Photo taken by Ste Marquez

Founder Ali @ Ali Morton Yoga gives a peek into an overseas yoga retreat from the eyes of the host.

The Before

I had this cloud of ‘I’m not ready, I need to be doing more’ this year.

There also were some new considerations with this new group which was new to me. I just needed to put on my ‘adulting’ pants to ensure I did all I could to ensure there was minimal stress for those involved and that they trusted me from the offset. The work starts a year before the retreat as well as during and after.

This year I took two nights on the island for myself at my favourite hotel in Portals to prepare for hosting a 7-night yoga retreat with 10 gorgeous yogis. I did a yoga practice on the balcony and took time to slow down spending the morning by the pool. No run that morning as my body definitely needed to rest. I practiced my sound baths too- a new offering this year and my first time!

I had that excited and nervous feeling. I have done this retreat before, but a year is a long time and still feels so fresh. With it being new guests, a stressful and busy year not to mention the anxieties running up to arriving on the island with awful storms and air traffic control strikes!

So, when it came to the first evening on retreat I just wanted for everyone to get there safely. I didn’t journal or log anything on arrival day as I was fully present and in the zone of ensuring all was okay; fans in the rooms, the new chef was happy, Kim my gorgeous friend and massage angel, and the guests were happy. There was a cloud of anxiety and uncertainty in the air with; expectations of ‘doing’, the weather and just getting to know the new environment and each other. I remember the ‘back to school feeling’ when I was at boarding school- new bed, new people, and missing those comforts that we take for granted. The little girl in me wanted to protect the group from that homesickness but I did all I could do to make everyone feel welcome, safe, and held. I’m so grateful for a lovely group of yogis again this year and I can’t wait to get to know them better and see how their bonds grow.

The During

Day one had a focus on grounding and stability. A yogi opened up to me and I feel so honoured for her sharing her vulnerability with me. A big responsibility for me as the host is to provide a safe space and for guests to feel supported. Although I had days by the pool chilling with the yogis, on retreat I am always available 24/7.

The first day is always a day where communication is key with getting to know the yogis, retreat ‘to knows’ and ‘to dos’, chef communication and just reacquainting myself with my gorgeous environment here. There is always an emphasis on settling in which space is given for guests to slow down after arriving in Mallorca. Naturally, it was a restless night for many. Some went out and about on the first day, perhaps having a little ‘flight/fright’ mode. Both yoga classes and my first sound bath with my three bowls I brought out with me (yes they took up most of my baggage allowance) relaxed everyone for which I received great feedback. The yoga practices flowed really well. There is so much I love about hosting yoga retreats but the extended classes and the depths we can dive into are something I value and cherish.

As the days went on, the themes were much loved and took students on a journey to connect them to this oasis in nature, calming and settling in to enable deep connection and transformation. By the time the final day arrived, I held a New Moon in Virgo yin yoga, meditation, and sound bath.

Mallorca 2023 Godessess

Modelling their Laughing Lotus Retreats Hammam Towels.

The venue here is so magical and in total synchronicity with nature. So much so that we had thunder and lightning during the fire element and a Red Kite bird flying low in the wind during the Air element. The group’s energies were so in sync by the third day, taking a journey of transformation. From rest and stability, emotion and creativity, connection and manifestation, to a shift of excitement.

The Afterglow

I sit here writing this outside overlooking the rolling gardens and the beautiful view of the mountains. As I sit with the shala prepared for our final yin yoga and new moon ceremony, I contemplate the question that I have been asking my yogis all week.. ‘How are you doing?’

Closing Ceremony

A collection of Autumnal items for our ritual.

Just as with every retreat I host, I have a feeling of being overwhelmed but the best kind. The kind when a child is gifted lots of presents at once or, when a surprise party is sprung on you or when a gecko appears in the corner of your bedroom (yes that did happen).

I feel so lucky to have had the courage to book my first overseas retreat in 2022 having only had a Zoom tour of the venue during covid. If you don’t change you stay in the same place. I can safely say I’m not in the same place I was upon completing my training in 2019.

I feel very accomplished and feel this retreat reaffirms my passion and purpose for what I do and that is to provide a safe, open, and playful space for like-minded beings to connect, reconnect, and rest.

Do I get limiting beliefs? Of course I do. With the yoga and wellness industry being so affluent, like many I’m sure, I sometimes wonder if I am good enough or if I can go bigger in offering more.

But then, as I teach others to, I take a breath, hold on to the feeling in my heart, and then it’s simple…

‘YES’. What’s the worst that can happen? When I see failure as a learning opportunity, of course, I’m going to push myself and broaden my horizons.

To end this, I will leave you with a quote that one of my gorgeous yogis left me with…

‘It’s the retreat I didn’t know I needed’- Cindy