SoulFit adventures

What's the Difference Between a Holiday with SoulFit adventures and a Yoga Retreat?

2012-01-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog for 2012! I hope you all enjoyed the festive season with family and friends wherever you may be.

It's that time of the year when most of us are back at work and we are planning our year ahead and thinking about when we can take our next break. I thought I would kick the new year off by explaining the difference between a healthy holiday with SoulFit adventures and a yoga retreat, as people often get confused between the 2.

We all know that the heath and wellness industry is alive and well around the world and is attracting more and more people every day as we all try to find ways of balancing busy and often stressful lives. If you're thinking of going away and would like to do something different from the normal ‘fly and flop’ options (there’s is nothing wrong with a good fly and flop option mind you!) and would like to incorporate yoga, there are two different types of yoga breaks: a yoga retreat and a yoga holiday. Although the two are linked the difference can be quite distinct and at SoulFit adventures we offer the latter of the 2.

Yoga holidays usually take place in holiday settings and place an emphasis on both 'yoga' and 'holiday'. At SoulFit adventures we incorporate yoga and cycling as well as all the things that you would normally do or may not do on a holiday. For example, sightseeing, interacting with the locals, travelling responsibly, supporting local communities, getting a massage, eating fresh local produce, or just relaxing in the sun. The amount of yoga and cycling each day varies on the country you are visiting and of course you – our holidays are a holiday and not a boot camp! It’s up to you how much or how little you do.

In many ways yoga and cycling holidays are an ideal mix: yoga relaxes you and the cycling answers that irritating 'must do something' feeling that often pops up when you're away.

A yoga retreat, on the other hand, places almost all the emphasis on yoga. A well as asana there might be philosophy lectures, a particular diet, chanting, as well as plenty of pranayama and meditation. Generally retreats are just that: a retreat from the outside world to concentrate purely on yoga. Yoga retreats tend to be run by established organisations, teachers or specialist retreat venues.

The choice between healthy holidays and a yoga retreat depends on what you want to get out of your break.
On a holiday with SoulFit adventures we offer you the chance to experience some of the place you're visiting, whilst at the same time doing something that’s good for you and the local communities you visit.

On a yoga retreat you might not see anything outside the boundary fence of wherever it is you're staying. However retreats offer the opportunity to learn about yourself – the journey is inward. A yoga retreat is aimed at transformation and learning: it's about self-development, more than simply getting away.

Healthy holidays have become increasingly popular over the last five years and indeed there are many advantages to a healthy holiday when considering a trip abroad. Aside from possibly losing a bit of weight, you have the chance to practice yoga free from the distractions of work, family or social life. If, on the other hand, you're a yoga newbie then it's a great way to learn– a holiday that incorporates yoga is a great way to kick start your practice or whatever you've learned so far. The cycling allows you to see the country and its people from handle bar level and along with the yoga will improve your overall fitness. An added bonus is when you decide to have that extra helping at dinner, there’s no need feel guilty as you know you will work it off the next day!

Are they difficult? As I mentioned earlier, our holidays ARE holidays and NOT boot camps. They are tailored to beginner, intermediate to experienced levels – yoga teachers, for example, usually offer advanced variations on postures so you can go further if you like. With the cycling, the days can be short or long depending on your fitness levels and, if you decide halfway through the day that you have had enough, you can hop into the air-conditioned support vehicle.

There's a careful distinction between a healthy holiday and a yoga retreat – with the latter being much more disciplined and challenging, the former being aimed at relaxation and fun.

Surprisingly, perhaps, most people who join our holidays are travelling solo and, there is no average when it comes to ages. If you are travelling alone, you're unlikely to be the only one. Actually this is often a benefit – people are away from their normal environments and are really free to enjoy learning something new without the expectations and preconceptions of life at home. And you get a chance to meet similar, like-minded people.

So whether you're a regular yoga practitioner or a complete beginner, experienced cyclist or novice, travelling alone or with friends, a holiday with SoulFit adventures is a great choice. You'll return home with a sense of achievement, more disciplined, with increased self-awareness and concentration, more relaxed and with your senses awakened and your mind and body invigorated – and what other type of holiday can say that?

If you have been thinking about booking a holiday with SoulFit adventures but weren’t sure what the difference was between a holiday with us or a yoga retreat, I hope the above goes some way to explaining the difference.

We have trips to Laos, Italy, Vietnam and Bali with departures scheduled throughout the year. All are very similar in concept but unique to the countries and I look forward to meeting you on a ‘soul soothing adventure’ somewhere soon!

