If a yoga practice is about growth, there may be some surprising things holding you back. While a dedicated home and studio practice is super important, there is always room for more. Perhaps you’ve ventured into the great outdoors to take a class in the park. Or even gone out on a limb on vacation and enjoyed a practice on the dock at the lake. But while those efforts are great ways to try something new, did you deepen your breath? Further your practice? See change in your life? What if the biggest thing holding you back was your routine?
If you’re really wanting to take your practice to the next level, a yoga retreat or yoga travel may be a great way to expand. Keep reading and you’ll be convinced.
Crash Out of Your Comfort Zone
Even if you are busting out stunning birds of paradise poses in your favorite studio, a new space will challenge you to think about your body in a new way. Maybe a mirror 
isn’t available and you must focus on every. Physical. Feeling. Or perhaps the retreat takes place in a mostly open-air pavilion, with wind, bugs and new sounds creating a new environment. You’ll work hard to focus your energy and breath into a new way of practicing; a new perspective will draw you out of your yoga comfort zone and change the way you see your mind, body, breath and practice.
Plus, going on a retreat takes guts. Even if you desperately want to go, actually booking the ticket and making definitive plans takes some huevos. No matter where you are in your practice, a yoga retreat will do you good. Banish the doubts and take the leap!
Small Fish, HUGE Pond
It’s easy to think that our small lives are the most important things in the world. A yoga retreat in another part of the world will open your eyes to the way others live. This new view on how you fit into the world is a good reminder of how interconnected we all are, while allowing you to express yourself in the most unique way possible. Some yoga retreats have a service component, and this can give you yet another chance to learn more about yourself as you learn more about the world.
Appreciate Everything
Anytime you’re away from home, it’s easy to miss your favorite things. Sometimes the simple conveniences of living in our modern society become so ingrained in us that we
can feel out of touch when removed from them. A yoga retreat will not only allow you to grow and realize that those conveniences are luxuries, but you’ll learn to appreciate them even more. Bringing awareness to the things you have and enjoy is not meant to make you feel guilty, but to allow you to experience profound gratitude.
Inspiration – For Yoga, For Life
When you visit a new place, especially if you’re on your own, you’ll meet all kinds of amazing people sprinkled throughout your journey. These people and their stories will teach you things you never even knew you didn’t know. You’ll be inspired by their lives and their yoga practices. As you’re challenged on your own mat, you’ll forge friendships that challenge your personal life to grow as well. Plus, when your new friend busts out a killer dragonfly pose, don’t you want them to help you get there, too?
Purpose
After such a life-changing experience, you’ll return with a renewed sense of who you are and what you want to do with your life. If you went to the retreat to discern whether you wanted to complete yoga teacher training, the answer will appear. If you attended to find more clarity in your life, you’ll find it. No matter what your intentions, the retreat will help you find what you were looking for – and some things you didn’t know were missing!
Sara Sherman is a freelance writer, yogi and accidental island girl living on the island of St. Thomas. Learn more and contact Sara via her website at www.SaraMSherman.com, and read more about her island adventures at www.IslandersFromIowa.com.
