10 out-of-this-world yoga retreats to book right now

In 2015, top instructors (along with healthy sidekicks like raw food chefs) are taking their classes all over the world, offering incredible yoga retreat experiences that could have you surfing in Nicaragua or gazing at lions in Botswana in between sun salutations.

Here are 10 amazing yoga retreats happening this winter and spring (February through May) for your travel booking—or travel fantasizing —pleasure. —Lisa Elaine Held

(Photo: Maderas Village via Yogascapes)

Paradise on the Playa Yoga & Surf Adventure

Yoga-adventure company Yogascapes hosts this trip to the Nicaragua’s ridiculously picturesque surf coast, where twice daily yoga classes with Los Angeles’ Dana Rizer will be interspersed with surfing lessons, community meals made with fresh, local ingredients, and a sound healing workshop with New York musician Isabel Castellvi. www.yogascapes.com

(Photo: Maderas Village via Yogascapes)

Aroma 101: Foundation of Aromatherapy Retreat at The Standard Spa

Amy Galper, New York’s first aromatherapy school founder, heads south to the Standard Spa in the Sunshine State. While at the trendy wellness hotspot you’ll learn how to formulate your own natural  fragrances and skin-care products in between daily yoga classes, steams in the hammam, cool spa treatments—and probably some poolside lounging. www.standardhotels.com

(Photo: Standard Spa Miami Beach)

Pravassa RetreatWell with Jillian Pransky

Costa Rica’s go-with-the-flow refrain, Pura Vida, comes to life in this retreat designed to help you find calm and balance. You’ll get there through daily yoga sessions with renowned instructor Jillian Pransky, and other “active relaxation” activities like horseback riding, jungle and waterfall hikes, and kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding. Not to mention beach bonfires and a “Shamanic Prayer Celebration.” www.pravassa.com

(Photo: Jillian Pransky)

Eat Pray Move Give Back Retreat

Daily yoga and meditation classes plus healthy vegetarian meals at a super cool, eco-chic boutique hotel is just the tip of the…yoga mat during this uber-luxe getaway hosted by popular retreat company Eat Pray Move. You’ll also go on a traditional mule trek in the Atlas Mountains, have afternoon tea at the historic La Mamounia Hotel, spend a spa day at the famous Bains de Marrakesh, and enjoy a meal, with wine pairings, at Sir Richard Branson’s luxury retreat. To top it off, ten percent of the profits will be donated to help underprivileged women in the surrounding communities. www.eatpraymove.com

 (Photo: Eat Pray Move)

Yoga 216 Yoga Retreat 2015

New York City’s prettiest little oasis of a yoga studio brings its decompressing approach to a gorgeous boutique hotel on a noncommercial stretch of the Mayan Riviera. Expect three fresh, healthy meals daily, twice-daily yoga classes with 216 founder Nicole Katz and senior teacher Cynthia Russell, a massage, paddleboarding, and plenty of time to unwind on deserted white sand beaches. www.yoga216.com

(Photo: Facebook/Holbox Hotel Casa Las Tortugas)

Bliss Out Wellness
Rincon, Puerto Rico
April 24–28

A trio of New York City wellness gurus will be your guides for this four-day adventure, with haute vegan chef Daphne Cheng cooking up amazing, healthy meals, and holistic health coach Sarah Anne Stewart and yoga teacher Fern Olivia Langham leading you through yoga and meditation sessions, workshops on self-love, manifestation, Thai massage, and more. Plus, there are plenty of opportunities for manifesting some vitamin D with surfing, paddleboarding, and waterfall excursions. www.blissoutwellness.com

(Photo: Bliss Out Wellness)

Yoga Reef Escape

Two yoga classes per day take place on a handcrafted palapa (an open-air hut) surrounded by the deep blue Caribbean on this retreat hosted by skilled Iyengar instructor and Atelier Yoga creator Carolyn Christie. And the pretty seaside lodge offers beach hammocks and lounge chairs for serious R&R as well as activities like snorkeling (which is amazing here), kayaking, and biking if you want to up the active factor. www.atelieryoga.com

(Photo: Atelier Yoga)

Radical Reset Blissology Detox Retreat

At an eco village retreat center, you’ll be introduced to the five elements of star yoga instructor and nature-enthusiast Eoin Finn’s Blissology method—daily yoga, meditation, gratitude journaling, organic plant-based meals, and healing massage. Plus, time spent with the warm, slightly goofy Finn (who’s co-hosting the retreat with his wife, Insiya) in paradise is practically guaranteed to make you a happier person. www.blissology.com

(Photo: Blissology)

The Travel Yogi’s Mexican Riviera Nourish Your Soul

Neshama Project creator Rachelle Tratt is a yogi, artist, and jewelry designer, while Philosophie founder Sophie Jaffe is a wellness guru, specifically a raw foods chef, yoga teacher, and personal trainer. Which is to say that with the pair as hosts, this retreat is bound to be seriously holistic. In addition to daily yoga classes (in various styles), you’ll take part in a three-day food-based cleanse, volunteering in a local community, a visit to Mayan ruins, and any other soul-nourishing activities—from spa treatments to snorkeling. www.thetravelyogi.com

(Photo: Casa Om)

Vida Yogi Safari

Instead of those NYU student regulars at your yoga class, you may spot lions, elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, or cheetahs during this safari adventure focused on nature and wildlife conservation. Brazilian-born New York Ashtanga instructor Aline Fernandes will be your guide for yoga and guided meditation sessions, which you’ll squeeze in between traveling between tented camps and witnessing all of the incredible wildlife. www.vidayogi.com

(Photo: Travel for Conservation)

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