7 Types of Yoga Retreats

Like many things, yoga retreats come in all shapes and sizes! No two retreats are ever the same, thanks to the location, program, instructor, and the participants themselves. And that’s why we’re always looking for our next retreat!

Taking a health and well-being vacation is a popular pursuit these days. With so many different yoga retreats emerging all over the world, we thought we would try and group them into different types to help you decide which one is the right one for you!

7 Types of Yoga Retreats

Adventure yoga retreat

Adventure yoga retreats combine yoga and adventure, obviously! There are often elements of adventure available in most retreats through their optional activities, however adventure yoga retreats put particular emphasis on the "adventure" part. They might combine yoga and running, paddleboarding, or surfing. Expect to be involved in plenty of adventurous pursuits, testing your fears and pushing yourself to experience life to the max!

Detox yoga retreat

Detox retreats are probably what a lot of people think of when they hear “yoga retreat”. They’re all about detoxing and getting your health on track. The retreat usually involves detoxing your body and clearing your mind. It’s often a combination of yoga, meditation, and extra activities, with a strong emphasis on a detox diet for nourishment. This doesn’t mean you’ll be starving yourself for the whole retreat, instead, you’ll be feeding your body and mind with healthy, unprocessed, and “clean” foods and juices.

Spiritual or healing yoga retreat

Spiritual yoga retreats focus on getting in touch with your spiritual side through the practice of yoga. There isn’t necessarily any kind of religious connotations to the retreat, but more about embracing your own spirituality and healing your spirit. The retreat is designed to improve your physical and mental wellbeing through healing practices. Spiritual or healing yoga retreats often embrace local or regional traditions.

Resort and spa retreat

These types of retreats are often on the luxury end of the scale. They usually take place at a vacation resort or specialist spa facility, and you have full access to the resort and spa facilities. This could involve swimming, saunas, massages, and more. Take your daily dose of yoga in a luxury environment, add spa sessions, and you’ll leave feeling more than rested!

Intensive yoga retreat

An intensive yoga retreat is one where the emphasis is put on yoga practice. Yoga sessions may be longer or multiple sessions per day. It’s the type of retreat to go on if you are really looking to get the most out of your practice and improve quickly. Expect to be pushing your body to master new yoga poses and sequences, and often learning about other nonphysical aspects of yoga.

Silent yoga retreat

A silent yoga retreat is really what it says it is - silent! It might sound intimidating, but it’s all about taking the energy you use to communicate and channeling it internally. It’s almost possible to disconnect now, and going on a silent yoga retreat is one of the ways to do it! Attending a silent yoga retreat can help you become more comfortable with yourself and solitude. There are all sorts of different types of silent yoga retreats, to different extremes. Some involve total silence and others break for particular discussions or lectures.

Specialist yoga retreat

Specialist yoga retreats focus on something more niche, whether it’s a local tradition, particular ceremonies, or centered around an event like New Year. They also include women’s empowerment yoga retreats or ones that are for another particular group of people, like couples or families. With so many yoga retreats available instructors will often be looking for a way to make their retreat stand out from the crowd, and bring in specialist elements to keep things interesting!

Whatever yoga retreat you decide to attend, it’s unlikely to be your only one! Once you realize the benefits of attending a yoga retreat you’ll be looking for more opportunities, and maybe even different types of retreats to attend. Check out what yoga retreats are available on the WeTravel marketplace, you never know what you might find!