Transformative Yoga Retreat in Malaga Spain (8 Days)

You will probably find after two days of stretching and bending your body for hours at a time you may start to feel some aches and pains. But with anything, by day three you will start to see new muscle definition in your stomach, legs and shoulders, as well as improved flexibility. A 5 day Retreat is the perfect amount of time to further strengthen your movements and routine. It won’t just be your body that you notice improving. With a combination of regular yoga, relaxation, nutritious food and sunshine, our guests start to look and feel better with improved skin, brighter eyes and relaxed bodies. Most importantly, happier.

What are the benefits of a Yoga Retreat

A Yoga retreat offers a transformative escape from the demands of daily life, providing a sanctuary for physical, mental, and spiritual rejuvenation. Through daily yoga and meditation practices, participants deepen their understanding of self, find inner peace, and reduce stress. The supportive retreat environment fosters a sense of community and offers the space to disconnect from digital distractions, reconnect with nature, and prioritize self-care. With opportunities for personal growth, improved physical fitness, and holistic healing, a yoga retreat empowers individuals to return home refreshed, inspired, and motivated to maintain a balanced and mindful lifestyle.

What is a Yoga Retreat and what can I expect?

A Yoga Retreat is a purposeful escape to a tranquil setting, where yoga, mindfulness, and wellbeing take center stage. Expect to immerse yourself in daily yoga sessions led by experienced instructors, cultivate mindfulness through meditation, and savor nourishing, healthy meals. Beyond yoga and meditation, retreats often offer opportunities for personal growth, holistic healing, and connecting with like-minded individuals in a supportive community. With a focus on relaxation, self-discovery, and a break from digital distractions, a yoga retreat promises a rejuvenating and transformative experience amidst serene natural surroundings.

Benefits of doing a Yoga Retreat

You can always just include Yoga in your daily fitness routine. The main benefit of going on a Yoga Retreat is to take a short break from the stresses of the world and to reconnect with your inner self. To not have to rush from work to your Yoga class and rush home again to cook dinner for your family. A Yoga Retreat is time for yourself, to find your passions again and recharge your mind to take on every day challengers with patience and grace.

Here are a few reasons why Yoga is so good for you:

Improved flexibility, strength and posture
Yoga helps to stretch and tone your body muscles. There is a misconception you have to be super flexible to do Yoga- at Shanti-Som we aim to show our guests that Yoga can be practiced and enjoyed at all levels of ability with the singular aim to strengthen our bodies. Slowly guests can see improvement and gradual loosening so that once impossible poses now become possible. Then you will notice the aches and pains disappear.

Strong muscles protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain.
Daily Yoga helps improve posture and you will soon feel you walk taller and sit up straighter.
Yoga prevents cartilage and joint breakdown as it helps take your joints through a full range of motions.
Yoga poses require movement backwards and forwards, with many twists which help to keep the spinal disks supple.

Weight Loss
Gentle Yoga positions fuel the metabolic system and help burn fat leading to weight loss. Daily Yoga also strengthens the mind-body connection which is important to deal with emotions that are related to issues such as using food to suppress feelings.

Improved Fitness
If going to the gym and huffing and puffing with weights is not your idea of a fun workout then Yoga can give all that a gym can but in a peaceful, safe and holistic way. Yoga is a combination of cardio and strength training.

Reduced Stress
Studies have shown that Yoga can help regulate the heart rate variability which means the heart rate is generally lower, giving the body the ability to handle stress more effectively. It has shown that cortisol levels become significantly lower after practicing Yoga which results in lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Increase in Energy & Immunity
Practicing some Yoga positions each day helps to awaken the main energy centers (chakras) in your body and to circulate the blood flow, open the chest and encourage you to take in more breath.

Yoga helps you focus: Yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time and memory as it focuses us on the present.
Boosts your immune system: meditation appears to have a beneficial effect on the immune system, boosting it when needed.

Types of Yoga and what do we offer

Hatha Yoga
A gentle and slower practice ideal for beginners to stretch and develop flexibility, find balance and improve mental focus. Hatha yoga is an alignment-based class to develop awareness of one’s own body and explore basic postures.

Vinyasa Yoga
A more dynamic and faster pace style of yoga. Vinyasa yoga is a flow, connecting one posture to the other using the breath, like a choreography. Great for developing strength, flexibility, grace and vitality. Because it is more energetic than most traditional forms of yoga, it burns more calories. It is also an opportunity to learn more challenging postures to advance your practice.

Yin Yoga
This class is all about relaxation and a deep stretch for ultimate zen! It is a more passive style of yoga: postures are primarily done on the floor and held for longer to allow for a deeper, grounding and more restorative practice. Most poses are supported with props like blocks, bolsters and blankets to so that you can sink deeper and release tension accumulated in the muscles and free your fascia memory.

A practice for deep release of tension in tight spots and areas of holding, a deeper connection with the breath, slowing down your heart and calming the nervous system.

Iyengar Yoga
Unlike Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar yoga poses are held for longer periods of time. When stability is achieved in a pose, it’s then possible to safely intensify the depth of the posture. This helps to help develop strength and flexibility, along with sensitivity and awareness between the body and mind.

Iyengar yoga recognizes that all bodies are unique and have different strengths and weaknesses. It therefore advocates the use of props – blocks, chairs, belts, and blankets to help students to gain the correct alignment suitable for their individual body. This ensured that asanas could be practised safely and harmoniously.

Benefits of Yoga and Meditation

The benefits of yoga and meditation are manifold, nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga enhances physical health, fostering flexibility, strength, and balance, while meditation promotes mental clarity, emotional stability, and stress reduction. Together, they create a powerful synergy, improving overall well-being and quality of life. These practices cultivate self-awareness, empowering individuals to manage their emotions and find inner peace. Over time, yoga and meditation can lead to increased mindfulness, reduced anxiety and depression, enhanced focus, and a heightened sense of relaxation. Ultimately, they provide a holistic path to achieving optimal health, harmony, and a deeper connection with one’s inner self.

The meaning of Namaste

‘Nama’ means bow; ‘as’ means I and ‘te’ means you, so namaste literally means ‘bow me you’ or ‘I bow to you’.

It’s rather formal, for example in Asian culture, it’s most often used as a greeting of deep respect, reserved for elders, teachers, or other honorable. To use Namaste in Yoga, the teacher usually initiates it as a symbol of gratitude and respect to the students and their own teacher. Namaste can be used as an expression of appreciation and respect towards another person. It can be used as a hello or goodbye greeting, so you might say Namaste upon meeting someone, or before parting ways.