For the past 4 years, I have been one lucky lady.

I have had the opportunity to spend weeks, and even months, living in paradise and teaching at yoga retreats located in some of the most beautiful and healing places in the world… And when I say beautiful, imagine what it would be like to be…

>> watching the sunset as the sinking sun fills the whole sky with vibrant colors; orange, pinks, blues and purples…or,

>> sitting on your big outside balcony, looking out over luscious green valleys that grow as far as the eye can see… or,

>> walking amongst thick rows of heavily laden olive groves and then hours later sitting at a cafe eating fresh organic, extra virgin olive oil direct from these luscious Tuscan olives…. or,

>> swimming in warm, crystal clear blue turquoise waters watching as the water gently laps onto warm, soft, white sandy beaches….

At these yoga retreats, I have asked literally hundreds of people about why they chose to come on a yoga retreat. Over the years, I have received lots of different and interesting answers. So, in this article we will explore three of the most popular reasons that people have shared as why they chose to go on a yoga retreat.

1. To create a new perspective.

If you are experiencing frustration, suffering or feeling a sense of struggle, attending a yoga retreat can help you gain new (and often enlightening) perspectives on life.

Being on a yoga retreat breaks your daily habits and routines. At a yoga retreat you will have the luxury of time and space to do things just for you. You can focus on yourself and your needs. You will have time to indulge in long yoga sessions and deep relaxation.

You will be able to contemplate what makes you happy and have the time to do it. You can have the time to eat yummy local foods, go for long walks in nature or just sit peacefully in the sunshine.

2. To support a life change or transition.

Life is all about change. It is one of the only constants in life and yet for many of us, it can be one of the hardest things to deal with. When our lives change, everything and everyone we know changes too. Retreats help us cope positively with change.

If you are reassessing your life in any way, thinking of a career change, moving, going through a divorce or experiencing the loss of a loved one then attending a yoga retreat is a beautiful and healthy way for you to gain deeper understanding, clarity and insight.

Going on a yoga retreat can help build courage and internal strength to help you deal positively with your life change.

3. To facilitate healing and transformation.

If you are feeling physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually stressed or burnt out you can pretty much guarantee that you will benefit from going on a yoga retreat. Being on a yoga retreat re-energizes your batteries and will help bring a sense of balance back into your life. Creating balance in your life begins the healing process.

As you reconnect back with your inner self you will be able to get clear on your real values, passions and desires. Coming into alignment with who you really are facilitates and strengthens the healing process.

Yes, you can transform your life.

You can choose to transform anything in your life, and yoga retreats provide a great environment to support you as you do this. Whether you want to change your physical body, your thoughts, your career, your relationships, your health, your bank account or even your waistline.

Dominic, a man who is healing from cancer, attended a yoga retreat last year. He came with his wife and found that the environment at the yoga retreat was a perfect place to relax and heal.

Jennifer, a young lady from America traveled to one of my sun-drenched yoga retreats in the Greek Islands. She wanted to get healthy and lose weight and she told me that being at the yoga retreat was the perfect place to help her establish new, supportive and healthy lifestyle habits.

Yoga retreats will make your spirit go “ahhh.”

Yoga retreats are a brilliant way to break free of old patterns, release limitations, let go of fear and step into the space of courage and new possibilities. They allow you to go deeper into your yoga practice so that you can find space in your body that will allow you to connect with new opportunities in your life.

Here’s a short video, shot in the beautiful medieval village of Casperia, Italy where I will be holding my next yoga retreat in May 2012. To find out more, please see my website.

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Editor: Kate Bartolotta