You’ve been to some yoga classes and possibly also have done some masterclasses, and now you want to get even more serious about your yoga development. The decision is made, for your next holiday, you are going away on a yoga masterclass. Here are some answers to a few questions you might ask yourself.

Yoga retreat or yoga vacation?

While the variation between yoga vacations and yoga retreats is not always obvious, now and then, even the organizers have not thought enough about how to exactly name their course), there is quite a discrepancy in terms of focal point and general ambiance or mood

Generally speaking, a yoga holiday is primarily an activity vacation. The time dedicated daily to yoga usually will not last more than four hours, in one, or maybe two daily classes, and you will have plenty time for other activities or just to slow down and chill out. The scene should show this, with a beach or other extraordinary attractions nearby.

The feeling is often undisturbed, and it is usually a opportunity to come across other like-minded people. On a retreat, on the other hand, the yoga agenda is likely to be more intense, possibly including some meditation, times of silence, etc.

The major focus is no longer to enjoy yourself on holiday, but to deepen your yoga practice. Again, the choice of location should reflect this, with a quiet, possibly remote location. Retreats should be fully residential, the food vegetarian, and meal times cautiously thought out to fit easily within the daily yoga practice. You will find more ‘hard core’ yogis and yoginis on retreats, and the overall feeling can be quite serious, with much less ‘free’ time.

Unless you are quite positive that yoga is your thing, and want to move your practice to the next level, a yoga leave rather than a yoga retreat may be the best option for your first time doing yoga away from home.

Go by yourself, or bring a friend?

Going by yourself is not a snag. In fact, most people going on yoga course go unaccompanied. The negative to going on your own is that you might have to share a room with one or more absolute strangers, but at least, you will know that, like you, they have a keen interest in yoga, and great friendships are often formed on yoga vacations.

If you decide not to go on your own, choose your companion(s) carefully. A few yoga centres will approve of guests who don’t do yoga, but most often, and absolutely in the case of a retreat, yoga should be a shared interest with your prospective travel companion, so if you don’t want to go alone, a yoga buddy is a far better choice than your new boyfriend (unless, of course, you met him on a yoga weekend!)

Where and when to go?

The yoga break market is now becoming increasingly competitive, and main stream travel agents are moving in, sometimes with disastrous results. Unlike yoga teachers and dedicated venues, they do not always understand the particular requirements of what is still very much a niche market.

Complaints about such new comers to the yoga holiday market, who often have operated successfully in other branches of the tourist trade such as the organization of seminars or other types of package vacations, are their lack of understanding of the specificity of the yoga market, particularly in relation to diet (vegetarian and vegan options are not always available) and the unsuitability of the venues chosen, which are often large, soulless resorts, sometimes shared with a crowd of rowdy drunks (as happened to me in Goa a few years ago).

All this is not very conducive to peace of mind, so it is best to avoid large operators and stick with small, dedicated venues. There are a lot of them to choose from all over the world, and new ones are sprouting up everywhere so there’s a large choice of destinations at any time of the year!

Sun destinations such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, and the south of France tend to be most popular in the European summer while in the winter; India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mexico and the Caribbean tend to be favorites. There are also a number of other locations which don’t emphasize the ‘sun’ part including Scotland, various parts of England, Ireland, Finland, Canada, Austria to name just a few.

See for example the Yoga Centres listing of the Yogaholidays.net site. Even thought they might not be right up on the beach, these venues are chosen for their quietness and are far more suited to the practice of yoga than large tourist resorts.

What style, what teacher?

Perhaps more important than the location is the teacher and the style of yoga. Remember you will be stuck with your choice for the duration of the course, so a bit of thinking may be in order.

The best, of course, is to choose a teacher you have already studied with, perhaps in the context of weekly classes or a short workshop. Second best, is to get an opinion from someone who has been on a holiday/retreat with a particular teacher before. If this is not possible, you might find some useful information on the Internet, as most established teachers now have websites.

This should at least give you an idea of who they are and of whether their style of teaching (and style of yoga) will suit you. If nothing else, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher such questions as who they studied with, how long they have been practicing and how long they have been teaching yoga. Try to ring rather than email, as you’ll get a far better idea over the phone.

Tell the teacher about your yoga experience, level of fitness and your expectation for the retreat so they can advise you properly on suitability. Usually they don’t want to be stuck with the wrong student any more that you want to be stuck with the wrong teacher, so they will advise you honestly. It is also recommended to try the style of yoga that will be taught as part of the holiday/retreat by taking a few classes in your area, just to be sure that it will suit you, before booking.

What to bring?

Check whether you’ll need a yoga mat (if you have your own, it best to bring it anyway). Bring some reading, yogic or not, and don’t forget your practice clothes!

When one considers that reincarnation is accepted in practically all religions including Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism to name just a few, then we are forced to acknowledge the fact that the belief in past life is extremely far reaching. Surprisingly enough though, is the fact that while such vast numbers of people are interested in their past lives, only an extremely small percentage of these people want to study their past lives in order to improve the life they are living now.

Unfortunately, most of us are only interested in the happenings of our prior lifetimes due to curiosity. The will to change our present lives for good is what makes Past Life Regression (PLR) such a beneficial therapy.

Not only have numerous studies concluded that Past Life Regression can benefit us by allowing us to learn from past experience, but even now, the scientific world continues exploring the possibilities of PLR as a means of bettering ourselves.

Normally you would go to a professional on Past Life Regression for a hypnosis session, but you can do this through self-hypnosis also. Try simple affirmations to help you. You need your subconscious mind to accept that it is okay to remember your past lives as it is more normal for you to ‘block out’ these memories.

It is necessary to accept certain things before you attempt to use Past Life Regression to explore your past lives.

With a little help, anyone can recall memories from past lives because whether we want to believe it or not, our past lives and our present life are connected via our subconscious minds.

You cannot just know about your past life and expect your life to improve. You have to take the necessary steps to put this information to use before it will benefit you.

You can use your experiences in your past lives to make changes for the better in your present life. Knowledge of your past will help in your present and future life. You will learn from the mistakes of the past.

Some people however, for various reasons find it impossible to believe in reincarnation. However Past Life Regression can be of immense help in either changing your life for good or helping in avoidance of commission of big mistakes in present life even if you think that all the events you remember are merely the results of a fertile imagination.

There are two basic reasons why most experts in the field will advise you to go through with some Past Life Regression, irrespective of what your beliefs may be.

*If you benefit from the lessons of such events by applying them to the present life, then these were indeed, the past life experiences.

*Even if you think these events are pure figments of your imagination, the cathartic release you may get from experiencing such thoughts may free-up your mind of something that is blocking your health, success, and creativity.

So, what are all the benefits we are looking for by undergoing Past Life Regression?

*It helps our present life by making us deal with the traumatic events of the past.

*Self confidence, better judgment, determination and the ability to focus properly on the things that matter are all benefits of PLR.

*If you know what you have done in the past to hurt someone and suffered the consequences you will change this behavior. Remembering the past life where you have done this will make you take a second look at your present behavior.

*You have potential that you do not realize you have. Exploring your past live will make you see a talent or skill that may be buried deep in your subconscious. Discovering this could change your outlook on life forever.

*Have you ever wandered where you get your personality from or why you are so emotional? PLR in many cases, allows us to find the questions to these answers.

Past Life Regression is certainly a win-win proposition for believers and disbelievers. If you want to make a positive change in your present life, it is definitely worth trying!