What is a Bikram Yoga retreat?

As with any Yoga practice, the hardest lesson that many new, and experienced students learn is how to remove themselves from their busy and often hectic lives, to be truly connected to their body, and mind. Purposeful concentration, focusing one’s thoughts and blocking out the distractions of the outside world are often cited as the most challenging of yoga’s many lessons.

Also known as ‘quieting the chattering monkey’, yogic practice likens the human mind and its thoughts to a monkey, jumping from branch to branch in a restless and uncontrolled state. Bikram Yoga seeks to teach its devotees to control thoughts and emotions- through the movements of one’s body.

The heat of Bikram Yoga is often the most challenging aspect of the practice, being the first obstacle one must overcome on their own personal Bikram journey. The benefit of being able to focus completely on overcoming this obstacle will often see students mirror this determination through difficult postures, and physical, as well as personal challenges outside the hot room.

A Bikram Yoga retreat aims to provide students with a physical sense of removal from the outside world, introducing them to new and beautiful surroundings that encourage ultimate relaxation and reflection. This physical sense of removal often helps people to be able to fully concentrate on themselves, wholly and completely, without the distractions of their day to day concerns, enhancing their practice and leading to far greater self-awareness and self-improvement.

Bikram Yoga retreats are usually structured around at least one daily class if not more – sometimes a morning and an evening class. Often additional intensive sessions in order to improve individual poses are also offered, while the participants have almost all day access to the experienced on-site retreat teachers that are more than happy to share their experiences and tips.

Retreats may also offer other activities or workshops such as raw food, or they may be combined with surfing classes depending on location.

Free Spirit Yoga Retreats offer students the opportunity to not only further their practice, but to learn more about their bodies, their limits and themselves, all whilst being surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful scenery – simply enjoying a perfect holiday with other like-minded people while locking their knees in paradise!