A Yoga Retreat in Koh Samui – My Honest Experience

Koh Samui is a slice of heaven in Thailand that is all about the majestic beaches and endless nature. If you are one among those thinking of utilizing their school or office break in the best possible manner, then planning your Koh Samui Holidays is always a great idea. This magical place in Thailand provides you ample opportunities to unwind in the lap of nature.

While most of the people opt to visit this place due to its beaches and nightlife, my sole intention to visit it for yoga retreat (don’t be surprised). As I have never been able to perform a full retreat before, I was a bit nervous how my experience would turn out. But after having spent a successful one week of peace and serenity, I can proudly say I made the best decision to relax both my mind and soul.

This post is all about my honest yoga retreat experience during Koh Samui luxury holidays, the things I liked the most, the things I didn’t expect, and what I felt during the whole time. Stay tuned!

What Made Me Select Koh Samui for Yoga?

While there are many other famous travel sites in Thailand to unwind, I wanted a complete body and mind reset due to constant stress and burden that was only due to the excessive usage of screen in office as well as tight deadlines.

My soul was yearning for some peace and that led me finding our different places for wellness. This was the time Koh Samui popped to my search feed and I gave it a hit.

What I found about this destination it was full of greenery and clean beaches, and offers a laid back and natural vibe, that worked perfect for what I needed and aligned with my personal preferences. Overall, the place features many temples and healing centres and this is what made me think of reconnecting with myself amidst this fascinating site.

Overall, there are many yoga and wellness centres here and it becomes a really difficult decision regarding which one to choose. Moreover, each of them have a great rating, so you actually become confused which one to select. Depending on one’s budget, they can accordingly choose from affordable to luxury options. I decided to stay a bit on budget while having an access to fine luxury and and chose Samahita Retreat that is a mid-range one and offers daily yoga classes as well as an endless access to beaches and healthy meals. This sounded much comfortable to me and also met my budget needs.

A Glimpse of My Yoga Retreat Experience

Overall, the atmosphere here was much friendly and most of the travellers here were the solo ones like me, which made me feel easy to interact with them and create special connections. Moreover, spending time here was a great experience as everything came up with a schedule. Firstly, I had to wake up early around 6.30 am to get ready for the yoga session which consisted of Hatha or Vinyasa style and was held at 7 am. After that, at 9 am I used to consume a healthy breakfast that was all organic, including fresh fruits and relevant options. Then, 10 am -3 pm was a free time for me and I could do whatever I wanted such as island exploration or joining a workshop. 4 pm was the time for evening yoga or the meditation class and at 6 pm, dinner was served which comprised of local tasty dishes. 8 pm was the social interaction time and I also made many partners. While some of the individuals also used to perform guided meditation. The best thing was, the flexible schedule and no one was bound to follow the routine, even one could also skip a session if they want.

What I loved the most during my time here was its secluded location that was much away from crowds and you could actually wake up to the sound of nature and gentle sea waves instead of setting any alarms. There was no noise or distractions at all here. The menu here was also great, mainly with vegetarian meals. I tried items like salads and coconut milk curries, all of which were incredibly tasty. In this manner I managed to save myself from junk food (I think I did great!).

The instructors were also quite supportive towards the participants and offered support on mindfulness and self-care. Lastly, I was able to find plenty of time to relax and this was the very first time in my life when I could actually stay away from my phone without trying hard.

Things I Didn’t Expect Here

There were many things here that ultimately changed my perception of a wellness retreat, such as it was not merely about a physical yoga and instead included breathing exercises and guided meditation too. The meditation part seemed a bit strange to me as who could sit still for straight 20 minutes, but when I tried it, I realized that my body actually needed those quiet moments and a me-time. Another thing that surprised me was the emotional sentiments I felt.

When your body slows down and bends in a specific style, your inside thought may appear up and overall you find a safe space to release that energy. The best thing, as I mentioned above too, I stayed off from social media for the entire week and noticed a great improvement in my sleep pattern as well as a sense of calmness.

Hope you liked my personal experience. Do give it a try during your Thailand holidays. I booked my Koh Samui holiday package from Virikson Holidays and am pretty much satisfied with my experience. Do check their website for more details!