A GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL YOGA RETREATS

This document teaches you how to offer and organize a retreat. If you follow these step by step guidelines you will be quite successful in your endeavor. By the end you will be able to decide:

* what TYPE of retreat you are going to offer * WHERE AND WHEN you are going to offer it * HOW LONG it will be * and for WHOM as well as: * PRICE your retreat, * MARKET your retreat * collect money, address travel NEEDS * decide THE LOGISTICS of how you are going to feed people, assign rooms & roommates, structure your retreat with a daily schedule * and make sure everything is legal with contracts, insurance, liability release forms and BUSINESS NECESSITIES.

HOW TO BEST DEFINE YOUR RETREAT?

RETREAT TYPE The type of retreat you offer is based on what you teach, or what kind of teachers you hire to give the classes at the retreat. If you are a yoga teacher you offer a yoga retreat. If you have more than one type of teacher presenting at the retreat you can offer a combination retreat such as "Yoga & Pilates" or Yoga & Painting" or Yoga & Hiking".

1. COMBINATION RETREATS

Combination retreats are common and help distribute the responsibility for teaching the classes and for meeting the group needs. THE KEY IS TO HAVE QUALIFIED TEACHERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD. Do NOT hire someone who is not trained or experienced in what they are offering. You need experienced teachers to give credibility to the program, and because they already know how to work with groups. The downside of having more than one teacher is that the profit is shared. The upside is that the work is distributed so that you do not have to lead the entire retreat yourself. It's fun to share the job with another teacher, and the two of you can sometimes recruit more people for the trip.

2. SINGLE TEACHER RETREATS

Single Teacher retreats is also common and simply means that you need to pace yourself and offer enough classes to make participants feel that they are getting their moneys worth.

CAUTION: If you are the only teacher offering classes do not also take on the role of cooking the meals and/or offering massage treatments. You cannot be there fully for your participants if you set yourself up with too many jobs.

I attended a yoga retreat once where the teacher also cooked all of our meals. She was obviously working too hard and not enjoying herself. We were often hungry after yoga class, but had to wait for her to finish cooking before we ate. The retreat would have ran much more smoothly if she had hired a cook.

CHOOSING OF ACCOMMODATION

When interviewing yoga teachers about their retreat often they would begin by telling me how "transforming" the retreat was. I politely listened and then I asked them some practical questions: ­ Is there a bathroom in each bedroom or do people use communal bathrooms? ­ Where do people sleep? ­ Are the beds doubles, singles or bunk beds? ­ How big is the yoga room? ­ Where do people eat and how often? ­ How far is the retreat center from an airport and do you provide van service once people get there? ­ etc These are all important considerations for people who are about to spend their money on a vacation.

1. HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN THE PLACE ACCOMMODATE?

The first thing to consider when finding a location is the number of people it can accommodate. You obviously need a place that has a room large enough for yoga or whatever activity you are offering. You also need to find out the number of beds available for overnight accommodation and find out whether your clientele are expecting a private room or whether they are happy to share or even sleep on the floor with sleeping bags!

CAUTION:

Having large groups requires more energy.If you plan on having 20 or more participants then have two or more teachers leading the retreat.

Once you decide how many people you want to accommodate at your retreat, there are several options for finding the right place.

2. TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION?

(a) EXISTING RETREAT CENTERS

Existing retreat centers are in the business of catering to groups and have most of the criteria you need. They are a great way to go for larger groups because: ­ they usually provide meals ­ they have plenty of guest rooms ­ they have a helpful staff. I would suggest visiting a retreat center first and staying there yourself before you bring your group. Think of yourself in terms of a retreat critic. Check out: ­ sleeping arrangements ­ food options ­ bathroom facilities ­ and how friendly their staff is. You may also wish to ask the staff a couple of questions about the retreat facilities, such as: ­ What is the minimum number of people I can have to use your facility? ­ and what is the maximum? ­ Will there be other groups and/or guests there at the same time? ­ How much will you charge me per person? ­ Do you offer massage and spa treatments? ­ Do you accommodate people with special dietary needs? ­ Do you provide airport pickup?

(b) PRIVATE RESIDENCES

Private residences can be a nice setting for a small group. You will need to hire a caterer for the meals, and make sure there are enough beds and bathrooms to accommodate all the participants. CAUTION: Private residences allow for close quarters. This works well if people get along, and not as well if personalities clash!

