Ep 63: Yoga Retreats: A Beginner’s Guide for Teachers

I’m a couple of weeks back from hosting another yoga international yoga retreat. While I was away, I had a few yoga teachers ask me about how to start hosting retreats. I’ve also coached teachers on planning and organizing their own retreats, as they were interested in diversifying their offerings to include retreats.

So today we’re diving into a topic that’s both exciting and might feel a little intimidating: planning your first yoga retreat.

Hosting a retreat is an incredible way to deepen your teaching, connect with students, and create a transformative experience. 

• But where do you even start? 
• How do you find the right venue? and
• How do you attract students to sign up?

In this episode, I’ll walk you through a beginner’s guide to planning a yoga retreat, from clarifying your intentions to crafting messaging that resonates with your ideal students. Whether you’re dreaming of a local retreat or an international getaway, this conversation will give you some tools to make it happen. 

I'm going to give you 4 questions to ask yourself, so get your journal so you can write them down…

Transcript

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Hosting a yoga retreat is an incredible way to deepen your teaching, connect with students, and create a transformative experience. But where do you even start? How do you find the right venue? And how do you attract students to sign up? In this episode, I'll walk you through a beginner's guide to planning a yoga retreat from clarifying your intentions to crafting messaging that resonates with your ideal students. Whether you're dreaming of a cozy local retreat or an exotic international getaway, this conversation will give you some tools to make it happen. Welcome to the Essential Conversations for Yoga Teachers podcast with me. I'm Monica Bright, and I've been teaching yoga and running my yoga business for over a decade. This is the podcast for you. If you're a yoga teacher, you're looking for support. You love to be in conversation and you're a lifelong student. In this podcast, I'll share with you. My life as a yoga teacher, the lessons I've learned, my process for building my business and helpful ideas, tools, strategies, and systems I use, and you can use so that your business thrives. We'll cover a diverse range of topics that will help you whether you're just starting out or you've got years under your belt and you want to dive deep and set yourself up for success. I'm so glad you're here. Listen, I don't take myself too seriously, so expect to hear some laughs along the way. Now, let's do this. Together. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm Monica, and I'm almost a couple weeks back from hosting another international yoga retreat. And while I was away, I had a few yoga teachers asked me how to start hosting retreats. I've also coached teachers on planning and organizing their own retreats because retreats are a great way to diversify your offerings and you can tailor their themes, how. ever you like. I've had a number of retreaters who have joined me who have movement limitations and injuries as well. It's a great setting to work in smaller groups with your people. So today we're diving into a topic that's both exciting and might feel a little intimidating. Hosting a retreat is an deepen your teaching, connect with your students, and create. A different kind of experience, but you might be asking yourself, where do I even start? How do I find the right venue? And how do I attract students to sign up? in this episode, I'm going to walk you through a beginner's guide to planning a yoga retreat. From clarifying your intentions to crafting messaging that resonates with your ideal students, whether you're dreaming of a cozy local retreat for a weekend or a week long international getaway. This conversation will give you some tools to make it happen. I'm going to give you four questions to ask yourself. So get your journals so you can write them down. Okay. Question number one. Why do I want to host a yoga retreat? First, you've got to clarify your intentions before you start planning. It's important to ask yourself this question. Why do I want to even host a retreat? Is it to deepen your connection with your students or is it to share your unique teaching style in a more immersive setting? Maybe you want to create a transformative experience that goes beyond a regular retreat. Your why will guide every decision you make from the location to the theme to the messaging. It's also what will keep you motivated when and if the planning process feels overwhelming. Take a moment to reflect on your goals. Are you looking to grow your business? Do you want to build your brand, or do you simply want to create a meaningful experience for your students? Whatever your reasons, make sure they align with your values and mission as a teacher. Set your goals. What do you want to achieve by hosting retreats? Is it personal growth? Or maybe hitting a financial goal, or is it to help build your brand? Take a moment to jot this down and get really clear And then ask yourself, how does this align with my values and mission as a teacher? Okay, question number two. What kind of tone do I want to set? Once you've clarified your intentions, the next step is to set the tone for your retreat. What kind of experience do you want to create? Is it A relaxing, restorative getaway where students can unwind and recharge? Or is it an energizing, adventurous retreat filled with hiking, exploring, and trying new things? Think about the vibe you want to cultivate. Do you envision an intimate, personal retreat with a small group? Or a larger, more dynamic gathering? And don't forget to choose a theme that ties everything together. together. For example, you could focus on mindfulness, self care, or connecting with nature. Your theme will help you create a cohesive experience and attract the right students. Finally, consider your audience. Who is this retreat for? Are they beginners, advanced practitioners, or a mix? What are their needs and desires? The more you understand your ideal participants, the better you can tailor the retreat to meet their expectations. Question number three, how do I find the right retreat center? Now, let's take a moment and talk about this because this is one of the most important decisions you'll make start by thinking about the location. Do you want to host a local retreat or are you dreaming of an international destination? Consider factors like accessibility, climate. and ambiance. Next, think