A yoga retreat can be a great way to get away and spend some time relaxing, but there are some thing to consider before you book to make sure you’re getting the experience that you’re looking for.

One of the first things to consider is the time of retreat that you’re looking for. Do you want one that is straight yoga, or one that has some spirituality mixed in, or even do you want a more spa like environment where you be focuses as much on weight loss as anything else? Another thing to consider of course is whether or not you want to go alone or with some friends and how that affects your goals.

Next you might want to consider how much time each day you actually want to be able to dedicate to yoga or other activities. In general you would never be required to attend all of the available classes, you but you want to get a feel for the setup so you know if it’s standard that everything does or not.

Some other things to consider are that you can find yoga retreats all over the place, so think about how far you want to go. Theoretically you could drive just an hour from home and still feel like you’re on a retreat, or you could use this as an opportunity to fly around the world to that far off country you’ve been wanting to explore.

Next you’ll want to look at what the venue and accommodations are like. Consider whether the yoga venue is in a normal hotel, a specialized spot, and whether they have a held retreat there before. There is a first time for everything so going on their first trip to a certain location could be great, but it also of course opens the door to more potential complications.

The accommodations are perhaps the most personal part of the trip and you want to make sure they sound good to you. Some places might work out roommate options which can save you money, while others will offer luxury accommodations. These of course would provide very different types of experiences.

Always enquire about the food options before you go. Some yoga retreats will have everything, while some will focus on vegetarian food and eschew coffee and alcohol. You would want to know this ahead of time to make sure you like what you’re getting into. You also might want to ask if you are allowed to bring your own food and drink if they have limited options.

Another thing to consider is if there are options for extending your trip. Depending on what the schedule of the retreat is like you might not have much time to relax on either end, which you would want if you are traveling far to get there.