Planning a Retreat: A Checklist for Yoga Teachers & Organizers

Before you start looking for a location

• Define your target audience and format (yoga, meditation, writing, a mix?)
• Estimate your group size realistically
• Set the date and duration (a weekend or several days?)
• Calculate a rough budget per participant

When choosing a location

• Does the group need individual rooms, or will shared dorm-style rooms do?
• Is there a room or garden for the group's shared practice?
• Is catering included, or does it need to be organized separately?
• How far is a reasonable travel distance for your target audience?

Just before the retreat

• Inform participants about travel, facilities, and anything they need to bring
• Share a rough daily schedule without giving away too much of the program in advance
• Confirm final details with the location (check-in time, number of guests)

If you haven't settled on a location yet: Johann & Anna in Stainz works well for small groups looking for a quiet setting without a built-in course program.

Common mistakes in first-time planning

• Assuming an overly optimistic group size instead of calculating a realistic number of sign-ups
• Looking for a location only after announcing the retreat, instead of clarifying capacity beforehand
• Treating catering as something that will "just work itself out" instead of organizing it early
• Not scheduling a buffer day between arrival and the first program item