about the venue essentials. Does it have a dedicated yoga space? Comfortable accommodations? Delicious nourishing meals? Make a list of your must haves and your nice to haves and use that as a guide. When you're searching, what is the capacity? How many students do you need to have and what's the limit? Choose the size of the retreat you want to run More students equals more energy for you to engage with and manage at times. so be honest with yourself about how much energy you're capable of handling on your own. And then you might consider having a co lead if you want to have a bigger retreat so that You are not the only person that's hosting everyone. And then be honest with yourself about the budget. When you've found a few options, do your research. Read reviews, ask for recommendations, and if possible, visit the venue in person. This will give you a feel for the space and help you avoid any surprises. And don't forget to negotiate. Be sure to clarify the terms of your contract, including deposits, cancellations and what's included in the price. I found a retreat center in Costa Rica that I was interested in. And as I was reading the contract there were some things in that contract that I didn't really align with. And so I decided not to pursue having a retreat at that. Center because I didn't agree with what was in the contract. Finally, you've got to consider the values of the venue. do they align with your own? For example, if sustainability is important to you, look for an eco friendly retreat center. Finding the right venue. takes time, but it's worth the effort to create a seamless and memorable experience for your students. I've contacted a number of different retreat centers, like the one I mentioned earlier, and I'll be honest, some of them I just really didn't care for their contract agreements. So remember you get to choose if you want to go forward with signing a contract or not. They will pursue you, but if something doesn't feel right, ask about it and you can always say no thank you. Question number four. This is also another Big question. How do I create messaging that will attract students? Once you've nailed down the details, it's time to attract students to your retreat. I would start talking to people about hosting a yoga retreat before signing any contracts and see if you've got some interest instead of signing contracts and now running around trying to find people to join your retreat. See if you got some interest beforehand, but begin by crafting your story. Why should students join your retreat? What makes it unique? Maybe it's the location, or the theme, or your personal connection to the experience. Use compelling language to highlight the benefits, not just the features. For example, instead of saying daily yoga classes, you could say reconnect with yourself through daily yoga and mindfulness practices. Talk about the outcomes your students will experience by the end of the retreat. And don't forget the power of visuals. Use high quality photos and videos to showcase the venue, the activities, and the vibe of the retreat. If you've hosted retreats before, share testimonials from past participants. Finally, think about your promotion strategy. Use social media. email newsletters, and your website to spread the word. Offer early bird pricing or referral discounts to incentivize signups. The key is to create messaging that resonates with your ideal students and makes them feel excited to join you. planning your first retreat can feel overwhelming, but here are some things to remember to help you stay on track. You should start small. Consider co hosting with another teacher or starting with a local retreat. Plan ahead. Create a detailed schedule, including yoga classes, meals, and free time. Build a team. Hire assistants. Photographers or chefs, if needed, this is going to depend on your retreat venue. Prepare for the unexpected. Have a backup plan for weather, cancellations, or emergencies. And take care of yourself. Don't overextend. Your energy sets the tone for the retreat. Remember. Your first retreat doesn't have to be perfect. It's a learning experience and every retreat you host will get better and better. Hosting a yoga retreat is a beautiful way to share your passion, connect with students and create a transformative experience. When you clarify your intentions, set the tone, find the right venue, and craft a compelling message, you'll be well on your way to planning a retreat that's both rewarding and impactful. All right, take a deep breath, trust the process, and remember you don't have to do it all alone. Lean on your community, ask for help, and most importantly, enjoy the journey. This is going to be If you cannot tell already, I love yoga retreats and I'm so glad to be back to hosting them. It's a chance for me to connect more deeply with students and work with students who are injured and have movement limitations. I hope that this episode sparked some deeper thought around getting more comfortable and confident with expanding your offerings. If you love this episode and if you're dreaming of hosting your own retreat but don't know where to start or if you have more questions send me a message. I've added a link in the show notes for you to send me a quick text message about your thoughts on this episode. I'm not going to know your phone number it's just in addition to the platform that I use that allows for this easy way for you to communicate with me. Once you click on it, it will take you to your messages, but don't delete the code. That's how your message will get to me. And I would love to know your thoughts and your questions. Subscribe to the podcast. So you're always in the know when a new episode drops and share it with another yoga teacher who you think would love to be in on these conversations. Thank you. We're helping to spread the word about this podcast. And if you've been taking notes in your journal, as you listen to these episodes, I'm so glad you are. And I would love to hear about it. As always, the ebook sequencing for different injuries is in the show notes below. I promise you, it's going to help you form a foundation for teaching students with injuries, and it'll be a great resource for you to return to again and again. When you download the ebook, you'll be joining my newsletter. That's just for yoga teachers. I've got more exciting teachings coming soon, so I wanna tell you all about them. The link is in the show notes below, and I would love for you to join it so we can always stay connected. Alright, that's it for now. Bye! Mhm.