First Time Leading a Yoga Retreat, a Q&A Session with Kassandra Reinhardt

Leading your first yoga retreat can be a giant leap of faith. But it is a leap well worth taking.

A yoga teacher looking to make the jump, can look to those who have already taken the plunge to share their stories of struggles, triumphs and overall personal experience.

We asked one of the leading online yin yoga instructors, Kassandra Reinhardt, to answer some questions about her experience leading up to and during her very first yoga retreat this past summer.

Why did you decide to host a yoga retreat?

Since I mainly teach yoga online, hosting retreats around the world allows me to meet some of my students in-person! Retreats are a great opportunity for me to connect with my audience on a deeper level, while also exploring the world.

When did you feel ready to host your very own yoga retreat?

It took me over three years of teaching online, and five years of teaching in-person before I felt ready to step into this new adventure. Hosting retreats requires a lot of work and you need to have a strong community to ensure that people sign up.

Where did you go on your first retreat, and where will you be going next?

I went to Iceland this past Summer, and will be going to Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica next February.

How did you go about planning your retreat?

I decided to partner up with a planning company in order to reduce the amount of logistical planning on my end.

What was the most difficult part of planning a yoga retreat?

I find the hardest part to be communicating with your hosts. They are usually in different time zones and don't always answer in a timely manner, which adds to the stress of planning out the retreat. There is also a language barrier sometimes that makes communication difficult.

What was the most rewarding?

To me the best part is seeing students create friendships and get to know each other as the week progresses. They arrive as strangers but they leave as friends, and that's a wonderful process to be a part of.

Who came? (i.e. demographic, and how they found you)

I had (and have) a very wide demographic, 20-70 years old, male and female. They mostly find me through my YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra.

Where did you promote your retreat?

I promoted the retreat across all of my social channels - Youtube, my website, social media and my mailing list.

Overall, how would you summarize your first experience leading a yoga retreat?

It was a wonderful learning experience! You can prepare the most amazing retreat, but at the end of the day there is so much that is out of your hands. Leading a retreat teaches you to "go with the flow" and maintain a positive attitude even if a few things go wrong. It makes you a better leader, and a better teacher.

Have you been thinking about hosting your first retreat? Contact Adzenture Retreats - we’ll be with you every step of the way.

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