Please note: While we don’t have any upcoming Santorini retreats, you are most welcome to apply for our 200hr yoga teacher training intensive in Santorini this April 2020 (or our Business and Marketing Retreat also in April). Also, don’t forget to enter this quarter’s fall finds giveaway.

I’ve been coming to Greece for years, and I swear it never gets old. I wanted to share how our last retreat went - it took place about two weeks ago for a week, and we will be going back again in April for our 200hr yoga teacher training intensive.

Arrivals: I typically fly out of New York, and usually either go through London or Athens. This time, I flew British Airways business class for the first time. I was not impressed by their business service. The seat configuration was so odd. The food was surprisingly bad, and I thought that for the money, the premium economy was a far better option given the quality of the seats, the seat configurations, and the cabin size. I don’t always fly business, but I try to when it’s a red eye international flight, so I can get some sleep. My flight path went from New York to London, and then I had a quick layover (a little too quick, if you ask me). Heathrow is so huge, and you’ve got to go through customs there, so it just takes a pretty long time. I only had an hour and twenty minutes to transfer, and I was literally the second to last person to get on the flight to Santorini.

I had really bad anxiety prior to this trip (you can read about it in the exclusive section of the YBC® App where I shared a more candid, personal essay about the anxiety I was dealing with).

Venue Arrival: I arrived to Santorini to a notification on my phone that my bag didn’t make it. That was such a huge bummer because like a complete rookie traveler, I didn’t put a swimsuit or shorts in my carry-on. I only threw in a clean pair of underwear (PS - I swear by these. I switched over last year, and they are the most comfortable.), a clean pair of socks, plus a pair of leggings because I changed into sweats on the plane. So I was a little unprepared and just felt so gross after a long flight and not having my thangs!

Food in Greece: The food in Santorini is so fresh and delicious. My first meal was an Aegean tuna and fresh veggies. I also ate my weight in gyros and souvlaki. Basically, when I’m abroad, I don’t really follow my typical diet. At home, I’m not much of a bread or simple carbs person. I just don’t feel great when I eat them consistently. But when I’m abroad and souvlaki comes with french fries, you bet your bottom dollar I’m gonna eat the heck outta those french fries! #letmelive

Pre-Arrival of the Group: I usually arrive to a retreat venue a day or two prior to the rest of the group just in case my flight is delayed, and also to ensure I have a moment to get grounded and be my best self before they arrive. I can’t exude any sense of stress or anxiety because it sets the wrong tone for the vibe I want at my events. In the case of this yoga retreat, I arrived one day prior to everyone. I settled in despite missing luggage and got straight to work. One of the benefits of my job is being able to work from anywhere, so long as I have a wifi signal.

After catching up on a bit of work, I was starting to feel really sluggish - jet lag was definitely rearing its head, so I went for a little hike and just tried to take some deep breaths, get grounded, and start to relax a bit. As I’d mentioned earlier in this post, I was definitely feeling super anxious.

Day Two: I didn’t sleep at all the first night but I was determined to get on local time, so on day two, I told myself to just keep moving. The students were meant to arrive around 4pm, so I had a good amount of time to occupy myself. I rented a car - see above - the car rental process in Santorini always cracks me up. I have never received a car with any gas in it. It’s always on E with the light on, but they don’t have a care in the world and tell me not to worry, it’ll make it to the gas station. To their credit, the cars always do! The first thing I did was go to the grocery store for some bottled water (unfortunately, you can’t drink the water from the tap in Santorini), and then I went to the store and got myself a swimsuit because my luggage wasn’t going to arrive until 7pm that evening, and I couldn’t sit around in my sweaty clothes a second longer.

The benefits of going to Greece in October include swimsuits that are 50% off, far fewer tourists than normal, and the perfect temps! It was about 75-85 degrees each day and nice and chilly (around 60-65) at night. It was perfect for me because normally in July or August, it is oppressively hot.

I hung out by the pool and then went to Oia to walk around a bit. Like I said, the goal was to just keep moving, so I didn’t fall asleep.

Students’ Arrival: The arrival process was seamless for the students. They were jet lagged, but we had a nice welcome dinner together, and then they went to bed. The next morning, we kicked off the retreat with yoga, followed by breakfast together, and then they set out to explore the town. Everyone got along so well, which isn’t surprising - I’ve never had a retreat where people didn’t get along! Everyone came as solo travelers except for a mom/daughter duo. People make fast friends on these little getaways, and it’s a good time!

Typical Days: The sunsets in Santorini are definitely something to see. While breakfast was included in the yoga retreat, lunch and dinner were on your own, so people took off most nights to see the sunset from different places in Oia, the local town. Here was my view one evening. We’d meet for yoga in the morning and evening, and the rest of the time was free time to just hang out by the pool, rent a boat, do a wine tasting, etc. My yoga retreats are super relaxed and laid back for the participants.

You’ll note I said they’re laid back for the participants…but not so much for us! Well, there’s a healthy balance, but most of the time, I am focused on work. My team and I still have to run YBC® from afar. On this particular week we were running a promotion of our Business and Marketing Online Intensive, and then planning a huge video bundle that we were going to shoot with Eva on postural awareness, movement patterns and more. We did manage to go out for a meal together, though, and it was so much fun. Ashley, pictured left, and Eva, on the right next to me, were part of my Thailand yoga teacher training - the first graduating class! I really like to recruit from within, and Ashley is now our Editorial and Social Media Director, and Eva was a second assistant for this week. It was amazing to catch up in person!

You know I’m always trying to get dat broth in! Here’s a seafood soup I had while out for dinner one night.

I used fresh lavender from the lavender bushes surrounding the yoga area during savasana, and it was such a hit.

It was such a great retreat. My team got a ton of work done and was able to make some good memories while doing it. The group of participants got to see the gorgeous island of Santorini and do fun excursions like boating, hiking, and shopping. It was perfect. On the final day, we packed up, said our goodbyes, and then it was time for me to head to Italy for our next yoga retreat! Recap of that coming soon!

If you’re a yoga teacher or wellness professional, and you’d like to experience the magic of Santorini, join me in April for a Namaslay® Business and Marketing Intensive!

Santorini Yoga Retreat Recap

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