Places That Make You Say 'Om': Yoga Retreats for Every Personality
It’s easier than ever to take your Downward Facing Dog on vacation.
The yoga holiday, once considered “woo-woo,” is more mainstream today. In fact, enter the words “yoga” and “vacation” into a search engine, and you’ll get more than 71 million results! Yoga resorts and retreats are sprouting up across the globe, and all of them are eager to cater to the growing number of health-minded travelers creating a boom in wellness tourism.
While all yoga retreats include daily physical practices paired with healthy cuisine, there is no one-size-fits-all yoga resort. Picking the right one often comes down to location, theme, teacher, cost, and your personality.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a small collection of retreats for varying yogi personalities. Whether you’re a spiritual seeker or a pampered princess, we’ve found a place for you to get your “om” on.
Relax inside your personal cabana. (Photo: Maya Tulum Resort)
Maya Tulum Resort — Tulum, Mexico
For: The Tropical Yogi
Rates start at: $780 per person, for all-inclusive retreats
Be a barefoot warrior at this oceanfront resort along Mexico’s Riviera Maya, where you’ll stay in a cute cabana nestled in a tropical forest. Complement daily yoga classes with Mayan-inspired massages or a Temazcal (“sweat lodge”) ceremony hosted by a local shaman. Maya Tulum annually offers more than 50 retreats hosted by yoga teachers from around the world, with a style to suit everyone. Or opt for the resort’s three-, five-, and seven-night “Mind Body Spirit” all-inclusive packages.
Related: Om in the Himalayas: Finding Peace in the Present at an Ashram-Style Retreat in Nepal
Strike yoga poses under Montana’s big sky (Photo: ?2014 Larry Stanley Photography)
Big Sky Yoga Retreats — Bozeman, Montana
For: The Cowgirl Yogini
Rates start at: $1,695 per person, for all-inclusive retreats
Add a little yee-haw to your namaste. This female-only yoga retreat near Yellowstone National Park combines daily yoga practices in a beautifully renovated barn with horseback riding. During the Luxe Cowgirl Yoga retreats, suitable for beginners, even the most expert cowgirl will be impressed by how the yoga postures and breathing techniques are enhanced under Montana’s big sky.
Yoga class is in session. (Photo: Sivananda Yoga Retreat)
Sivananda Yoga Retreats — nine locations worldwide
For: The Introspective Yogi
Rates start at $80 per person, per night, in shared rooms (New York location).
This ashram-style retreat puts guests on a strict schedule of meditation, yoga, and chores — all beginning with a bell at 5:30 a.m. Not your typical “holiday,” the schedule is meant to cultivate an inner awareness that most struggle to achieve in the mania of daily life. With locations as diverse as India, the Bahamas, New Orleans, and the Catskills of New York, choose a setting that’s most convenient or appealing for you — and adhere to the schedule.
The open-air shala in Goa (Photo: Ashiyana Yoga and Spa Village)
Ashiyana Yoga and Spa Village — Goa, India
For: The Hippie Yogi
Rates start at: $475 (350 EUR) per person for weeklong, all-inclusive stays
Sink into a mellow flow at this laid-back resort nestled along the Indian Ocean. Practice in an open-air shala under a canopy of exotic trees, with the option to join meditation and chanting programs. Still feeling tense? Indulge in an out-of-this-world massage treatment and amazing vegetarian cuisine. Be sure to spend Wednesday afternoon at the Anjuna Market, where endless stalls of tie-died and sparkly items await your bargaining skills.
Related: Sun, Sand, and School: Bali Retreat Helps People Deal with Life Changes
Find your center in this spacious studio overlooking the ocean. (Photo: Blue Spirit)
Blue Spirit Costa Rica — Nosara, Costa Rica
For: The Pampered Yogi
Rates start at: Vary depending on retreat
Celebrated yoga teachers from around the world host weeklong retreats at this lush haven in Costa Rica. You’ll benefit from energetic evening and morning practices in spacious studios that open up to jungle and ocean views. There’s plenty of time in the afternoon to indulge in spa services, surf lessons, gourmet vegetarian cuisine, or dips in the saltwater infinity pool. Opt for an air-conditioned room with Pacific Ocean views to truly feel like the king or queen of the jungle.
Book a room overlooking the beautiful Boynton Canyon. (Photo: Enchantment Resort)
Where: Enchantment Resort — Sedona, Arizona
For: The New-Age Yogi
Rates start at: $315 per night, plus resort fee
The luxurious Enchantment Resort resides exclusively near one of Sedona’s main energy vortexes in Boynton Canyon. Not familiar with a vortex? It’s a pocket of energy radiating from the earth that stimulates self-awareness and healing — aka an ideal spot to align those chakras. Enjoy guided yoga classes and morning meditations daily while absorbing the energetic charge amid sweeping red-rock views. Enchantment Resort has also started offering yoga programs specifically for golfers.
Combine yoga and hiking for a memorable and fitness-oriented stay. (Photo: The Ashram)
The Ashram — Calabasas, California
For: The Bootcamp Yogi
Rates start at: $5,000 per person for weeklong, all-inclusive stays
Prepare to drop some weight at this ultra-exclusive retreat in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu. Attracting A-listers such as Oprah Winfrey, Colin Farrell, and Renée Zellweger, the weeklong program includes a rigorous schedule of yoga and hiking at least 12 miles each day. The retreat takes only 13 guests each week, making it an intimate experience of endurance, empowerment, and renewal. And who knows, you could be huffing and puffing alongside a movie star.
Related: Get Your Zen on at These Top Health Spas
Get in touch with nature at this charming B&B. (Photo: Yoga Lodge on Whidbey Island)
The Yoga Lodge on Whidbey Island — Greenbank, Washington
For: The Tree-Hugger Yogi
Rates start at: $495 for weekend, all-inclusive retreats
Nestled amid five acres of lush forest, gardens, and community trails, this charming B&B hosts weekend (Friday-Sunday) yoga retreats of varying styles. Alternatively, guests can design their own experience with a stay at the lodge while attending daily yoga classes on a drop-in basis in the forest-facing studio. Either way, the remote setting, fresh air, organic meals, and towering trees of the Pacific Northwest cradle a quiet and contemplative experience hard to find in big cities.
A yoga oasis in the clubbing capital of the Mediterranean (Photo: Thinkstock)
Ibiza Yoga - Ibiza, Spain
For: The Party Yogini
Rates start at: $683 (GBP 399) per person for weeklong, half-board stays
A yoga retreat on an island considered the clubbing capital of the Mediterranean? Sounds crazy, but this sanctuary is on the northern part of the island, a short cab ride away from the thump-thump-thump of Ibiza’s clubs. The three-hour daily yoga practices, appropriate for all levels, are held in shaded rooftop studios overlooking the sea. Villa options are no-frills, but you’ll likely be spending more time at nearby Benirrás Beach, where people gather for sunset drums and fire shows on Sunday nights.
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