Yoga is a union of the mind, body and spirit and nowhere is that union more obvious than when you set the intention of spending regular time “on the mat”. More and more people are seeking that union, as evidenced by the 50 per cent rise in yoga practice worldwide over the past four years. So it makes sense that wellness adventures are also fast becoming popular as the ultimate way to take a relaxing break.
Whether you value vinyasa flow, embrace the inter-connectedness of Iyengar or prefer the allegro of ashtanga, there are myriad opportunities when planning your next holiday, both in Australia and abroad, to combine your love of yoga with other sporting passions. These retreats, known as holistic holidays, are designed to cleverly combine daily yoga and meditation practice with other outdoor adventures in some of the most breathtaking parts of the world.
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Not only is taking a yoga holiday a great way to ensure you keep up your regular practice or even start one, but talk to any guest who’s tried one of these retreats and, chances are, they’ll reveal they got a lot more out of it. They might tell you, for example, about how it helped them to disconnect and unplug from the freneticism of modern life — an anecdote grounded in research. A newly released study from Harvard University confirms that meditation and classical yoga lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation of body tissues (responsible for many autoimmune diseases) and alleviates stress.
Such proven benefits of mind-body-spirit integration are why the most popular yoga holidays are designed not just around the discipline of yoga but cultivate mindfulness in motion as well. So that means getting back to nature, making connections with new cultures and creating meaningful friendships.
Many wellness adventures also allow guests to experience groundbreaking insights — those that help break you out of the negative behavioural patterns that may be holding you back.
There’s a host of world-class wellness holidays to enjoy in Australia and across the ditch in New Zealand, as well as ones further afield. All of these holistic retreats fuse outstanding facilities with beautiful scenery and offer programs designed to combine yoga and outdoor activities.
The point of these getaways is for guests to experience the heightened sense of wellbeing, personal discovery and acute awareness that comes from spending quality (quiet) time in nature. So, before you sign up, be prepared: many retreats are device-free, meaning you’ll need to set down the phone, iPad, laptop and even TV so that you truly “switch off” from your external world and “switch on” to your internal one.
Behold, the mountains
The importance of going inward is why Aro Hā wellness retreat founder, Damian Chaparro, travelled all over the world before finding the “perfect” property in Queenstown, New Zealand. Chaparro and his business partner’s visionary retreat is situated in self-sustaining lodge-like accommodation. It’s just become the first retreat in New Zealand to run completely off its own renewable energy sources and has the jaw-dropping mountain scenery of the Southern Alps as its backdrop.
Aro Hā hosts five- to seven-day wellness retreats starting at an all-inclusive cost of NZ$4550 (approx. AU$4270) for daily yoga meditation, therapeutic spa treatments, sauna, massage, sub-alpine hiking, functional strength training and playful activities, such as peace stick classes, as well as all meals. Guests eat a rainbow diet of enzymatic-rich vegetables, many of which are grown on-site, and learn from demonstrations that focus on cooking and cleansing toxins to fuel a healthier, more holistic life.
Aro Hā’s success can be attributed to its location as well as its unique program, Chaparro believes. “It’s about getting people to turn inside and to really pay attention to what is going on. You get to experience your body and your abilities in a beautiful natural setting,” he explains. “That balance is really important to us at Aro Hā. Peace sticks, for example, is a playful class designed around a native American Indian ceremony. It’s really playful and fun and I value that kind of stuff a lot.”
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Guests also enjoy silent hiking and mindful walking each day because, as Chaparro points out, hiking and yoga are so complementary that in fact “hiking is yoga,” adding, “I mean it is in the same sense that, when you’re in a pose or when you’re hiking, you are there — totally in the moment. The purpose of the whole thing is how can we be our higher self and our ideal? It’s equal parts play and work.”
Chaparro, his manager, Paula, and the team of experts at Aro Hā are committed to helping their guests make the shifts they need through a well-rounded health and wellness program supported by permaculture and sustainability practices.