(c) HOTELS AND B&Bs

Hotels are another option for larger groups. You can rent a conference room for the classes and let people be responsible for booking their own sleeping room. Meals can be flexible with use of nearby restaurants. On a smaller scale a bed & breakfast can make a lovely setting for a retreat if they have a space available for your activity classes. You will need to arrange options for other meals. Ask about amenities and visit the place before bringing a group there.

(d) HOT SPRING RESORTS

Hot Spring Resorts are also wonderful locations to hold a retreat. The combination of movement classes with soaking in the warm water is quite relaxing. Make sure the accommodations are clean.

CAUTION: Some hot springs are "clothing optional". This is an important consideration when deciding if you want to hold your retreat at a hot springs resort. Not everyone will feel comfortable with nudity.

3. TIME OF YEAR The time of year you hold your retreat is also a factor in finding the best location: ­ If it is a WINTER retreat you want to make sure that the place is well heated. ­ A SUMMER or tropical retreat needs to be well ventilated and is enhanced with access to water, be it the ocean, river, lake or a swimming pool. My recommendation for people new to giving retreats is to find a place near your home and offer a weekend retreat to get some experience. This will be attractive to your students because: > they don't have to travel far > and yet they can still enjoy a weekend away from daily stress.

Now, please take a moment and write down 3 specific actions you can take to get started on choosing your retreat location: online research, asking friends who have been on retreats, calling retreat locations, library lookup etc…

Setting a Price for your Retreat

Once you decide where and when you want to offer your vacation you need to set a price so you can market it. Setting your price for the retreat requires knowing all your expenses ahead of time. Once you know your expenses you can determine how many participants it will take to break even, and therefore how many students you need on the retreat to make a profit. Organizing and leading a retreat requires money.

1. OBVIOUS COSTS

The obvious costs involved are: ­ renting the facility ­ providing meals ­ providing qualified teachers ­ and marketing CAUTION: Marketing can be expensive, however creating a budget for marketing is essential

2. HIDDEN COSTS

Some of the hidden costs include: ­ travel for researching potential locations and your own travel expenses for the actual weekend or week that you lead the retreat. ­ loss of your regular income from teaching classes while you are away is also a factor.

HINT: While researching which location to chose find out if the retreat facility gives you free room & board when you bring a group. Some places offer this benefit to teachers who bring 10 or more students. Others expect you to pay for your room like everyone else.

3. BREAK EVEN POINT

Calculate all the costs ahead of time and divide that into the number of participants you hope will come on the retreat. That is your break even cost per person (if you get that many signups). Then increase the amount by how much you hope to make. If it costs you £3,000 to run a weekend retreat and you hope to get 10 signups, your break even cost would be £300 per person. But you want to make a profit so you increase the price. If you charge £450 per person and you get all 10 you will make £1500. At £450 per person you need 5 signups to meet your expenses and you would have a small profit of £150. 6 signups would give you a profit of £600 and so on. More students means more profit.

CAUTION People may tell you that they will attend. Until you receive their deposit or payment you cannot count on them to come. It is wise to ask for a nonrefundable deposit to ensure their commitment.

My recommendation for people new to giving retreats is to make the price affordable for your regular students. Find a place near your home and offer a weekend retreat to get some experience. This allows you to offer a retreat at a lower cost per person because travel is not involved. While it's wonderful to offer a week long retreat in Hawaii, the cost per person is substantially higher because of the flight. Food prices in Hawaii are also higher, as well as vacation homes. If you have a rich clientele or large following this will not matter. If not, you have to consider the best way to make your retreat affordable so people will come!

MARKETING YOUR RETREAT

THE MORE LEAD TIME YOU HAVE TO MARKET A RETREAT THE BETTER For yoga teachers carrying out yoga vacations in distant exotic locations its well worth marketing a year ahead of time. People are not ready to commit, but its good to plant the idea in their minds. You cannot afford to have people wait until the last minute to sign up. You need to gather people as early as possible to insure your numbers.

