Travel Abroad to These Incredible Yoga Retreats

Traveling to embrace a passion has become more popular than ever, and many yoga practitioners visit locations around the world both to relax and to improve their practice. Many yogis choose to go to India, where yoga originated. If you want to engage in fulfilling, authentic practice with luxury accommodations, you may want to investigate Shreya Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. Owned by the Relais & Chateaux group, the retreat center offers a number of amenities beside regular practice, including vegetarian cuisine made from locally grown, organic produce.

Another popular destination is Amansala on the beaches of the Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico. Visitors enjoy morning Vinyasa sessions followed by meditation and time to relax on the beach. You can also explore the unique Tulum culture or investigate nearby Mayan ruins.

A great European getaway is Silver Island in Evia, Greece. This retreat, run by two sisters, brings practitioners to a private island just a few miles from Athens. The simple, comfortable accommodations overlook amazing cliffs where you can practice yoga as the sun comes up over the Mediterranean Sea.

Virasana Offers Challenges for All Students

A seated pose that requires flexibility in the knees and quads, virasana, or hero pose, doesn’t look like it would be all that difficult upon first glance. To enter this unassuming pose, begin by kneeling with the knees gently touching. In this position, the shins and the tops of the feet are flat against the mat and the feet are hip-width distance apart. With the hands, roll the calf muscles outwards and then slowly begin to lower down, settling the buttocks between the ankles.

Beginners and less-flexible individuals (or those suffering from knee or ankle injuries) can support this pose by placing a blanket or block beneath the tailbone. From this upright version of virasana, students can introduce gentle arm and shoulder stretches. Those seeking a deeper sensation can begin working toward supta, or reclined virasana. Once the buttocks reach the floor, if the knees don’t reveal any major strain, students can lower backwards onto the elbows before relaxing completely onto the floor. More advanced students can add an additional challenge by raising the arms above the head rather than leaving them beside the body.

What is Swedish Massage?

Swedish massage, the most well-known kind of massage in the Western world, is, for most people, a good introduction to the world of massage therapy. The technique addresses the whole body with the goal of relaxing its joints and muscles. A Swedish massage therapist may alternate kneading, vibr
ation, tapping, long strokes, and deep circular movements as he or she works.

As a tradition, Swedish massage grew out of Western physiology and anatomy, rather than the energy-based traditions used in some types of Asian massage. Swedish massages usually last an hour or so, but longer sessions can allow the therapist to achieve better results.

During the massage, the therapist will typically begin by spreading oil on the skin and then use a series of strokes to warm up the muscles and break up knots or adhesions of other tissue. Massage therapists will ask about injuries or other conditions that may affect the massage, and patients can tell their therapists about preferences they have.