It’s a vision that the US-born yoga teacher has held for the past 10 years. Having worked at the famed yoga retreat The Ashram in Calabasas, Los Angeles, which regularly hosts well-known stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Jane Fonda, Chaparro was looking to set up the ultimate retreat when he set out on his journey to make Aro Hā a reality.
“It was about creating a space where people can put yoga and mindfulness into practice,” he says. “We host everyone from absolute beginners to more advanced yoga practitioners, but the goal is all the same: it’s about respecting your body and acknowledging its abilities. Our guests get to put that into practice. It’s about finding out what your story is and that leads out onto the mountain.”
While many people have spoken about the “life-changing experience” they’ve had at Aro Hā, it has also received several international accolades from prestigious publications such as Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller.
“I’m personally blown away by the positive feedback,” says Chaparro. “I know the effect of our work and what we are doing is reaching lots of different people. It’s a really reassuring feeling because I opened my heart for this project and so, when people openly share great feedback, it makes my heart sing, too.”
Beach time
In famously chilled Byron Bay, owner of Radiance Retreats, Jessie Chapman, has been part of the same movement for more than 15 years. The Australian yoga teacher first started taking retreats to Bali in 2000, helping to inspire change in others through combining yoga with other holistic therapies. She decided to fuse yoga with healing spa therapies and other modalities, such as walking, and that was the catalyst for Radiance Retreats.
“I love yoga and walking,” says Chapman. “The mindfulness that comes from walking is an important part of the healing process.” Today, walking and mindful movement are still both a very big part of any of her retreats, both at the Home of the business in Byron Bay and on the many hiking and yoga retreats she hosts around the world.
This year marks the eighth year Chapman will Travel to the Pyrénées in France, Tuscany in Italy and sun-soaked Spain to host wellness adventures that include hiking, yoga and healthy eating. Next year, she’s also included a hiking and yoga trip to New Zealand as the demand for wellness adventures is growing.
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According to Chapman, there’s something particularly special about the friendships and cultural exchanges that occur on her trips, which run from four to eight days and cost from AU$1585. “These hiking holidays are a once-in-a-lifetime experience where people get to have time away in a remote area, doing yoga with like-minded people,” she says. “That creates real connections and is a wonderful way to start a longer holiday.
“We go deep into the regional cultures of the mountains. In parts of Spain where we hike, it’s like stepping back in time. I love hiking and I love yoga so that’s why I combined the two on a retreat — I wanted to do both.”
Chapman is experienced in understanding exactly what those who visit Radiance are looking for in their wellness adventure. “It’s about unplugging, being still and doing nothing,” she says. “More and more, I’m getting people requesting I take retreats in different parts of the world, which blend mindfulness and walking with yoga.”
Choose your own adventure
The popularity of Aro Hā, situated amid the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand’s majestic Southern Alps, and Radiance Retreats, in the lush, verdant rainforest and sparkling white-sand beaches of Byron Bay and Bali, suggests that there’s something very freeing about not having to sacrifice your yoga practice when you take a holiday. So the next time you book a getaway, why not consider a truly holistic break?
No matter whether you want to combine daily yoga and meditation with surfing in Bali or Mexico, rock climbing in Puerto Rico or hiking through the mountains of Europe, there’s a holistic holiday out there for you. We’ve pulled together a diverse range of hot-right-now yoga getaways to show that, no matter what yoga and outdoor pursuits you love, you’ll find a beautiful location in which to enjoy that most magical of unions: the one between mind, body and soul.