1. COST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES

* Begin by announcing the retreat to your students. You already have established credibility with them. * Design a flyer with retreat information that you can hand to people. Post in your studio, and on bulletin boards around town.Always carry flyers with you wherever you go.If the opportunity comes up to tell someone about the retreat do so and hand the person a flyer. * Send email announcements to your mailing list, and advertise the retreat on your website if you have one. * If you do not have a mailing list it is essential that you create one. Each time someone inquires about your retreat or classes put them on your list. Ask their permission to do this. "Would you like to be on my mailing list?" Send out bi­monthly announcements of upcoming retreats. * Teach at conferences or other organized events where people will meet you personally, and get to experience you as a teacher. Promote your retreat and hand out flyers. Have a signup sheet for your mailing list. *If you are co­leading the retreat make sure the other teacher is doing their part to bring in participants. Two people promoting the retreat is more effective than one. *You may want to offer your students an incentive for promoting your retreat such as giving them a $50 discount on the retreat for each additional person they tell who also signs up for the retreat.

2. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Placing ads in magazines, newspapers or on the radio costs money. Investigate circulation numbers and target audience before you take this route. Repetitive advertisement is the most effective. A one time ad will not be remembered as much as an ad that is seen in 3 or 4 issues of a publication. Decide ahead of time how many participants you would need to have sign up to cover the cost of the ad. If you get at least one participant from an ad it may be worth it because you are also promoting yourself for future retreats. Always ask people where they heard about the retreat so you will know which ads are effective. Hire a publicity person to promote you and your retreats. This will be expensive and only makes sense if you want to reach an international level of recognition and success.

3. GETTING THE COMMITMENT

Once a person shows interest in attending your retreat you need to get a commitment from them. Ask for a nonrefundable deposit. You only have room for so many people and this ensures their space.

GUEST TRAVEL NEEDS

When you offer a retreat you want to make sure that getting to the retreat is easy or people won't come. Send a packet to your participants with a list of what to bring, a tentative schedule for the week, and directions on how to get there.

1. DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET THERE

Give specific driving directions from major city or airport. If you are in a location that requires airplane transportation you may consider offering airport pick up for an additional fee. People appreciate this service. People who come to retreats are often single and traveling alone. Having someone pick them up can be comforting, especially if it's a place they have never been to before. If airport pick up is not possible you may want to arrange for people to share taxi rides or car rentals if their flights arrive within an hour of each other. Find out people's arrival flights ahead of time and coordinate ride­sharing if possible. Some people will want more independence and to rent their own car which is great. Others will appreciate sharing costs for transportation. The key is to GIVE THEM OPTIONS and make it easy for them to get to the retreat. Some teachers include flight costs with the package and get a group rate through airlines. This works if your students are coming from the same area. Ask the airlines about group discounts.

Be sure to greet your participants when they arrive. Take them to their room and help them get settled. Travel can be challenging and exhausting. Making people feel welcome and at home sets the pace for the retreat.

2. WHAT­TO­BRING LIST

This gets people prepared and saves you time from answering more questions about what they need to bring. EXAMPLE: "Dear Traveler, Welcome to the x Retreat. The following is a list of suggested items to bring, in addition to the clothes you would ordinarily pack. 1) Sweater, sweat shirt, sweat pants, socks. (mornings and evenings can be cool) 2) Beach towels; hotel only supply towels for your room. 3) Hat or sun visor. 4) Mosquito repellent (Cutters seems to be the best). 5) Sunscreen. Waterproof and sweat resistant should be used so that it doesn't come off in the water as it is bad for the reef, fish & plants in the water. 6) Walking shoes or sneakers 7) Flashlight. 8) Proof of citizenship: passport, birth certificate or voting card. 9) Proof of I.D. ­ Something with a photo for cashing travelers checks. 10) Snorkeling equipment: fins, mask, flippers (can be rented there)"

3. SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK

Include a tentative schedule for the week in the package you send out before people get there. Make sure that you have a balance between classes, activities, meals, rest and play. I recommend offering two classes per day with free time in­between for opt in spa treatments, outdoor activities, sightseeing, personal reflection time etc. Example Tentative Schedule Thursday: Arrive, get settled. Enjoy the beach & ocean. 4:30 pm Yoga class 6:00 pm dinner 8:30 pm introductions, setting our intentions, meditation Friday: 8:00am: Good morning yoga class! 10:00am Brunch free time to enjoy the area: take walks on the beach, swim, sauna, browse the shops of London (or wherever you hold the retreat) soak in the hot tub. 4:00 Yoga class 6:00 dinner 8:00pm Evening meditation Saturday: 8:00am: Good morning yoga class! 10:00 brunch free time to enjoy the area: kayak trip down the Gualala river , check out the community art center, walk the beach, soak in the hot tub. 4:00 yoga class 6:00 dinner 8:00 evening meditation Sunday: 8:00am Good morning yoga class 10:00 brunch 12:00 departure.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR GUESTS

