Why Go On A Yoga Retreat?

A few people have been asking me recently: why go on a retreat? So I thought I’d tell you my why.

The first time I went away on a yoga retreat was to Kenya in 2022; having booked on a whim quite literally overnight deciding it was exactly what I needed to do for myself at the time, never having done anything quite so indulgent solo but hey, I’m here for my spontaneity and have made a bit of a habit of it ever since because of how good it felt for reasons I’m about to explain… 6 weeks later, I was off - to immerse myself in magical Africa for 6 days of meditation, daily practice, nature and Ayurvedic food.

Nestled in the middle of the jungle, a stones throw from whitewash beaches and crystal blue water, was our open-walled open-air treehouse. No windows or doors separated us from the outside world, at night time just a singular robust mosquito net between us, the monkeys and mosquitos (for obvious reasons) sufficed. Our beautiful retreat home, Watamu Treehouse, centres natures at the forefront of living so much so that it actually felt strange coming home to a bedroom with walls - that’s when you know you’re feeling connection to the outdoors… when walls feel weird…

Now, there’s 2 things in particular that stand out to me from my experience at retreats and trainings, no it’s not the fancy poses or picturesque beaches on the doorstop (I know, stay with me..), but the sense of community and time for self-introspection that drives intention in these immersions which helps to shed a few layers and leave us feeling renewed. We carry so much with us everyday, our job title, our title as a parent, friend, partner, expectations, duties, all of it we wear like a coat day in day out. It’s not often we have the alone time, where we’re taken care of everyday and given the space to unravel and unwind but with intention and purpose. This is exactly what a yoga practice does for me, and helps me so much to come home with a renewed perspective and clear mind.

I’ve always shared rooms with people I’ve never met before on retreats, and I truly believe this is one of the biggest lessons in the whole experience. New people, new conversations, new backgrounds, perspectives and stories. Learning new things about new people helps us to discover new things about ourselves. And at the same time I realised I’d never had so much time for me, and me only. I’d go where the wind blew me, without letting anyone know my plans, or having to meet anyone anywhere at any decided time - what a luxury. Whilst you’re with the same group the entire week, there are no pressures or expectations from anyone, but having said this I always come home with a new friendship. The nervous system reset this gave me dropped me into a different headspace I certainly hadn’t visited in a long time, maybe ever?

And then there’s the yoga. Turning up to the same practice, with the same teacher and people every single morning at exactly the same time showed me so much of myself. I noticed the ebs and flows of my mood day-to-day, how everyday I would walk into the shala differently, sometimes irritated at myself for not feeling so good or strong that day, and other times feeling on top of the world. Ultimately, with all of these fluctuations of mind, body and thought we’re simply encouraged to show up anyway without fighting any of it. The lesson in all of it is on the other side of the practice that felt really hard to turn up to.