Beach Lovers
Radiance Retreats
The details? All-inclusive yoga retreats in Bali and Byron Bay, starting from AU$1585 for four nights
What will I do? Daily yoga, meditation, chanting, yoga dance, silent walking, silent meditation, reiki, core strength training, night-time yoga nidra, cooking demonstrations and discussions about health living
Is it right for me? This is a great, gentle, centring retreat, perfect if you want to embark on a journey of self-discovery or deepen your yoga practice
Want to know more? Visit radianceretreats.com
Escape Haven
The details? A luxury surf, spa and yoga retreat in Bali and Byron Bay, starting from AU$2145 for three nights
What will I do? Daily yoga and meditation, surfing classes, spa treatments and plenty of relaxation
Is it right for me? One of the most well-known retreat “brands” in Australia, Escape Haven is a women’s-only yoga holiday that has been running for the past eight years. Founder, Janine Hall, believes everyone deserves to be nourished and pampered from the inside out. It’s a great getaway with girlfriends because it’s as much of a holiday as it is a yoga experience
Want to know more? Visit escapehaven.com
Board Riders
Las Olas
The details? All-inclusive yoga retreats in Mexico, starting from US$2995 (approx. AU$3944) for a week-long experience
What will I do? Started by a passionate surfer 18 years ago, Las Olas is known for sharpening up your board skills — whether on a surfboard or paddleboard — and is a combination of twice-daily yoga, surfing and spa treatments
Is it right for me? My US-based friends who love to surf highly recommend Las Olas if you are looking for an authentic surfing and yoga experience. There are even surf-centric personal development workshops, which focus on positive reinforcement and applying your surf experience to life
Want to know more? Visit surflasolas.com
Mountain Adventurers
Radiance Retreats
The details? All-inclusive yoga and hiking retreats in Spain, France, Italy and New Zealand, starting from €1250 (approx. AU$1820) for seven nights
What will I do? Eight days of hiking in the mountains and daily yoga, as well as immersion in the local culture and region
Is it right for me? Founder Jessica Chapman recommends this retreat for those who like to socialise with like-minded people. Many guests like to begin their holidays this way and explore further afterwards
Want to know more? Visit radianceretreats.com
Aro Hā
The details? All-inclusive yoga retreats in New Zealand, starting from NZ$4550 (approx. AU$4270) for five to seven days
What will I do? The holistic program offers everything from yoga, sub-alpine hiking and strength training to all-organic, vegetarian “un-cooking” classes and how-to notes on permaculture and sustainability
Is it right for me? Whether you are looking to de-stress, shed weight, rid your body of toxins or shift bad habits, guests who go to Aro Hā speak of their life-changing experiences and how those impact their lives positively once they leave the retreat
Want to know more? Visit aro-ha.com
Rock Climbers
Redefining Balance
The details? A surfing, rock climbing, yoga and acro-yoga retreat in Puerto Rico, starting from AUD$1200 for five nights
What will I do? Surfing lessons, rock climbing lessons, yoga and acro-yoga
Is it right for me? If you love rock climbing or surfing or are looking to learn one or both, this is a fun, well-priced retreat to attend with a friend in a beautiful part of the world
Want to know more? Visit bookyogaretreats.com/redefining-balance
Yoga for sports
Whether you love hiking, trail running, rock climbing, surfing, paddle boarding or snow sports, a regular yoga practice is an excellent way to strengthen your body and improve your performance. Here are five key ways yoga will help you continue to do the sports you love for many years to come:
- It improves physiological and psychological performance. Yoga is known to improve the respiratory, cardiovascular and muscular system and is beneficial for cultivating a positive mindset, developing intelligence, overcoming anxiety and depression and controlling emotions. All this helps you perform better in your chosen sport.
- It encourages better learning. Yoga is a great way to improve learning skills, increasing motivation and providing balance at the same time. This can all be channelled into better performance on the sports field.
- It can become an integral part of a sports training program. Yoga has earned its place in the daily routine of most international athletes because it enhances strength, power, flexibility and concentration, all of which increase sports performance.
- It leads to increased motivation. A regular yoga practice can allow you to focus more attention and concentration on your chosen sport. Yoga also helps create interest in sports through its various practices of controlling emotions, providing mental relaxation and motivating athletes to perform well.
- It makes sports more educative. Yoga and its philosophical values make sports and games more educational and valuable for the sportsperson and society. Yogic philosophy also helps you develop the positive qualities of cooperation and sportsmanship.
