7 reviving yoga retreats in Europe

When: September 2017
How much: From £735 per person, based on double occupancy
What is it: Tucked away in the luxe Swiss Alps town of Gstaad, this yoga retreat is all about restorative yoga, mind-clearing meditation and good-for-the-soul gentle hikes. The daily schedule is very laid-back: a 90-minute morning Vinyasa session and 60 minutes of yin yoga in the early evening with holistic coach and yoga teacher Chantal Soeters, plus a guided hike along the tops of the Alps, complete with a mountain meditation and healthy picnic. Back at the hotel, you’ll have time to enjoy the 3,000sqm luxurious spa – graced with everything from a Himalayan salt room to an ice cave, while Chantal’s inspirational and uplifting teaching technique focuses on alignment and adapting each posture to the individual – allowing you the freedom to discover your own body at your own pace. Ideal for beginners and seasoned yogis.
For more information visit Bellevue-gstaad.ch

French Alps hiking and yoga holiday

When: August 14th to 21st
How much: Prices available on request
What is it: Set amidst the alpine fresh air of the French Alps, this is a real pick and mix of a trip that’s ideal for people that can’t quite make up their minds. On Monday you might feel like a thrill seeker, in which case you can hike up a mountain and then hurl yourself back down it on a mountain bike; on Tuesday you might prefer to channel your inner Zen and spend the afternoon luxuriating in holistic treatments. It really doesn’t matter because, apart from two 1.5-hour yoga sessions daily, how you use your free afternoons is up to you. In keeping with the laid-back structure of the trip, you can also try your hand at lots of different yoga styles. Morning sessions are dynamic stretching and lengthening to get those glutes and quads prepped for hill walking, and evening classes are more relaxed, but whether you opt for the smooth, pose-to-pose flow of Vinyasa, or a session of structured and more physically demanding Ashtanga, it’s absolutely your choice.
For more information visit Adventureyogi.com

Yoga and glamping weekend in Surrey

When: August 19th to 21st
How much: From £295
What is it: Sometimes you just need a bit of back-to-basics nature to help you feel restored and revitalised and this weekend delivers that in spades. Far from the power-showered, on-site chef and butler type trip that ‘glamping’ has come to symbolise, the term in this context just means you’ll have a shepherd’s hut roof over your head as opposed to a tent, so if you’re the sort that needs to be within five feet of a power point to function, this probably isn’t for you. Staying among six acres of secluded woodland with only sheep and llamas for neighbours, you’ll do at least three hours of yoga daily – dynamic in the morning to get your blood pumping and more restorative, Yin in the evening, a traditional, Taoist style of yoga that concentrates on seated postures and is as much about stilling the mind as it is a workout for the hips, pelvis and lower back.
For more information visit Stretchingthecity.com

Tibetan gong meditation and Ashtanga yoga retreat in Poland

When: July 31st to August 7th
How much: From £323 (shared room)
What is it: With a focus on Tibetan gong meditation and southern Indian Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga, this retreat takes place in, err, Poland. Once you’ve got your head around the geographical mix, you’ll also need to get your head around the fact that this is a serious retreat for serious yogis. Which isn’t to say it won’t be hugely rewarding, but is to say that it’s steeped in by-the-book tradition and is far more about tranquillity and detox than it is about free time and frolics. Mysore-style Ashtanga is very one-on-one and, once you’ve been given your personally tailored programme, you’ll attend classes and workshops during the day that centre on proper breathing and concentration. Open-minded applicants need only apply; the day’s classes are complimented by lots of chanting and laughter therapy, and even a spot of walking through fire, so if the idea of harnessing the power of the universe’s beautiful sounds makes you cringe then it might not be your bag.
For more information visit Bookyogaretreats.com

Luxury beach yoga holiday in Sardinia

When: various dates in July, August and September
How much: From £965
What is it: There are yoga retreats, most of which tend to lean towards structure and elements of detox, and then there are yoga holidays, which include all the trappings of a luxury break, but with a bit of yoga thrown in. This eight-day trip to the gorgeous north-east coast of Sardinia is the latter, so if you’re a bit more ‘drinks with dinner’ than ‘downward dog’ then this is for you. Staying in a four-star hotel that’s slap bang on the beach, your once-a-day morning yoga class will be conducted overlooking the sea and sand with a focus on Hatha, a style that is to yoga what beer is to alcohol: the lighter, less tough one you try before moving on to the hard stuff. Very popular and very effective nonetheless, it’s really an element of lots of yoga styles rolled into one and is great for beginners. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please.
For more information visit Bookyogaretreats.com

8-day detox juice fast and yoga retreat in Portugal

When: August 20th to 27th (other dates available)
How much: From £767 (shared room) bookyogaretreats.com
What is it: Eight days?! No, your eyes are not deceiving you; not for the faint hearted (literally, we’d assume), this retreat combines a whopping eight-day juice fast with daily yoga and evening meditation. But, there is very rewarding method to this apparent madness: yoga’s combination of gentle movement and deep breathing speeds up the detox process, so pesky toxins are pumped through the body at a faster rate. In turn, the physical and mental relaxation brought about by yoga causes the restorative parasympathetic nervous system to take over from the autonomic nervous system et voila, the body starts to clean and heal itself. Whether you want to detox for stress, or to heal a broken heart, combining fasting with yoga is the most effective and enjoyable route to success and, on the bright side, you get lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juices throughout the day where purists would only let you have water; *yay*.
For more information visit Bookyogaretreats.com

Yoga and wild swimming weekend in Anglesey

When: September 23rd to 25th
How much: £375 (shared twin room)
What is it: No doubt helped by the fact that it’s pretty hard to find a freshwater stream to bob about in during your lunch break, wild swimming’s ‘moment’ shows little sign of drying up; something that this brilliant weekend retreat in Anglesey has taken full advantage of. All about connecting with nature, you’ll stay in a country house surrounded by waterfalls and woodland, practicing a style of yoga every morning that the organisers call ‘strong’, and so probably equates to a more challenging style of yoga like Ashtanga, which is designed to condition the whole body as well as the mind. Once you’re feeling strong, you’ll head out to one of Anglesey’s many wild swimming hotspots for a guided lake or coastal swim to wash away any stresses or strains you might have with nothing but nature surrounding you. Anglesey isn’t the Med remember, so it’s likely the water will be ‘crisp’ to say the least, but tea and cake is provided after every swim to warm your cockles, which is a nice touch.
For more information visit Thezestlife.co.uk