Yoga retreat – a solo holiday in a group
Article from the archive. Dates and seasonal offers in the text refer to the time of publication. Check the current information on the linked page below the article.
Wellness is one of the fastest-growing industries, and wellness tourism, as part of health tourism, is an increasingly sought-after combination of travel, rest and care for the health of body, mind and spirit. The forerunners of health tourism were the Roman baths and spas, which is why saunas and spa treatments are often an integral part of what wellness tourism offers.
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Awareness of wellbeing and a healthier lifestyle has been especially present recently, as global events and the ailments of the modern sedentary lifestyle have pushed us towards it. When we travel, we pay more and more attention to the natural environment and care more and more about activities that in some way promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage physical fitness and good immunity.
A yoga retreat is precisely a form of wellness and organised holiday for groups, yet at the same time focused on the individual, with expert programmes led by trainers, therapists, yoga instructors, life coaches… Yoga exercises, massage, meditation, acupuncture and aromatherapy are an integral part of these expert programmes. Add to that an outdoor gym, cycling trails, hiking, climbing, proximity to an attractive natural site under UNESCO protection, a pet-friendly space, honey inhalation, clean, healing air, and the silence that surrounds you and allows a digital detox – and you have just found our Camping Plitvice. You’ll find all of this with us. The ideal time to hold a yoga retreat at Camping Plitvice is outside the season, when the whole campsite is at the disposal of the group of participants and lovers of this kind of reset, with numerous additional services.
The idea that retreats are only places of silence and stillness is a misconception, as shown by the many kinds of retreats offering a wide range of organised activities and services, such as those devoted to enjoyment or healthy cooking workshops such as culinary wellness retreats, spa and wine retreats or wellness cruises. Ayurveda retreats, on the other hand, are more devoted to medical services, while corporate retreats will particularly benefit business people who are exposed to stressful situations, pressures and challenges every day.
How to cope with stress more easily and look at life positively, learn to slow down and take rest seriously, step back physically and mentally from everyday problems and see things from a different angle is one of the many goals of a yoga retreat.
The difference between a retreat and a classic holiday
A retreat is a type of holiday that means withdrawal. The word “retreat” itself means “to pull back” in Latin, “to go within”, in other words to allow yourself a break from everyday life. Instead of focusing on the journey outward, it invites you on a journey inward and to discover your own potential.
While on holiday you organise the trip, accommodation, transport, food and everything else yourself, on a retreat everything is already organised and geared to the participant, to enjoyment and relaxation. A holiday is more about what you do, while a retreat is about simply being. Instead of pleasing others about where to go, what to do and when to do it, on a retreat the focus is on you and on listening to your needs.
On a yoga retreat, alongside healthy food, there are yoga exercises, breathing exercises and meditation. These are what help calm the mind and body, bring physical relief from tension, often even relieve pain, e.g. in the back or shoulders where stress builds up the most, and improve endurance, flexibility and focus.
A yoga retreat usually lasts one to three days, often over a weekend, but it can also last up to a week.
If you are still wondering why you should go on a yoga retreat, these are the benefits
– the long-term benefits of introducing healthy habits or changing habits (healthier eating, exercise, applying the knowledge gained as anti-stress tools, a habit of positive thinking)
– personal growth and development
– a detox of mind, body and spirit
– mental rest and a digital detox
– triple relaxation – physical, mental and emotional
– new insight into things, a new perspective on life situations and distance from problems
– making new friends who are in the same group with the same intentions and goals
– deepening your yoga practice
Certainly one of the greatest benefits of a yoga retreat is that it can spark the desire to reactivate your everyday life. When you return to your daily life, it is as if you are starting afresh, refreshed and enthusiastic, and acting from inner calm, you cope with stress more easily.
By organising a yoga retreat at Camping Plitvice, you get all the benefits listed, lower group prices and a great time for pre-festive get-togethers or winter ones in the new year, which bring you many more additional benefits. Get in touch for more information, we will be happy to help you organise your yoga retreat.