need to work with your point of contact or the retreat center youā€™re working with to discuss important things like visa, vaccination, and any entry requirements for the country youā€™re visiting. Youā€™ll also need to discuss weather, local currency, ethical or cultural sensitivities, and guidelines for being a respectful tourist. When youā€™re leading a yoga retreat, youā€™re also responsible for educating yourself and your participants on ways to behave respectfully in a new culture and environment.

Itā€™s important to remember that youā€™re a guest in someone elseā€™s ā€œhome.ā€ Youā€™re there to learn and experience the culture. You need to remind your participants that many of their usual comforts from home may not be available while theyā€™re on an international retreat. This can be frustrating for some people, but itā€™s your job as a retreat leader to diffuse any interactions that may be disruptive to other participants and to the people in the country youā€™re visiting.

It may be helpful to create a things to know list for yourself and for your participants. This will alleviate the stressors for those participating in the retreat who are maybe experiencing their first ever retreat or even those who tend to need a little bit more guidance. It will also help to keep everyone on the same page.

2. Licensing, Certifications, Permits

As a yoga teacher, you may already be familiar with things like liability insurance, waivers, and contracts. We go a bit more in-depth with things like that in our Yoga Retreats Training, but for now, make sure that all of your credentials are up to date and. You donā€™t need a certain certification or license to lead a yoga retreat, but you do need to make sure documents like your passport or driver’s license are up to date.

If youā€™re leading a more local retreat and youā€™re serving as a guide, check the expiration dates for all of your own licenses. For example, if your retreat involves a hike, you most likely need a guiding license. If your retreat involves a yoga class at a park or on a beach, you may need to obtain a permit to be there and to have people moving through a physical activity.

3. Safety, Precautions, and Staying Ahead of Injury

It all keeps coming back to communication. You need to make sure that you know the terrain of your retreat destination, the climate, and also where all local pharmacies and doctors are. If youā€™re leading a retreat with an adventure element to it like mountain biking or surfing, make sure you know how far away help is in case of emergencies.

All of your participants should get travelers insurance if your destination is outside of your own country. In your participant intake form, you should also ask them to include allergies, medical concerns, or anything else that you should know about their health.

4. Partnering vs Leading Your Retreat Solo

You need to ask yourself if you want to lead your retreat alone or if you want to partner with another yoga teacher or professional. If youā€™re leading your retreat solo, you will make more money from the experience, youā€™ll have more control over the itinerary, and you wonā€™t have to check in with someone else whenever a decision needs to be made.

If you partner with someone, whether it’s another yoga teacher or someone like a climbing or surf instructor, you will be splitting your final payout. However, youā€™ll also have someone else to facilitate and hold space for the group, youā€™ll have a bit more alone time for yourself, and you can also take part in someone else’s yoga classes or whatever activity your retreat partner provides.

5. Deciding Your Cost

Who are your participants? Where are they from? What are they willing to spend on a yoga retreat? Be mindful that what you choose to include will also inform these questions. You may choose to stay at a place thatā€™s rated at 5 stars vs 4 stars if you want it to be more affordable for your participants.

Itā€™s important to make sure at the bare minimum that your costs are covered for leading the retreat. Things to factor in would be your flight, your accommodation, food, transport to and from your departing airport, and also how much money you would like to make from this. No one likes to talk about money, but in order to help create a sense of fulfillment, be honest about what you need personally to make your retreat happen. We provide a much more in-depth example and worksheet on how to properly figure this out in our Retreats Training.

6. Can I Lead a Yoga Retreat?

If youā€™re inspired to do something or if you feel a strong call to make something happen, then go for it. If you donā€™t, youā€™ll regret it or think about it for the rest of your life. When youā€™re called to lead a yoga retreat, you also are being called to step into the role of a leader. As yoga teachers, we are all leaders in some way.

Being in the role of a leader means to really think about what it means to be balanced, to be available to others, and to also teach by example. If Iā€™m constantly fighting with my retreat partner, for example, how can I talk about impactful communication to my group?

7. Learn From My Mistakes

I made a lot of mistakes. There are a lot of things that happened (or didnā€™t happen) that could have been avoided if Iā€™d done my own research or talked to people who had more experience than me.

  1. Don’t over-plan ā€” This causes participants to become too attached to the schedule and potentially get upset when things donā€™t go as planned.
  2. Avoid too much yoga ā€” Your participants may get overwhelmed or too tired if you include too many classes. You also might get too tired to teach a scheduled class and need to skip it, which may cause some people to be upset that something was taken off of their itinerary.
  3. Keep your retreat on your website ā€” People still like to have access to it from their computers, tablets, and phones while theyā€™re with you. Your participants may also be sharing pictures to their social media accounts and keeping your retreat listed will give them something to link to and also help promote you or upcoming retreats.
  4. Provide a basic language guide ā€” Itā€™s so important to make an effort when speaking with locals. Learning a few phrases like ā€œHelloā€ and ā€œThank youā€™ can go a long way in showing respect. No effort is too little. Assuming you have no access to certain toiletries and personal products. Some products may be harder to find when abroad, so be sure to pack necessities for both you and your participants.
  5. Inform participants about currency ā€” Research where and when to change money or pull money from an ATM. Educate yourself on ATM locations and also currency exchange in the country or along your journey.
  6. You can’t make everyone happy all the time ā€” On a yoga retreat, people may be out of their comfort zone and a lot of different personalities are together for a long period of time. Itā€™s important to be sympathetic, nurturing, and also in the role of a leader, but itā€™s also important to remember that making one person happy may make another person upset. Remember why youā€™re there and what it is that brought all of these people together. Stay connected to that and perhaps hold space for a gratitude-share or a meditation on gratitude.
  7. Remember… itā€™s a vacation! ā€” As leaders, itā€™s important to step out of the center. You should hand over the more comfortable rooms, the massages, and also switch dinners around if that means creating a better experience for your participants.
  8. Have clear boundariesĀ  ā€” Sometimes, friends will want to join you once they hear you’re hosting a retreat. Your friends may think youā€™re ‘just on vacation’ with them. It’s important to give your attention to the whole group and not just to the people you know and are familiar with. Change who you sit next to at every meal.

