Whether you are looking to drop some serious money for luxury accommodations or are working on a budget, there are yoga retreats available, and Fox News pulled together 10 top options, ranging from an ashram in the Bahamas — where guests perform chores — to pure luxury!
Yoga Breaks: Alicante, Spain – The Costa Blanca region of Spain has been named by the World Health Organization as having one of the healthiest climates on Earth, according to the Fox article. Yoga Breaks offers luxury near the ocean with twice daily yoga for beginners and intermediate yogis. It also offers Ayurvedic-inspired meals nourish, meditation and pranayama (breathing) workshops.
Big EZ Lodge: Bozeman, Montana – The lodge was built with native timber and natural river rock throughout, and there are 13 guestrooms and common areas, the article reported. Ashtanga, restorative and Vinyasa Flow yoga is offered, along with nature hikes and other outdoor activities. Mountain-themed cuisine is offered, and there is a game room and workout room on site. The best part? A large hot tub with a waterfall!
Domaine de la Grausse: Clermont La Grausse, France – Study with the highly experienced resident yoga teacher Dagmar (who is influenced by Jyengar, Viniyoga and Sivananda) at this getaway in the French Pyrenées, the article stated. The estate features an eighteenth-century château with extensive grounds, two large yoga studios and accommodation in two newly renovated traditional stone barns that are fully-equipped for self-catering, according to the article. Yoga classes are available for all levels.
Sivananda Ashram: Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas – Nassau’s Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat will have you rising at 6 a.m. and meditating till dawn – followed by chanting until tea time and two hours of Hatha yoga – all before your 10:00 a.m. vegetarian meal. The afternoon will offer a class in Karma yoga, where guests help with ashram duties, the article stated.
Jatoba Terra Prana Lar yoga: Sao Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil – This retreat offers a variety of yoga styles, including Kundalini yoga, Yin yoga, Hatha yoga, partner yoga, Karma yoga and Mandala yoga. It also offers meditation, mantras, silent walks, sacred dances, fire rituals and Zen Shiatus, according to Fox. Also offered is a sweat lodge, fresh water pool, meditation deck on the lake and vegetarian meals.
Paradise Found Yoga: Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada – Specializing in Kundalini yoga, Paradise Found Yoga offers scheduled and private retreats with two daily yoga classes, meditation, art therapy and spa sessions. There are also hiking excursions on the shorelines of Cusheon Lake on Salt Spring Island, an outdoor hot tub and vegetarian meals.
Shreyas Yoga Retreat: Bangalore, Karnataka, India – A member of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux group, this retreat is devoted to promoting the authentic spiritual tradition of yoga in a luxurious environment. It offers more than 25 acres of landscaped gardens, and utilizes natural resources such as rain water harvesting; solar heating; ayurvedic and medicinal herb plantations; organic farming and organic waste disposal on site, according to the Fox report. Treat yourself to Ashtanga and Hatha yoga, chanting classes, silent retreats, meditation, massages, ayurvedic treatments such as abhyanga and shirodhara, and vegetarian meals made from organically grown ingredients freshly handpicked from the retreat’s fields.
Clare Island Yoga Retreat Centre: County Mayo, Ireland – On 240 acres of land off the West Coast of Ireland, the Clare Island Yoga Retreat offers yoga and meditation, organic meals and hillside hiking, the report stated. Accommodations include a refurbished traditional island cottage complete with solar panels for heating water and wood-burning stoves for space heating.
Maya Tulum: Quintana Roo, Mexico – Only 90 minutes from Cancún, this seaside wellness retreat and spa offers more than 50 yoga retreats every year. There are five or seven night Mind, Body, Spirit programs (MBS), complete with vegetarian meals (with the option of ordering fish), massages, day trips and spa treatments, the report stated. There is even a traditional sweat lodge run by a shaman.
Anahata Yoga Retreat: Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand – This integral residential yoga retreat is located on top of a mountain 640 meters above sea level in Golden Bay. Retreats, personal sessions and daily activities are offered year-round, with the focus on Satyananda yoga, which draws on a number of traditional systems of yoga, including Hatha, Raja, Karma, Jnana, Mantra and Bhakti yoga, the report stated. A range of lodging options are available from shared rooms to a private straw bale round house. Tent sites and camping are also available.