My first few excursions out on my own were yoga retreats. I found them to be super easy and fun!
Here’s why:
1. First, you don’t have to know anyone that wants to go with you! A yoga retreat offers a means for you to hang out with likeminded people and make friends right off the bat. I wasn’t sure I would travel without friends or family, but as I started to get into my mid-twenties, I noticed that the majority of my friends were settling down. There was little to no one who was willing to take off and explore new countries with me. Then I got up the courage to go on my first solo trip, which was a yoga retreat. I soon realized that I didn’t need friends to go with. I just made friends at the yoga retreat and hung out with them the whole time. I mean what’s better than having people to hang out with when travelling? I’d say hanging out with new friends that are from faraway lands that inspire you to travel more! I have made some AMAZING friends from yoga retreats and yoga trainings!
2.Second if you go through a well-known company like, bookyogaretreats.com, they line out everything for you. They tell you everything: which airport to fly into, how to get to the hotel, where to eat, etc… Knowing what to plan was the hardest thing for me in the beginning and it’s a little intimidating.
3. You don’t actually have to know how to do yoga to start. I knew NOTHING about yoga on my first trip. It turns out the yoga teachers and students are the nicest most understanding people in the world. Those kind of things rub off on you. So not only do you learn something pretty cool, but you get a little extra bit of peace from being around such peaceful people.
Are you ready to start looking?
Awesome! Here are a few considerations to think about while your scrolling through amazing pictures of future self on Instagram…
What kind of adventure are you looking for?
There are so many kinds of yoga retreats out there! I advise everyone to look at what they are offering before you get your heart set on all the amazing pictures. Is this a once a day yoga retreat that offers you the freedom to go explore? Are you looking for a detox retreat where you will stay on the retreat the entire time and only drink juice. Are you looking for something more adventurous? There are retreats that offer surf lessons and ATV rides, waterfall tours, ones that are vegan, etc…
What kind of yoga are they offering? Is it vinyasa (yoga at most studios in the U.S) or is it a Kundalini Yoga retreat in India for yogis that have been practicing for several years? If you’re not looking for an experience out of the India chapters of Eat Pray Love, you might want to take a look at the types of yoga offered and the experience levels required (all of which are clearly lined out on websites like booyogaretreats.com) Don’t worry most yoga is chill…
The next major consideration is picking which country you want to
check out:
There are so many to choose from, and you want to see them all right? For your first few ventures into the great unknown, (esp. if you are a solo female) there are some considerations you need to consider before choosing a country:
Safety: what is the current civil state. What are the laws regarding women? What rights do women have in the country? It’s a sad state of affairs, but I’ve been to countries where women don’t have much for rights regardless of what country you originate from. If the country is in the middle of a civil war or financial crisis, it might not be the best time to go. Fear not, most of the world isn’t at war…
Visa requirements: Do you need a visa. Do you have to have it before arriving or is a visa on arrival an option? Also, there are countries that required additional documentation, such as Cuba. I doubt you’re going to get arrested, but it will definitely save you some time and stress…
Language or communication: There are still countries or regions in countries that don’t speak English fluently. Especially if this is your first trip, you want to be able to be understood. Nothing is worse than thinking you got on the wrong bus and not knowing how to ask for help or which direction you’re going. Trust me, I’ve been there. I still made just fine, but it was an interesting few hours…
Health: First of all, NEVER drink the tap water, unless you ljknow for sure it’s good to drink. Even super modern countries like Italy and Greece have places that it isn’t safe to drink the water. Second, you might need vaccinations to visit certain counties especially if you’ve been outside of the U.S. and traveled somewhere more third-worldish. Last but not least active disease in the area, trying to get pregnant in a country that you have a high probability of getting Zika might not be the best choice. I have yet to get severely sick, but it could happen…
Getting Around: My first yoga retreat was in the middle of nowhere in Jamaica. While is was still an awesome experience, I wasn’t able to go explore or see any of the culture. Some countries have amazing public transportation, like Europe, and others not so much. So, how are you going to get around? Are there trains, or ride share apps, etc…
*Travel.state.gov* is a great resource for all of these and so much more. It will advise on civil state, entry requirements, communications, areas to avoid and why, and vaccination requirements.
But the MOST important thing is to just get out there and travel! There are so many places to see and so little time to see them all.
Until next time…
Dez
