How To Host The Perfect Yoga Retreat In India?
It seems that you have already completed your yoga teacher training. And, now that you have started teaching yoga, you may be harboring other dreams as well. Hosting a yoga retreat may be one of them. However, like many other newbies, you may be confused. There are many who may not be well-acquainted with their self-worth as well. Well! We have good news for you.
Anyone can host a yoga retreat, after completing the yoga teacher training course in India. However, there are certain things that you need to take care of before you start. Let us delve into the tips today.
Find Confidence And Motivation
The first step towards the attainment of your dream is to think about yourself. It could be in commercial terms, or otherwise. Fear is something that pulls back people. So, get rid of the fear of the unknown as soon as possible. Assess yourself and your sole purpose in life. It could be something as simple as opening a yoga school, hosting a yoga retreat in another country, or just go about travelling from one place to another, freelancing. Once you have gathered the confidence and also visualized your end goal, you are on track.
Planning The Retreat
Start thinking, how to go about executing your plan. There are so many opportunities in India. There are a few renowned schools like Shree Hari Yoga School, which lets foreigners host yoga retreats in India. There is a lot to be done, here. You have to think about flights, transfers, insurance, payments, and so on. These will need attention, no matter what form of yoga business you conduct. You must find out firstly, who your students are, who are eager to join you.
Getting the contact details, discussing the event, and then getting them to enrol will take a lot of your time. You also need to make arrangements for travel, stay, and food. Additionally, you have to find out, if the prospects are suffering from any disease or not. Always cross-check with the participants, so that there are no surprises in the last moment. If you have thought about the location and school in India, where you will be hosting the retreat, discuss all these in detail, with the in-charge there as well. You must also plan the retreat schedule, to avoid confusion.
It also includes the promotions and communications part. Many schools will help you in the promotions, by advertising for you on their yoga website as well. You can also post about the event yourself on social media, and print flyers and leaflets. Ask friends and family to share them. Always communicate with the prospects, and let them have a view of the place through video calls. You can also create a group on social media or WhatsApp, to get everyone on the same page.
Exploring The Venue
With various regions like Goa, Gokarna, Rishikesh, and Dharamshala, to choose from, you will have no dearth of choices. You can also take this opportunity to visit the various places, where the schools are. You can get access to ready space, open gardens, accommodation, and much more. It is a very good idea to visit the place, before you enter into an agreement. Your participants should be comfortable with the location and the school. You must find out about local norms, markets, and travel-worthy spots. The participants may want to explore the place in their free time. Climate is also another point, which you cannot forget. It will guide the dressing style. Now, finding the best yoga retreat, according to the climate is easy. You can rely on Shree Hari Yoga School, for school spaces in different regions. The school opens sessions in different areas, according to the time of the year.
Create A Theme For The Retreat
You may be eager to hold an all-woman retreat or one for seniors. So, you have to create a theme around that. If you set a goal beforehand, it is easy for you to delve deep. Every retreat must have a goal, no matter what it is. It may be directed at physical fitness, mental fitness, emotional stability, trauma healing, or something else. Likewise, it will be easy for you to design the activities. You may also create a goody bag for the participants that may contain yoga accessories, props, or meditation equipment. The more organized you are, the better it is for you.
Fooding Arrangements
This is another aspect that you need to take care of. You want to make the participants happy, right? You must ensure to ask about preferences and allergies beforehand. Additionally, it makes sense to intimate everyone that the food will be purely Sattvic. Some participants may also look for vegan options. So, this is another important part of the retreat planning.
Getting The Excursions And Activities Right
You must ensure to draw up a schedule mentioning the places that you would take your participants. There are so many holy sites in and around the locations in India. However, visiting all may not be feasible. So, you should plan ahead, about the ones that you can visit. Keep some activities apart from the normal yogic ones ready. The school may also give you a few recommendations. So, do stay open about the suggestions, as the school authorities know better about the place.
Prepare A Team
This is as important. Do not try to pull off the show alone. You cannot be a success. You should have a few, like one or two assistants with you, a person who will run around for you, and a massage therapist. You must bring in people, who are like-minded. Shree Hari Yoga School is one of the best schools in India, which helps the teachers organize their own retreats. So, they are an apt choice.
Final Words
At last, relax and enjoy, once the retreat starts. You must visit the country and start the retreat, with a open heart. Do not be too rigid, but be open to new ideas from various quarters. Your retreat will surely be a huge success.
