The best yoga retreats for beginners

Whether you’ve recently started regular yoga classes and want to take your newfound knowledge to the next level or are a complete novice still figuring out the difference between a warrior and tree pose, a retreat can be a great way to deep-dive into this ancient, Indian-rooted practice.

As spiritual as it is physical, yoga styles range from slow and meditative to more dynamic but always focus on connecting to the breath and the body. The benefits are immense: improving core strength, managing stress, greater flexibility and increased balance. From overnight bite-size tasters to bespoke one-to-one programmes and relaxed itineraries that include other nature-based activities, here’s our pick of the best yoga retreats around the world for beginners.

An India Awakening, Cabo Serai, Goa

19-27 January 2024, more retreats later in 2024

For a last-minute, rejuvenating start to the year, this nine-day escape promises a gentle introduction to yoga with a blast of Indian sunshine guaranteed to beat the winter blues – think early morning movement sessions in a shady coconut grove yoga shala, sunset hilltop meditation and supper under the stars. Founded by wellbeing events director Lucy Hill over a decade ago, Chaya Retreats is renowned for its nourishing plant-based menus (a food workshop is included) and is taking over the Cabo Serai eco-resort on Goa’s south coast for the first time. The twice-daily yoga and movement sessions are led by Nics Bannister, whose adaptable teaching method stems from her own experience of overcoming a debilitating skiing injury and developing her practice as a tool for recovery. Other highlights are sound healing, a choice of a one-hour treatment, and a breath and cold water therapy workshop with former Royal Ballet dancer turned Wim Hof instructor Isaac Mullins. Look out for more retreat dates later in the year, too.

Price: From £2,442 per person based on two sharing a tent with ensuite
Website: chayayogaretreats.com

Petite Yoga Retreats, Billnäs Gård, Finland

Dates from January to October 2024

For those tempted to try a yoga retreat but wary of committing to a full-on weekend, bite-sized one-night retreats could be the answer. The setting is the recently repurposed Billnäs Gård, a six-room hotel and wellness space an hour’s train ride from Helsinki. Set on the Svarta River, it has a heated saltwater pool in the garden and a subterranean spa-cum-candlelit meditation space with a sauna and herbal bathtub. The concise stay – part of The Life Academy programme – is led by local yoga instructor Julia Hackzell, whose classes are designed to develop mindfulness through gentle postures, breathwork and meditation. Before arrival, you’ll receive three introspective open-ended questions aimed at sparking reflection and assisting in setting personal goals, and you'll be invited to join the group Whatsapp – a useful support network, especially for sharing post-retreat experiences and continued progress in your practice.

Price: From 395 euros per person, based on two sharing
Website: billnasgard.fi

Yoga Retreat, Ockenden Manor, Sussex

21-23 April and 22-24 September 2024

Resident yoga teacher at Ockenden Manor, Meg Thompson, integrates nidra yoga classes with a guided Nordic walk through the Sussex countryside and an isopod floatation session (like the Dead Sea, you float effortlessly so every muscle relaxes and the body’s metabolic balance is restored) at this twice-yearly retreat. No yoga background is necessary: Meg creates a spiritual experience through strength-building and restorative bodywork and encourages individuals to listen to their bodies to gain confidence in their practice. During downtime, take a dip in the spectacular indoor-outdoor pool and, in the evening, feast on dinners made using locally sourced produce before sinking into a four-poster bed.

Price: From £629.50 per person based on two sharing
Website: hshotels.co.uk

Spring Serenity, Kea, Greece

21-27 April 2024

Owned by the Eshet family for over two decades, this hotel and retreat space sits in Psathi Bay on Kea, a 40-minute ferry ride from Lavrio on the Greek mainland. The season kicks off with Spring Serenity, led by Israeli pro-contemporary dancer and multi-disciplinary artist Hagar Shachal, who specialises in meditative movement and Ashtanga yoga. Twice daily sessions in the open-air shala surrounded by olive trees (which could also include meditation and breathwork) bookends other nature-based activities such as kayaking, hiking to ancient temples and snorkelling, plus yogic philosophy – great for beginners who want to learn more about the spiritual teachings that surround the practice. Bed down in a whitewashed traditional stone farmhouse and tuck into meals made using produce from the onsite farm. Retreats, hosted by different instructors, take place each week until October.

Price: From around £1983 per person, based on two sharing
Website: kearetreat.com

Wylder Menorca

10-14 May 2024

Until now, yoga teacher Charlotte Townend’s Wylder Retreats have taken place in Ibiza and Formentera, but this summer, she is adding the Amagatay Hotel, a farm stay on Menorca, as a location, too. The concept – which always combines a daily yoga class with outdoor adventures and creative workshops hosted by islanders – is brilliant for beginners because it puts as much emphasis on immersing yourself in the local surroundings as it does on sun salutations. Townend covers restorative and vinyasa styles, with a focus on strength and mobility, and offers modifications and hands-on adjustments suited to each individual’s ability. Coastal walks, a boat trip, a stone sculpting workshop with artist Lisa Dengler (in collaboration with local art gallery Etesian), and lunch at the home of chef Gabriel Gonzalez, are all on the itinerary.

