Retreat guides
Long-form guides for the questions that come before booking: what a programme really involves, what it tends to include, and what to ask the host. Each one is written for this site and built on the programmes listed here, with the numbers recalculated from those listings and the outside facts linked to their sources.
How to choose a yoga teacher training
What the 200, 300 and 500-hour levels mean, what Yoga Alliance registration does and doesn't tell you, how long and how expensive courses are at each level and in each country, and the questions that separate one school from another.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →
200-hour yoga teacher training in India
What a 200-hour course actually involves, what schools in India charge and include, how Rishikesh, Goa and Kerala compare, and how to check a school's registration before you pay a deposit.
Updated October 7, 2026Read the guide →
Yoga retreats in Bali
How Ubud, the south coast, the rice-field villages of the west and the quieter north compare for a yoga retreat, what programmes on the island cost and include, how the wet season and Nyepi affect your dates, and what to sort out before you fly.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →
Women's retreats
What sets a women's retreat apart, the main kinds on offer, from yoga weekends and hiking trips to embodiment and therapy-led programmes, how long they run and what they cost, and the questions that tell you whether one is right for you.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →
Meditation and silent retreats
What a day on a meditation retreat looks like, how Vipassana, Zen, mindfulness and yoga-based retreats differ, what silence really means in practice, how long a first retreat should be, and the questions to ask a teacher before you book.
Updated October 17, 2026Read the guide →
Yoga retreats in Greece
How Corfu, Kos, Lesvos and the Cyclades compare with the mountains of Pelion and Olympus for a yoga retreat, when the season and the meltemi wind shape your week, what programmes cost and include, and what to check before you book flights.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →
Ayurveda and panchakarma retreats in India
What separates a longer panchakarma programme from a few days of Ayurvedic treatments, what hosts in India list as included, why Kerala is the classic choice, and what to ask before you book.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →
Equine-assisted retreats
Horses turn up in retreats in very different ways. How groundwork differs from riding, who these retreats suit and who they don't, what to ask a host, and where the programmes on RetreatBird run.
Updated October 16, 2026Read the guide →