Shannon is excited to welcome the dynamic duo Paloma Neuman and Renee Gauthier, experienced yoga retreat planners. If you’ve played with the idea of planning a retreat, this episode will give you a sense of the process involved in planning and will perhaps inspire you to plan a group yoga retreat yourself.

Renee Gauthier is based in San Diego with her husband and daughter and has taught yoga for 10 years. Traveling to many different places to teach, along while navigating a period of loss in her personal life left Renee emotionally and physically depleted. This led her to make the choice to live her life in a more conscious manner. Yoga retreats appealed to Renee because she wanted to provide space for others to heal and live wholeheartedly.

Paloma Neuman lives in San Diego with her husband in son and much like Renee found herself feeling depleted and looking for a new focus in her career. Paloma had a powerful connection to yoga and while she chose not to teach yoga, the practice has become a life passion. Another major driving force in Paloma’s life is travel. Describing her desire for travel in her bones, she merged yoga with travel to create My Dharma Yoga.

Paloma serendipitously met Renee when she attended a yoga class and they immediately connected. The two began working on events and benefits that were both successful and fun finding they complimented one another. Out of this feeling Rock Your Yoga Retreat was born.

Now, Renee and Paloma not only plan and lead retreats, they help others do what they have found so fulfilling using many tools such as  workshops, online courses, and the Facebook group Travel, Teach and Thrive for Yoga Teachers.

[8:00] How Renee and Paloma got started with yoga retreats

[19:15] Benefits of hosting a yoga retreat

[22:30] Starting with smaller retreats

[24:50] 5 Key Elements of Leading a yoga retreat

[26:55] Who is your ideal attendee? What do they want and what do they need?

[30:35] What helps to make the planning and decision-making easier?

[32:30] The retreat begins way before the first day when everyone meets

[34:50] Marketing plan for your retreat

[36:10] VIP wait list for your retreat

[37:25] Budgeting and pricing your yoga retreat for success; list of retreat expenses, be aware of “sneaky” expenses

[46:05] Why retreats planned every year are so beneficial “the bigger picture”

[48:45] How do you know if you are ready to host a yoga retreat?

[53:30] Can you be on retreat when you are hosting one?

[57:00] How you can work with Paloma and Renee

[1:00:05] Where Paloma and Renee would love to go on their next retreat

Links

5 Key Elements  of Leading a Yoga Retreat

Rock Your Yoga Retreat

Travel, Teach & Thrive for Yoga Teachers FB Group

Email: contact@rockyouryogaretreat.com

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Rob (our audio editor) & Lindsay — Congratulations on your wedding. The bowtie is adorable 🙂