Wedding planning is stressful, and your bachelorette party should be a break to unwind from the chaos and enjoy the beautiful friendships you’ve cultivated with your closest gal pals. One of the best ways to decompress and feel centered is through the ancient Indian practice of yoga used to align the body, spirit and mind. Gather your girls together and set off on an international vacation to a yoga retreat to embrace your powerful connection to each other and restore your sense of balance before the Big Day.
Yoga is an excellent way to practice self-care and self-love. Through intentional stillness, you’ll find deeper compassion toward yourself, which will only strengthen your relationship with your partner.
Koya Webb is one of the most popular yoga instructors on Instagram and loves the idea of a yoga retreat bachelorette party—she just started offering them to her clientele. She believes bachelorette parties held at yoga retreats are a great way for the bride to get to know herself and her besties, before going through a huge lifestyle change. “Yoga retreat bachelorette parties can enhance your connection to yourself and your besties as you move into this next phase of life where a ton of things will be changing. You’ll build a strong relationship with yourself and what you love, and build stronger relationships with your best girlfriends as yoga will build a bond of trust, communication and sharing that is unsurpassed,” she says.
Sheena Trotman is a wedding planner who is also a yoga teacher. She has hosted bridal parties and has found that the presence of a practicing yoga teacher helps the group ease anxiety. “Having the experience with the ones who mean the most to you right before making the decision of a lifelong commitment is priceless. A bride’s bridal party is her support system and plays a big role in her life in general. Spending that time leading up to her special day learning about each other and themselves, sharing and being vulnerable, and letting go of anything unresolved is precious and important,” says Trotman. She believes that yoga can be a powerful tool during the days before a wedding. “Yoga helps you put aside any distractions, be fully present, and prepare mentally and physically for what is to come in the least stressed way,” she says.
If you want to start adding a few yoga asanas or pranayama (breathing techniques) into your daily routine, Trotman suggests guided meditations and trying Nadhi Sodhanana, also known as alternate nostril breathing for grounding and calming. “Gentle asanas like child’s pose, legs up the wall, supine and seated twist, and corpse pose help to relieve anxiety and gives you peace of mind,” she says. Webb agrees that child’s pose is the best pose to take when feeling overwhelmed and says that corpse pose (savasana) can help you calm down when feeling intense emotions so you can focus on what’s most important — your happiness. Focus on yin asanas, which will restore you, rather than dynamic poses. Use the wall as a prop to deepen the posture — butterfly and sphinx are great to do against a wall.
A yoga retreat is so much more than a getaway or destination vacation — it creates space to practice intentional mindfulness. Many yoga retreats around the world are located on beautiful grounds surrounded by lush forests and healing vibes from Mother Nature. Luckily, many also have on-site spa and wellness services so you can get seriously pampered between asana classes. Here are some of our favorite yoga retreats for bachelorette parties:
Belize City, Belize
Om Shanti Belize organizes yoga retreats with a minimal carbon footprint. The resort can create custom retreats based on your needs, including twice daily yoga practices, healthy vegan food, meditation services and massages using all-natural oils. Om Shanti’s retreats are gatherings for people coming together sharing interests and goals. They believe yoga retreats are an opportunity to focus on the development of one’s personal and spiritual growth. When this is shared, a bond of trust and communication is built. Complimentary massages are offered for brides, as well as a complimentary welcome package filled with local artisan products.
Belize is a beautiful Caribbean nation and the only English-speaking country in Central America — you can find world-class barefoot luxury around the country. Om Shanti is happy to organize adventures for bachelorette parties such as helicopter rides over the blue hole, snorkeling excursions and day trips to archaeological sites.
Om Shanti is dedicated to the environment and has integrated green practices such as the usage of environmentally friendly and reusable products, collaboration with local artisans, and the use of local and organically grown produce.
Treasure Beach, Jamaica
Jakes Hotel often hosts yoga retreats at its beachfront oasis. The socially conscious lodge has an open-air yoga shala that overlooks the Caribbean Sea, allowing a cool breeze to pass through the studio. The yoga packages are perfect for an all-inclusive bachelorette party, as it includes accommodation in one of the picturesque villas, food and beverage, and round-trip airport transfers.
You can add on a special spa package for you and your squad at the Driftwood Spa, located in the same building as the yoga shala. The package includes a body scrub, mani-pedi and a 50-minute aromatherapy massage.
You can hire local Rastafarian yoga instructor Empress Thandi Wise of the Rasta Wellness Centre to lead your practices during your retreat. Her flows focus on the chakras and will leave you open-hearted and feeling balanced and present for your wedding day. Visit the wellness center for other wellness treatments for your bachelorette party such as yoni steaming and aura cleansing with a special 25% discount available for the bride.
Hoi An, Vietnam
With an offering of bespoke yoga retreats, you can hand-select the package from Gratitude Vietnam in Hoi An that’s best suited for your group of friends for a memorable and meaningful bachelorette party. Gratitude Vietnam recommends daily yoga, workshops on gratitude, joy and living in abundance coupled with soothing and grounding evening sound bowl healing meditations. Through these fun workshops, you’ll evaluate your life in the present moment and gain the tools to build greater joy, self-love and compassion.
A beautiful eight-bedroom villa and open-air yoga shala is set in a secluded garden with a pool and labyrinth on Cam Nam island. Farm-to-table meals are served on-site. The quiet sanctuary is centrally located with many excursions available nearby, such as scuba diving, cooking classes, cycling through paddy-fields, enjoying beautiful beaches and exploring the architectural wonders of the Hoi An Ancient Town.
Gratitude Vietnam can accommodate groups up to 15. If your group is of seven or more people, the bride’s spot on the retreat is complimentary as well as two 1:1 sound bowl balancing, sound bowl massage or reiki sessions.
Ahangama, Sri Lanka
The beloved surf and yoga Camp Poe recently launched a luxurious partner accommodation, Nirbana. The tranquil hideaway features 12 rooms and a private 25-meter swimming pool overlooks a river. They often host retreats for women and can accommodate bachelorette parties up to 20 attendees. The retreats are customizable based on what the bridal group seeks to achieve during their retreat and can include daily yoga, stand up paddleboard (SUP) and surf lessons. Fit brides will love to challenge their girlfriends to SUP yoga practices, which takes an extreme sense of balance, aerial yoga or aqua yoga sessions in the pool. Guests also have the chance to participate in moon ceremonies with meditation and yoga. Other optional activities include cooking classes, snorkeling, therapeutic massage and drinks around the fire pit. From November to April, bachelorette parties can enjoy a sunset catamaran swim and float boat trip from Mirissa Harbor.