Top Yoga Retreat Destinations

Amid the clamor of obligations, rush hour traffic, nagging bosses and the chaos of daily life, the last thing most Americans want is a high-volume vacation that requires a lot of running around and planning. Why not try a week at a relaxing yoga retreat, where you will leave with a deep-seated serenity and awareness? You can go anywhere from India to Mexico in search of rejuvenation and spiritual connectedness. With a combination of yoga, massages, jacuzzi tubs and healthy eating, a yoga retreat is more than just a vacation — it's a whole new way of life and in some ways, a rebirth.

Yoga retreat vacations are great for beginners and advanced practitioners alike. A Yoga instructor since 1997, Jillian Pransky says, "Many of my students are city dwellers. Their yoga is fit in between running in and out of busy streets and wedged into their busy workloads. They get little respite and often don't get the dramatic effect they experience on retreat. Your body has more time to open, change, purify and cleanse in a retreat environment than in a daily practice."

Perhaps one of the most dazzling yoga retreat destinations is "Chiva-Som" — located 135 miles South of Bangkok in Hua Hin, Thailand. This particular spa focuses on individualized attention from the moment you arrive and receive your personal Wellness advisor, until the moment you leave (which could be anywhere from 3 to 28 days later, based on your needs). Individualized retreat options include: Chiva-Som Experience, Detox Retreat, Ultimate Detox Retreat, Weight Management Retreat, Fitness Retreat, Spa Retreat, De-stress Retreat and Physical Remedy Retreat. Prices range from $1,500 to $10,000, depending on your length of stay, and include: three meals per day, a daily massage (Thai, Chiva-Som or Invigorating), participation in daily fitness program (yoga class, cardio, aqua fitness, pilates, use of saunas and jacuzzi tubs). Between one-on-one meditation, yoga and spa treatments, you can socialize with 20-40-year-olds over healthy meals of crab and sweet corn soup, pan fried snow fish with salsa, lamb cutlets and organic garden vegetables. Chiva-Som was chosen as the "World's Best Destination Spa" in Travel and Leisure Magazine in 2006. With wooden Thai pavilions, majestic palm trees, pink and purple sunsets and beachside property, it's no wonder why tourists chose this location! More information can be found at ChivaSom website.

You can go alone or with friends and spouses, you can take a high-intensity work out or a slow methodical yoga class, you can go to India or Thailand. Yoga Retreat destinations are varied and breath-taking, so start planning your spiritual vacation today!

It may surprise you to learn that Yoga dates back to 3300-1700 B.C.E. and has long been a practice of Buddhists, Hindus and other Eastern religions. But what should not be surprising the tremendous benefits that this form of exercise and meditation can bring to your life. Working professionals, students, home-makers and the retired alike are finding how wonderful they feel after participating. The sense of calm that prevails as well as the satisfaction of muscles well worked all make Yoga the perfect blend of philosophy, religion and exercise. Even if you do not practice the spiritual aspects of this ancient practice, you can still benefit. Click here to see more: Yoga Music and at Laughing Yoga also at Yoga Positions For Beginners