With people leading more pressurised lives and the need to unwind almost a necessity, a new type of holiday has started to thrive - the yoga retreat. Hélène Hofmanreports
Practising yoga regularly is shown to tone muscles, exercise the spine and skeleton, improve circulation and clear the mind. Since it was introduced to Ireland more than 20 years ago it has continued to grow in popularity, particularly in the last 10 years.
The Irish Yoga Association (IYA), which was set up in 1978, estimates that there are now at least 100,000 people practising yoga in Ireland.
There are many definitions of yoga, but it is generally agreed that it is group of group of ancient practices aimed at harmonising the body and mind that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Yoga tones the body physically, but practitioners say it also heightens spiritual awareness, increases energy levels and boosts the immune system.
While most people in Ireland take part in weekly classes made up of breathing techniques, meditation and postures, many people are going a step further and signing up for yoga retreats or yoga holidays that last from a weekend to several weeks.
"If you do yoga during the week, it's usually a night class and after a long day at work it can be hard to find the energy," explains Greg Walsh, director of the Samadhi yoga centres in Dublin and Drogheda, who has been organising yoga retreats for the past five years.
"A weekend away or more gives you time to go quite deeply into the yoga experience. It gives people time to unwind properly," says Walsh.
According to organisers of yoga retreats and holidays around the State, their courses have attracted people from all walks of life from their early 20s to late 60s. Less experienced people will generally opt for a yoga holiday rather than a retreat. In most cases a yoga holiday is more laid-back than a retreat, with a few hours of yoga a day combined with time off to read, walk or just relax.
A yoga retreat is generally more intense, with less free time and may take place either fully or partially in silence. Both yoga retreats and holidays are usually vegetarian or vegan and most include on-site accommodation as part of the package.
"Yoga gives you time out," says Patricia Roche from the IYA, who has gone on yoga retreats abroad in the past. "If you do go on a retreat or holiday you have even more time to meditate and appreciate the postures you're doing.
"It will enhance the yoga experience and immerse you completely in it. You get a real sense of wellbeing. It opens you up not just physically but spiritually as well and you make great friends," she says.
Although a small number of organisers accept beginners on their courses, Roche says yoga retreats or holidays are more suited to people who have been practising yoga for at least a year.
"If you're a beginner and you find yourself with people who've been doing it for 20 years you'll feel out of your depth straight away," she says. "For yoga classes in general, as well as retreats, check out the level of the class. There are different types of yoga and you need to find the one that's right for you," Roche says.
She also recommends checking up on the qualifications of the teacher and asking for a character reference if unsure.
"For a teacher doing a yoga holiday or retreat is a big undertaking so check how long they've been training and whether they've kept up their professional training. Check out what the venue is like, ask about professional indemnity, is there free time - will you get half a day off to yourself?" she says.
"People going need to be responsible for themselves as well. They may suffer from certain medical conditions - for example, high blood pressure or a detached retina - that mean it might not be a good idea to take part. The yoga teacher needs to be up to speed on anything like that."
The Burren Yoga and Meditation Centre in Co Galway caters for both beginners and regular practitioners. The centre opened in May 1999 and is one of the busiest in the Republic, with over 40 courses being run each year.
"About 90 per cent of our courses are suitable for beginners," explains David Brocklebank who runs the Burren Centre.
"Instead of intense yoga sessions in austere surroundings, the accommodation here is comfortable. Our aim is to encourage people to take up yoga and keep doing it," he says.
There are many different types of yoga and Brocklebank says that getting the type that's right for you is important. Most hosts, including the Burren Centre, are willing to discuss individual cases before signing up for a course to decide whether the person is suited to a more energetic, intense yoga like Ashtanga or a more relaxed one like Hatha, which is one of the most common types taught in Ireland.
"By the end of the retreat people are laughing, the stress and worry is gone. They're feeling toned up and fit. It's not just a break it's a transformation," says Brocklebank.
Elma Toland, a yoga therapist and teacher based in Leixlip, Co Kildare has been organising yoga breaks with her husband Patsy to their native Donegal for the past 10 years. Yogahol combines daily yoga sessions with outings on the Inishowen Peninsula.
"We take people back to where we belong, it's about learning about the history, getting to know the locality. It's 30 per cent yoga, 70 per cent about enjoying the area," explains Patsy. "We meditate and do yoga in the morning but there's time to walk beaches and read - it's ideal for people of all abilities who want space to themselves," he says.
"A yoga holiday is as much about yoga as enjoying the landscape. With yoga you need to lean to move it off the mat and into life," says Elma Toland. "It's not just about the body, it's how you live. It's the whole package, being close to nature and how to take that into the rest of your life," she says.
For more information: contact the Irish Yoga Association at www.iya.ie; Burren yoga and meditation centre: www.burrenyoga.com, 091-637680; Samadhi yoga studies in Drogheda and Dublin: www.samadhi.ie or Yogahol at: www.yogahol.com