Price: £1,750 per person based on shared occupancy of a suite
Website: wylderretreats.net

Relax and Reset, Alentejo, Portugal

11-16 May 2024

Alongside teaching at Third Space London and offering one-to-one yoga sessions, instructor Jess Bayly runs several retreats per year in Europe and the UK. Next up is this Rest and Reset-themed stay at Quinta Camarena, in the Alentejo countryside near the village of Cercal (most of the ingredients for the vegetarian dishes served are grown locally or at the Quinta). ‘My passion is creating nurturing, restorative retreats to help individuals reconnect with their essence and find headspace,’ she says. The vibe is inclusive, with the group coming together for twice daily yoga practice (a mix of energising vinyasa flow and soft yin) and other optional activities – coastal hikes, trips to the beach, wine tasting – but still, there is plenty of time for lazing in a hammock reading a book if you wish.

Price: From £1,150 per person based on two sharing
Website: jessbaylyyoga.com

Nourish & Nurture – Spring Bank Holiday Yoga Retreat, Erth, Cornwall

24-27 May 2024

Anna Taylor is swapping her usual North London teaching studio, Yoga on the Lane, for the riverside Erth Retreat, set among 300 acres of regenerative farmland near the village of St Germans in Cornwall (the owners used to run Tilton House in Sussex, so they have masses of experience at hosting retreats). Space, she says, is a precious gift. ‘It is in these moments of pausing that we tend to step back and see ourselves more clearly.’ And that’s exactly the point of this weekend, which aims to make the most of spring's lighter, brighter energy with days spent on mindful yoga, meditation and walks, as well as free time to rest or roam. ‘I am passionate about making yoga accessible to beginners and helping people realise that you don’t have to be bendy to have a beautiful and beneficial practice,’ continues Taylor, who suggests ways to alter exercises depending on ability. Yoga sessions will take place in the old chapel or in a yurt; room options range from the main house to more rustic shepherds’ huts and cabins in the grounds.

Price: From £650 per person, based on two sharing a cabin
Website: mindbodybalance.co.uk

Reclaim Yourself Mallorca Yoga Retreat

25-30 September 2024

"Slow living, sunshine and yoga in the Mediterranean" is the tempting tagline for this late summer retreat, held in a former 13th-century monastery high up in the hillside of the Tramuntana mountain range in Mallorca. The yoga is gentle and soulful; the programme is relaxed – making it ideal for beginners wanting to ease themselves into their practice. Mid-retreat, there is a boat trip around the island on a private yacht, but the idea is that guests really soak in the tranquillity of the remote location. Yoga instructor Anna Ashby has been teaching for over 20 years, so she knows exactly how to help novices delve into asana and pranayama. The first session of the day always begins with meditation and journalling; afternoon classes mainly focus on breath and cultivating an awareness of being in the present.

Price: £1,595 per person, sharing a twin ensuite room
Website: reclaimyourself.co.uk

Yoga Break, Another Place The Lake, Cumbria

14-16 October 2024

Designed to restore and replenish – and, crucially, suitable for all abilities – this two-day yoga break is held at Another Place the Lake, on the shore of Ullswater. Cornwall-based instructor Julia Poole (of Oceanlight Yoga) has a background in counselling, meditation and mindfulness and will tailor each session to the level of the group, whether she’s teaching restorative evening yoga to relax and recentre or sensory flowing movement to kickstart the day. Classes are held in the Glasshouse with calming views of the fells; there are optional morning swims in the lake and plenty of free time for having a go at stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking, booking in for treatments or unwinding in the cedar hot tub.

Price: From £665per person based on two sharing
Website: another.place

Yoga Retreat, Six Senses Vana, India

Permanent retreat

Close to Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga, this nurturing hotel in the Vana Forest offers personalised programmes for five, seven or 14 nights (the beauty of this, of course, is that you can do everything at your own pace and have the benefit of dedicated one-to-one yoga instruction and support). Each stay begins with a wellness consultation and screening to determine not just the state of your health, but also your personal goals – whether they are to reduce stress, replenish energy or reconnect with your spiritual self. A bespoke programme could then comprise yoga, fitness and meditation sessions, ayurvedic treatments to rebalance doshas, and natural healing therapies such as reflexology, acupuncture and Raag therapy, which encourages relaxation and deeper rest. Rooms have views of the herb gardens and fruit orchard and, as you’d expect, the food is all pure flavours and fragrant curries – and an integral part of a holistic stay here.

Price: From 722 USD (approx. £571) per night, based on single occupancy in a Garden Room for five-night minimum stay. This includes arrival wellness screening and consultation, all meals, one standard treatment per day, daily retreat programme, and airport transfers to and from Dehradun Airport.
Website: healingholidays.com