If you are offering a retreat with shared rooms you will have the task of assigning roommates. This is easy when couples or friends attend your retreat together. They will be happy to share a room. If you have single people attending who have not met, you will need to use your best judgment in deciding who rooms with whom. You could do this randomly in the order of who signs up first and which rooms are available. However it is more effective to place people together based on compatibility, if possible. 1. COMPATIBILITY ­ Age: put people together who are close in age, if possible. ­ Common Interests: People usually volunteer this kind of information when you ask them why they decided to sign up for the trip. ­ Sleeping Habits . Ask if they tend to stay up late or like to go to sleep early. . Do they like to sleep with a light on, or prefer the room to be completely dark with curtains closed? ­ Smoking Its rare to get smokers coming to yoga retreats, but if you do always request that they do not smoke in the room. Just the same, cigarette odour can linger in the clothes of a smoker, so it's best to room them with someone who does not mind. ­ Snoring When people sign up for your retreat find out if they snore or if they mind sharing a room with someone else who snores. Private Rooms ­ You can also offer people the option of paying more for a private room. The saying that you get what you pay for applies here. The cost is less is they share a room. You do the best you can to assign compatible roommates, but your choices are limited to the people who sign up. Offering a private room option at an additional cost can help alleviate complaints.

2. HEALTH CONDITIONS Another important question to ask retreat participants is whether or not they are taking medication. This can be a clue for depression or other medical conditions that people have. You need to know your own skill in dealing with health related issues. If someone has fibromyalgia will your retreat be appropriate for that person? Having a medical questionnaire for them to fill out can be of help in determining if the person is someone who can attend your retreat. 3. CHALLENGING PEOPLE Sometimes you get challenging people coming to retreats. You may get someone who complains often, or someone who always needs to be the center of attention. Learning how to handle difficult people is a skill you may need if you decide to become a retreat leader. If you have any knowledge of counseling, you can always counsel people privately if you feel that they are having a negative effect on the group. Example: If for example you have a couple who attend your retreat who are not getting along. Who argue often and are not pleasant to be around them. Talk to them privately and ask them to please refrain from arguing with each other around other people. They should be free to argue as much as they want to in the privacy of their room. Sometimes just pointing out how people are affecting others is enough to stop a behavior. Each situation and person is unique so there is not set formula for handling difficult people, except to be clear with your own boundaries and your concern for the group experience as a whole. If there was a participant who was continually disruptive to the group regardless of what you say or do, I would offer that person a refund and give them the option of leaving. Knowing your own boundaries and leadership role is the key. Most people who come to retreats are wonderful people who enjoy being with others. And most situations can be worked out. Respect for others and tolerance of differences can usually be managed in the short amount of time that the retreat is held. Each challenging situation that comes up is an opportunity for learning. As the group leader you can create a compassionate atmosphere and help everyone have a meaningful experience.

SUMMARY

> Be specific about the type of retreat you are offering. > Highlight the teachers as experts. > Offer classes everyday. A retreat is also an intensive. It's an opportunity for your retreat clients to take classes once or twice a day for several consecutive days. > You need a place that is uplifting and inviting. > You want your participants to be comfortable. > You want them to feel relaxed and well taken care of. > Think of the setting as part of the package you are offering. > Rooms, bathrooms, meals, and amenities are important. > Staff friendliness is a must. > Art, beauty, nature, and tranquility add to the package. > Go there first as a guest to make sure it is a place your want to bring people to. > Marketing is a never­ending process. > The best advertisement is through word of mouth. > Share your enthusiasm about your upcoming retreat as many people as possible. > Develop a mailing list and send out bimonthly or quarterly announcement. > Remember that if a prospective participant doesn't sign up for this retreat, they may sign up for the next one. > Be sure to get a deposit from each sign up to insure their commitment. > Make people feel welcomed and taken care of the minute they sign up. > Talk to them about travel arrangements to the retreat so they feel at ease