Embracing Wellness | Your Guide To Eco-Friendly Yoga Retreats
Yoga retreats offer the perfect opportunity to disconnect from your busy schedule and focus on yourself. Beyond fitness and meditation, yoga is a philosophy that emphasises respect for the environment. This guide will help you choose a yoga retreat that honours this by being eco-friendly.
THE BENEFITS OF YOGA RETREATS
Yoga offers a wealth of benefits for both body and mind. It enhances physical strength, balance, flexibility, and mental well-being. In our fast-paced lives, finding time to practise this self-care can be challenging. We often need longer than the duration of one class to disconnect. Yoga retreats provide the perfect escape, granting you a break from your daily routine and the opportunity to prioritise your physical and mental health. It’s undoubtedly easier to meditate surrounded by nature with a guide to help you. There are many different types of yoga, each suited for different individuals. Whether you are looking to rest and restore or work up a sweat, yoga retreats offer a variety of styles to suit your needs.
HONOURING THE PRINCIPLE OF AHIMSA
Yoga emphasises the importance of nature and connecting with the environment. This embodies the principle of Ahimsa – non-violence towards all beings, including nature. To honour this principle, it’s crucial to choose retreats that respect the earth. With Ahimsa in mind, we have curated a list of the best eco-friendly luxury yoga retreats around the world. This guide allows you to practise with peace of mind, knowing your hosts are committed to sustainability.
KAMAYALA | KOH SAMUI, THAILAND
Kamayala Wellness Sanctuary is located on the beautiful island of Koh Samui. The retreat is designed to help visitors overcome the challenges of our fast-paced world. This is achieved through combining ancient Eastern healing traditions with Western medical research. Since its opening in 2005, Kamayala has stood out for its dedication to sustainability and promotion of environmental, economic and social change.
The sanctuary composts food waste, treats wastewater for gardening, sources local and organic food, and provides refillable water bottles to eliminate plastic. In 2022, Kamalaya signed UNESCO’s Sustainable Travel Pledge, highlighting its commitment to sustainable travel, community resilience, and heritage conservation.
Kamayala is also deeply connected to the local community. Hosts join monthly green projects like beach clean-ups. On-site hospitality training is provided to students from Bhavana Bodigun Vocational College, which provides free education, food and boarding to Thai students, including orphans ages 15 to 24.
SANTANI | SRI LANKA
Santani has been labelled one of the best retreats in the world by multiple travel magazines. This label is clearly deserved with its seamless integration into the natural surroundings, the gourmet cuisine, and the highest quality luxury experiences. Electric buggies are used around the resort, building materials are all repurposed and natural, and water is treated and recycled. Whether it be food to eat or medicinal herbs, it’s home grown at Santani. Visiting this Sri Lankan retreat really is a once in a life time experience.
PARADIS PLAGE SURF YOGA AND SPA RESORT | AGADIR, MOROCCO
Found along the picturesque coastline of Taghazout in Morocco, Paradis Plage offers a unique blend of relaxation and adventure. Surrounded by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean this is the perfect destination for a surf or wellness retreat.
This eco-friendly luxury resort is the first eco-resort in Morocco. Each year they expand and develop further strategies to help the world around them. Steps include energy-saving initiatives, water-saving and wastewater management, buying locally and supporting local jobs.
Paradis Plage actively supports local associations like the Surf Rider Foundation, organises beach clean-ups and raises environmental awareness. A core part of their policy is training and educating all team members and suppliers on sustainability practices to ensure these values are embedded in their daily operations.
HARAMARA RETREAT | MEXICO
The Haramara concept is built upon physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellness.
Along the breathtaking coast of the Riviera Nayarit, you will find the Haramara Retreat. This resort features 12 private acres of tropical jungle, a private beach and breathtaking views. Haramara is an exclusive and intimate yoga resort with superior yoga and wellness experiences. The yoga pavilions have 360-degree views with a soothing ocean breeze to ground you in your practice and reconnect you with nature. Haramara Retreat uses natural materials in construction to blend into the environment, they also emphasise local ingredients making the resort eco-friendly as well as luxurious.
THE RETREAT | COSTA RICA
The Retreat is located on a 50-acre quartz mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This wellness centre and spa offers a transformational opportunity for guests to reset their internal balance in a nurturing environment. Just 30 minutes from San Jose International Airport, The Retreat features 18 unique rooms, a healing centre and spa, two farm-to-table organic restaurants, organic gardens, and more.
Sustainability is at the heart of The Retreat. This commitment is evident through actions like using organic products, locally sourcing food, employing local community members, supporting local businesses, recycling, composting, and reforestation programs.
OKREBLUE | PAROS, GREECE
Okreblue Eco Yoga Retreat is on the tranquil peninsula of Paros Island, Greece. The retreat offers the perfect environment for healing, rejuvenation, and self-reflection. Visitors will experience daily yoga sessions, meditation and holistic practices designed to enhance well-being and inner peace.
The resort is deeply committed to sustainability. Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers and their organic gardens. Food waste is minimised through compost and water waste through recycling shower water for watering trees. Recent buildings are made from sustainable materials from the surrounding environment, and one of the yoga shalas has a floor made from recycled tyres.
KAWOQ FOREST | GUATEMALA
Formerly known as The Yoga Forest, Kawoq Forest is a sanctuary for replenishment, renewal and restoration in the Guatemalan highlands. The eco-luxury sanctuary overlooks Lake Atitlán, a place of magnificent natural beauty. Kawoq Forest Retreat strives to protect its breathtaking environment. Accommodations are crafted from eco-conscious materials like bamboo, palm roofs and local textiles, toilets are composting and showers are solar-powered. You can choose whether to embark on a personal yoga retreat, join an upcoming group retreat or even host your own at this magical facility.
SIX SENSES VANA | INDIA
Set just south of the Himalayan foothills, Six Senses Vana is founded upon a deep interest in sustainable farming, traditional wisdom and nature. At Six Senses Vana, sustainability is the priority. Rainwater is harvested, water wastage is minimal, have their own bottling plant which reduces the use of single-use plastics by 100,000 bottles a year. All ingredients are local, and waste is composted, recycled, and generally dealt with correctly. Even the pyjamas and team uniforms are made from 100% organic local cotton. As is the bed and bath linen and even the disposable underwear in the treatment rooms. Six Senses Vana really does go the extra mile.
ATZARO | IBIZA, SPAIN
Atzaro is a luxury hotel in the heart of Ibiza. The thirteen-hectare estate boasts its own vegetable garden, a relaxing spa and a deep-rooted connection to nature. The 3-hectare vegetable garden is the source of the hotel’s organic produce, promoting sustainable living and local consumption. At the hotel, you can enjoy yoga, pilates, and other spa treatments and lifestyle activities. Not only does this Atzaro resort prioritise protecting nature but they integrate the beauty of their surroundings into every aspect of your retreat, whether it be an ice bath under the orange trees or a massage using essential oils grown on the estate.
ULAMAN | BALI, INDONESIA
Ulaman’s retreats are designed to nurture the soul and inspire healing and transformation. They offer year-round individualised retreats tailored for every need, whether it be relaxation or rejuvenation. Their mission is to create a self-sustainable community where being eco-friendly is a top priority. Ulaman have won awards for their commitment to eco-living and sustainability practices. All daily operations have eco-consciousness at their core, with a no-plastic policy, organic gardens, filtered well-water, composting and much more. The bamboo architecture seamlessly integrates the resort into its jungle and river surroundings making the resort an architectural paradise where luxury meets natural beauty.
+ Highlight Image: ©Six Senses
