Organising a yoga retreat requires careful preparation of many details, both at the planning stage and during the retreat itself, when you will have to handle a multitude of tasks. That is why we have put together this guide that will help you organise your upcoming yoga retreat!
Contents
- Preparing beforehand
- Choosing a venue
- Planning activities
- Promoting your retreat
- Communicating with your group
- Various tips
1. Preparing beforehand
Have you ever attended a yoga retreat? It may be beneficial for you to experience one from a participant’s point of view before you start organising your own. You can even ask your yoga teacher if it is possible to assist him/her during his/her next retreat. Take notes on what you want to replicate or not during your own yoga retreats. Forget what you expect to experience as a yoga retreat organiser. Talk to teacher-friends to get their feedback, or join forums or Facebook groups.
Even if it can take place in an exotic place, guiding a yoga retreat is not a relaxing experience. That’s why you need to plan quiet moments every day of your retreat. After all, you must first take care of yourself, and set an example for your participants.
Control your energy and expenses wisely. How much time, money and energy are you willing to invest? Which part do you want to control and which part do you want to delegate?
Make your yoga retreat your own. There are so many of them today that you absolutely must differentiate yourself. To do this, when planning your retreat, make sure to inject your own style and personality into it. It will also help you choose a location. Think back to the cities or countries in which you have done your best yoga sessions and find similar locations.
2. Choosing a venue
Once you have chosen an area that matches your yoga retreat theme, you must find a venue that will welcome you. Make a list of any interesting venue in your chosen area. In the best-case scenario, you can visit your 3 favourite places and then make a final choice. If this is not possible, communicate often with your chosen venue and ask for as much information as possible to make sure that it meets your expectations. You can’t say to yourself “we’ll see once we’re there” – everything must be clear before the retreat starts.
The venue must be professional, available and organised. Good quality food and a comfortable yoga space are priorities. Also consider things from the venue’s point of view – its staff does not necessarily know your expectations. The more you communicate clear and precise needs, the higher the chance that they will provide you with a service that meets your expectations.
3. Planning activities
Creating a programme of activities is important when organising a yoga retreat. It will also feed your communication material. However, don’t plan everything down to the minute either – remain flexible and spontaneous. Each group of participants is different, so you will have to adapt by getting to know them. Give everyone the freedom to live their own experience.
Give your participants time off between yoga sessions – it’s a resting trip after all! And you should make any non-yoga activity – such as hiking or surfing – optional.
4. Promoting your retreat
Communication is key when organising your first yoga retreat. First, aim to attract people who attend your traditional classes. You can offer them a discount for the retreat since they are already paying for – or subscribing to – your classes. You can also offer them discounts if they recommend your yoga retreat to a friend. This creates a virtuous circle: your students bring friends, who bring their friends, etc.
Remember to collect everyone’s email address. Send regular information about the retreat – emails sent early in the morning between Monday and Wednesday are generally more read than others.
Also create a website, or a Weezevent mini-site where you can store this information permanently. The same goes for Facebook with a Page or Group dedicated to your retreat.
Widen your audience by organising yoga classes in different studios sometimes. Once you have organised a few retreats, your most loyal attendees will keep coming back.
5. Communicating with your group
Once people have booked their space for your retreat, you should let them know what to expect. You should also collect some of their details, whether for you or for the venue. If you have created a comprehensive registration form, you will have everything you need: dietary requirements, medical certificate, yoga experience level, any history of injuries, emergency contact.
We then recommend to send 3 emails spaced out before the yoga retreat:
- Travel tips
- Some of your participants may not be used to travelling. Give them some key information about what to bring with them and things they should not forget.
- Instructions for the stay
- Set some rules of good behaviour according to your preferences: timeliness, alcohol consumption, etc. It is critical to communicate those as far in advance as possible.
- Programme of the retreat
- This will allow everyone to imagine the retreat and will create a feeling of excitement.
6. Various tips
Think about insurance and your liability. You should require that your participants purchase travel insurance before the retreat. You can also ask them to sign a disclaimer.
Be creative when preparing for your yoga retreat. Most of these events replicate the same formula, so yours should stand out by offering unusual activities. The more difficult it is to replicate the programme of your retreat, the more attractive it will be for your participants!
You now have all the cards to organise your yoga retreat. All you need now is an all-in-one ticketing tool and your preparation is complete! Discover the benefits of our online ticketing solution by clicking below:
