By Gina Pulisciano
photo from Amansala Eco Resort, Tulum, Mexico
In January of 2010, I went on my first yoga retreat. I was in a yoga class practicing with a teacher I've only attended class with a handful of times, and at the end of the class she mentioned it-
7 days in Kerala, India.
At the time I was in my 20s, single, with a decent paying job for the first time in my life (that I hated), so I jumped at the chance, literally! I popped up and said "Hi I'm Gina and I would like to go on this retreat" and that was that. At the time it was most of my savings (again, I was in my 20s, so there wasn't much there to begin with) but something just told me to go, and I'm so glad I did.
You might not be single in your 20s, but most likely, you have another good reason to go on a yoga retreat right now. Maybe you just retired and you finally have the time to travel. Maybe your kids have grown and you can travel for the first time in years! Maybe you're about to be a first-time mom and you want to book one last "ME" trip before giving yourself fully to motherhood. Maybe you're just trying to find yourself, or find yourself again, where ever you may be in your life.
below, me lighting the lamp during puja, Kerala, India
Delving a little deeper, here are just 4 of many reasons why a yoga retreat might change your life (at least they're the reasons that it changed mine.)
Immersing Yourself Into New Experiences
It's never not a good idea to get out of your comfort zone and try something new, am I right? Anytime you travel you experience something new. New food, new cultures, new adventures, new memories. I will never forget leaving the airport in India and feeling that damp, warm air, especially coming from New York in January! Aside from the yoga that week, I got to take a cooking class, visit an ashram, go to the beach, and experience my first Ayurvedic treatment, among other things. If you are interested in coming to Mexico with us in February, there will be similar experiences you can explore, from cenote swims to ice baths to ancient Mayan ceremonies, memories to be made.
Meeting New People
If you want to travel but you have never traveled alone, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. When I went on my first yoga retreat, my teacher let me know of another girl that was traveling alone from Brooklyn and we actually met and booked our flights together. I remember saying to her in the cab on the way to JFK "We're going to be friends after this." and we were and still are. We even both ended up becoming yoga teachers! If you're interested in coming to Mexico with us alone, let me know, and I can pair you up with a like-minded roommate or travel partner.
Deepen Your Yoga Practice
As I mentioned above, my new friend and I both became yoga instructors shortly after this retreat. Did I have a ton of experience with yoga before that? Absolutely not. I was a casual student of yoga and really just went on the trip as a way to travel to India by myself. What I didn't realize was how much I would learn about yoga by going on this trip, as well as learn about myself. After 7 days of daily classes I felt amazing, and it proved to be the kickstart I needed to change my career as well as my life.
Enjoy Much Needed "ME TIME"
Self care is not selfish! We all have demanding lives, and it's important to do something for yourself. Maybe you just need to get away from the daily grind and take some time to breathe, to stretch, to meditate, and to lay on the beach. Maybe relaxing for you means exploring a new place and going on adventures. All of these opportunities are available to you. Whether you want to relax or explore, or a little bit of both, a yoga retreat is meant to be flexible so you get exactly what you want out of it.
Spots are still available for our upcoming Leap Of Faith Yoga Retreat in Tulum, Mexico! Reserve your spot by online or email us if you have any questions, or are interested in booking with a payment plan.