Virginia
Owner/Director
SoulFit adventures

SoulFit adventures - Healthy Holidays

2011-12-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hi there and thanks in advance for reading my first ever blog! My name is Virginia Slevin and I am the owner/director of SoulFit adventures. I should really go back and start at the beginning and tell you a little about SoulFit adventures and myself, and why I became involved in ‘healthy holidays’.

I have always had a passion for travel which was first ignited over 20 years ago when I left Australia as a 21 year old and was fortunate to spend the next 7 years living and working in Europe. Over the last 15 years, I have worked as an event manager organising everything from birthday parties for high profile individuals to major film premieres and everything in between. During this time I used to schedule exercise, yoga and travel around my working life. In 2009 after being made redundant during the GFC and with health and wellness having a bigger impact on my daily life, I decided I needed to make a major change. That change was to try and find a way to combine my passion for travel with health and wellness and my skills as an event manager.

We all know that the health and wellness industry is thriving around the world and is attracting more and more people every day as they try to find ways of balancing busy and often stressful lives.

My idea was to take the health retreat concept but instead of staying in the one place, take it on the road to allow people to see something of the country they are visiting and incorporate yoga, cycling, meditation and massage at the same time. I also wanted to give something back to the local communities we visit by staying at locally owned and operated boutique accommodation where possible; so that the income is generated for the local towns or villages we visit.

Basically, I wanted to offer people a holiday where they get the chance to do something that is good for them whilst travelling responsibly. They might lose a bit of weight along the way, at the very least they will finish with a sense of achievement, relaxed and with their senses awakened, their mind and body invigorated. In the end, everyone’s a winner!

SoulFit adventures works in collaboration with the best instructors in their chosen field, whether that's yoga instructors or cycling guides. They are highly experienced and experts in their areas.

The Soulfit adventures portfolio currently includes trips and retreats to Laos, Vietnam, Bali and Italy each very similar in concept but different at the same time. Following is a short summary of my trips and retreats:

Cycling for the Soul - Laos is 11 days of cycling Northern Laos’ back roads. This unique journey starts and finishes in the delightful town of Luang Prabang. Our accommodation is beautiful, food delicious and daily yoga, meditation and complimentary massages will ensure your body is in top condition for the journey through the lush Laotian countryside. This tour is truly an indulgence for your mind, body and soul where we soak up the warmth of the people and a country still relatively new to tourism.

Cycling for the Soul - Vietnam is an amazing 12 day journey through southern Vietnam. Cycling the Mekong, daily yoga from our private instructor, massage, boutique 5 star resorts, world heritage listed towns of Hue and Hoi An, mountains and the sea, plenty of downtime and last but not least, the shopping (!) combine to make this one of the most relaxing and uplifting holidays you will have experienced in a long time.

Soul Soothing Italy is an exquisite blend of quality yoga practice and guided cycling in idyllic surrounds in the Tuscan countryside. Held at the delightful Villa Benvenuti, a 17^th century villa set amongst 28 hectares of natural woodlands just outside the medieval city of Lucca. We practise yoga every morning and then cycle the quiet back roads where our trails lead us to discover places steeped in history and nature, all the while surrounded by to die for scenery. Join SoulFit adventures for a slice of a never seen before side of ‘La Dolce Vita‘!

Soul Soothing Bali is a holistic retreat set in the lush Tabanan region – the rice bowl of Bali and well away from the main tourist areas of Kuta/Seminyak and Ubud. We spend 7 days in a gorgeous remote mountain retreat and explore the surrounding villages and rice paddies by foot and bicycle. Our daily yoga, meditation and spiritual practice will awaken the soul and provide a stimulating environment to relax and unwind.

SoulFit adventures tours and retreats are designed for people of all ages and abilities where you will have the chance to reconnect with yourself in a truly magical settinsg. At the same time you will absorb the sights, scents, tastes and atmospheres of countries in ways they would not normally reveal to you!

I invite you to come along and relax into these journeys, rejuvenate with revitalizing daily yoga sessions, invigorating exercise, relaxing massages, fabulous food and stunning boutique accommodation. Soak up a slower pace of life and, find a little more of yourself along the way.

For more information send me an email virginia@soulfitadventures.com or check out the website http://www.soulfitadventures.com/

I look forward to meeting you on a soul soothing holiday somewhere soon and, Merry Christmas!

Virginia

Owner/Director

SoulFit adventures