Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast

Episode 271: The Power of Place: How to Choose The Right Location for Your Yoga Retreat

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Costa Rica Yoga Retreats: Pros, Cons, and Tips with Dagmar Spremberg

Thinking of offering a retreat in Costa Rica? Dagmar Spremberg is a retreat leader who lived in Costa Rica for over 20 years. In this episode, she shares her insider’s perspective to help you speed up your planning process and avoid rookie mistakes. Topics include selecting the best time of year, dealing with climate and local wildlife, and financial considerations.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

00:00 Introduction to the Series and Episode

01:51 Dagmar's Journey to Leading Retreats in Costa Rica

03:01 Types of Retreats and Locations in Costa Rica

07:36 Financial Considerations for Retreats in Costa Rica

09:40 Retreat Center Operations and Payments

12:42 Daily Life at a Costa Rican Retreat

15:20 Challenges and Tips for Leading Retreats in Costa Rica

18:03 The Impact of Leading Retreats

20:25 Advice for New Retreat Leaders

22:26 Conclusion and next steps

EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:

Dagmar Spremberg

Follow Dagmar on Instagram @montezumayoga

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Follow Dagmar on Youtube

Retreat Roadmap

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource

Stream Lily on Soundcloud

Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

The Power of Place: How to Choose The Right Location for Your Yoga Retreat

The right location can elevate a yoga retreat from excellent to unforgettable. In this episode, Mado and Lily explore the creative process of choosing a retreat location. They share real-world experiences and essential practicalities such as budgeting realistically, navigating contracts, understanding legal requirements, and site visits. Learn how to evaluate venue amenities, accessibility for all participants, the surrounding environment, and the overall atmosphere. This episode is packed with actionable advice for yoga retreat leaders but keeps the fun and joy of leading retreats front and center.

00:00 Introduction: The Impact of Location: How a thoughtful location choice impacts your retreat business over the long term

01:48 Key Considerations: Beyond the Instagram Photo: Go beyond the surface and learn essential factors most retreat planners overlook when choosing a location.

04:37 Balancing Costs & Value: Is Your Retreat Venue Worth It?: Learn how to strategically balance your budget with the value a location offers – and avoid overspending on things that don't matter.

08:08 The Key to Glowing Testimonials. How making bold decisions impacts the students you attract for a specific retreat - and their satisfaction with the experience.

11:37 The Location Selection Process: From Dream to Reality: We break down the exact steps to take, from initial brainstorming to narrowing down your top choices.

14:59 Contract Negotiation: Don't Sign Anything Until You've Heard This: Learn critical contract clauses you need to watch out for to protect yourself and your retreat.

18:22 Accessibility & Travel: Choosing a Do-able Retreat Location for your Students: Consider the budget, needs, and lifestyle of your students before choosing your retreat location.

23:18 Curating the Atmosphere: Setting the Stage for Transformation: Learn how to create an unforgettable atmosphere that aligns with your retreat theme.

27:09 Venue Evaluation: The Checklist You Can't Afford to Skip: Get an inside perspective on how experienced retreat leaders evaluate venues – including the hidden details that can make or break your retreat.

34:51 The Pros and Cons of Site Visits: When do you need them and how to adapt when they aren’t in the budget.

37:23 Final Tips & Encouragement: Your Dream Retreat is Within Reach: Leading retreats is incredibly rewarding and fun - enjoy these tips for getting started.

EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:

Lily Dwyer Begg

Follow Lily on Instagram @lilydwyerbegg

Follow Lily on Facebook

Retreat Roadmap

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource

Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

The Hustle is Holding you Back

This quick episode is a takedown of hustle culture. Hustle culture harms yoga teachers with promises of future happiness - while it drains us of the joy that’s available right now. In this episode, I share thoughts on finding appropriate challenges, the role of boundaries, the awkward phase of flow, and how to cultivate a mindset that fosters fulfillment now rather than someday in the future.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Focus and Flow Course

Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource

Ask a question for the podcast on the Yoga Teacher Resource website or on SpeakPipe

10 Reasons Yoga Teachers Struggle with Focus (& How to Overcome Them)

High stakes, blurred boundaries, perfectionism, and burnout: no wonder yoga teachers have a hard time staying focused. In this week's episode, I explore ten reasons why maintaining focus is difficult; from social media distractions to the pressure of running a passion-driven business, and offer strategies such as time management, boundary-setting, and self-care. While these challenges are persistent, implementing thoughtful systems and routines can help reclaim creative energy and prevent burnout.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 The Struggle for Focus and Creative Energy 04:23 Reason 1: High Stakes 05:55 Reason 2: Over-Identification and Boundaries 07:14 Reason 3: Perfectionism and Procrastination 08:51 Reason 4: Multiple Hats and Fragmented Attention 12:24 Reason 5: Resource Constraints and Energy Drain 14:15 Reason 6: Burnout Culture 16:01 Reason 7: Social Media Distractions 17:04 Reason 8: Information Overload and Mental Clutter 19:05 Reason 9: Urgency vs. Importance 20:01 Reason 10: Straight Up Burnout 22:00 Conclusion: Reclaiming Your Creative Energy

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Follow YTR on Instagram @yoga.teacher.resource