For the full story, read my article onĀ Retreat Horror Stories Ā (and how to learn from mine). šŸ˜‰

There are so many moving parts when it comes to leading a retreat and there is so much to learn. The team at YogaRenew have created a yoga retreats training for this exact reason. Inside that training, we’ll cover all the bases discussed in this article & more to guide you towards creating your dream retreat.

āœØ You’ll learn how to figure out your destination, learn how to piece it together, and also learn what to do and what not to do while on the retreat. Check it out, below:

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02/28/2023
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Half Moon Bow Pose

Weekly Class Theme: Joy

By Yoga Teachers

Typically, when I think of something I wish to cultivate within my life the word ā€œhappinessā€ comes to mind. Now, happiness is absolutely wonderful! However, happiness is also an external feeling based on outer circumstances. So we could say ā€œitā€™s sunny outside and itā€™s making me happy,ā€ or ā€œthis yummy food makes me happy.ā€ These are phrases I have literally said myself and I am sure some of you can relate. Thereā€™s nothing wrong with these phrases. However, I believe when we reflect on the types of emotions and feelings we wish to cultivate in our lives, we often mistake happiness for joy.

Joy is an internal feeling that is independent of outer circumstances. Joy does not fluctuate with the weather nor does it get swayed when we donā€™t like our meal. Joy is consistent and is part of the foundation which sets the lens for which we view the world. We can be unhappy and joyful at the same time. We can feel less than satisfied with our external situation while still feeling joyful and secure at our core. In fact, this principle is what allows us to take risks and make changes in our lives when we feel unhappy and know we are worthy of what we truly desire.

So, the next time someone asks you what you wish to cultivate or manifest in your lifeā€¦donā€™t go after happiness. Go after joy and trust that happiness will come. Do keep in mind that happiness will come and go, joy is a force which when established has a hard time being rocked.

Peak Pose: Ardha Chandra Chapasana (Half Moon Bow)

If you ask me, Ardha Chapasana emanates a feeling of joy. It does require that you get comfortable on one leg and steady in Ardha Chandrasana before heading towards this variation, but once finding freedom you might feel inclined to go after this back bending posture.

Supporting Pose 1: Open Wing

Open wing or Broken wing pose yin yoga

Open wing does an amazing job at opening the chest and the front of the hip which is of course necessary for Ardha Chapasana.

  1. Lie on your belly with the right arm stretched out to the side about in line with your shoulder.
  2. Roll over onto the right side of your body while crawling the right fingertips out so it feels like youā€™re lengthening the arm while you roll.
  3. Take your left arm behind your back and allow the left shoulder blade to roll towards the spine.
  4. Take your left leg behind the right leg with the sole of the foot on the floor. Allow the weight to roll back slightly onto the left foot to widen the front of the left hip.

*Points 3 and 4 are variations which are geared towards Ardha Chapasana. If those are too much, the left hand can stay on the ground in front of the torso and the left leg can stay stacked on top of the right. The legs could stay straight or they could bend.

Supporting Pose 2: Reverse Triangle (Viparita Trikonasana)

 

Reverse triangle gets the integrity of the legs going while lengthening the sides of the body.

  1. From Warrior II, straighten the legs.
  2. Tip the torso towards the back leg while firming the sacrum slightly forward to keep the front of the pelvis broad.
  3. Sweep the arms back so the back arm rests on the back leg and the front arm stretches alongside the ear.
  4. Press through the ball of the front foot while reaching through the front arm.

Supporting Pose 3: Crescent Lunge with Bound Hands to Foot (Anjaneyasana)

Any chance to connect the hands to the foot before the peak pose is a good option in my opinion! This shape sort of mimics the shape of Ardha Chapasana and can really teach the importance of back bending to grab the foot as opposed to just bending the knee like a quad stretch to catch the foot. After all, the peak pose is a backbend!

  1. From low lunge, place the back knee to the floor. Fold the mat or place blankets under the knee for added support.
  2. Press the sacrum forward and draw the shoulder blades back and down as you swim the arms towards the back of the room.
  3. Bend your back leg and catch the foot with your hands.
  4. Gently kick the foot into your hands to further firm the upper back in and allow the pelvis to move forward away from the anchor of your hands/foot.

Peak Pose: Ardha Chandra Chapasana (Half Moon Bow)

How to:

Half Moon Bow Pose

  1. From Triangle Pose, come onto one leg and enter into Half Moon with the top arm straight to the sky and the top leg aiming towards the back of the room.
  2. Press the sacrum forward and start to move the top leg back in space, already entering into the beginning stages of a backbend.
  3. Swim the top arm behind your back and firm the shoulder blade IN to broaden the corner of the chest.
  4. Bend your leg at the knee and connect your hand to your foot.
  5. Gently kick the foot into the hand to further firm the upper back in and allow the pelvis to move forward in space bowing your torso away from the anchor of your hand and foot.
  6. The gaze can stay at the wall in front of you or the gaze can turn up towards the sky.
02/22/2023
Love11
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