Deepening Your Yoga Practice on a Retreat

1. Deepening Your Yoga Practice on a Retreat

2. Not everyone who enjoys yoga has been on a retreat, but it seems that many people who are truly dedicated to the path of self-exploration and realization end up taking part in one at some point during their journey. Yoga retreats are a fantastic way to deepen your understanding of yoga and your sense of purpose. Experienced yoga teachers recognize the importance of how a retreat can contribute to a deeper understanding of yoga for their students and so will often lead retreats for this purpose. These retreats are developed specifically to help aspiring yogis gain a greater understanding of all the aspects of the practice.

3. What makes a retreat good for deepening your Yoga? There are a lot of layers to the practice of yoga. It’s great that yoga has spread so extensively over the last couple decades - it’s hard to go a couple blocks down a city street without seeing a yoga studio or an advertisement for one - but much of what the western world is exposed to in regards to yoga is simply the physical aspect. The practice of yoga postures – known as asana–is a great way to enjoy yoga, particularly for beginners, but it’s only the tip of the yogic iceberg.

4. A retreat offers the opportunity to immerse yourself more deeply in the systems of yoga that you might not find at your typical yoga studio Yoga retreats often provide experience with new styles of yoga. As mentioned, most yoga done in the western world is asana. By going on a retreat, you’ll expose yourself to a broader spectrum ofyogic practices that will enhance your understanding of the discipline and help you make improvements to your own personal yoga routine. Yoga retreats can help return you to the foundations of your practice. If you’re like many yogis, the first time you ever did yoga was an extremely

5. humbling, purifying, and inspiringexperience. As time passed, you became more skilled and devoted. The practice likely still feels purifying and wholesome, but you may miss some of the initial excitement where it felt like a new exploration. Going on retreat can bring back that freshness as you explore new practices and techniques that open up the deeper aspects of the tradition. Retreats have some of the best teachers around. Teachers who lead retreats tend to be more experienced and have a dedicated following of students who look to them for guidance. Most have many years of specialized training and will be able to offer you a level of instruction and insight that can be hard to find in standard classes.

6. Finding a good retreat If you want to find a yoga retreat that’s going to deepen your understanding of the process, then it’s important that you look for one that will meet or exceed your expectations. There are many yoga retreats that – like classes back at home – will focus mostly on the physical postures of the practice. Aside from doing more yoga each day, the only real difference you’ll find is that these retreats are often held in beautiful environments. Beautiful environments are wonderful, but if you’re truly looking to deepen your practice, then you’ll likely want to search for a retreat experience that offers more.

7. For a more powerful experience, seek out the opportunity to explore the more profound aspects of yoga. The physical poses are a great starting point, but they are really just a way to prepare the body and mind for the deeper teachings. Experiencing the techniques of ritualistic breathing (known as pranayama), purification practices (kriyas), focused concentration, and meditation is where the potency truly lies. Together these powerful practices will enrich your understanding of the yogic tradition and lead to a great sense of self-awareness and clarity – two of the principal aims of yoga.

8. On a yoga retreat – with the right teacher and the right intention – you will have the opportunity to expand beyond the more conventional approaches to yoga that standard classes at a local studio may allow. While those classes are a wonderful introduction to the practice, the limitations of time and environment also tend to limit the completeness of the experience. Setting aside the time to go on retreat reduces those constraints and allows you to experience a broader spectrum of the yoga tradition.

9. In conclusion Learning yoga is a lifelong process – and one that benefits from in-depth exploration. Expanding your practice by dedicating extended time to that exploration and expanding your perspective on the various practices of yoga will yield rewarding benefits. Fortunately, yoga retreats are a great way to get exposure to new aspects of the practice and to really dive in deep. There are many wonderful teachers who bring unique perspectives to this ancient practice and they can help you open doors that you didn’t realize existed.

10. The practice of yoga continues to unfold before you as you delve into its depths – and a yoga retreat is the perfect place to uncover those profound layers. Prana del Mar is a premier yoga retreat center in mexico at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula featuring luxurious rooms suites delicious cuisine internationally-acclaimed yoga teachers. If you are looking for a yoga surf retreat or yoga resort, come to one of the most beautiful yoga resort in Mexico. For more details visit us at pranadelmar.com