Ever since I started Yoga and Sailing Retreats with Carpe Diem Yoga in 2018, many people have approached me and asked “Natasha, why exactly a yoga retreat on a sailing boat?”. I know this may sound like quite an arbitrary if not even coincidental combination, however, there are many reasons why I decided to start these Yoga and Sailing Retreats.
One of the main reasons is actually quite a personal one. A few years ago I went on a sailing holiday across Croatia’s islands with some of my closest friends. Many of them work in busy jobs like myself and we were all exhausted from everyday life. Booking this holiday had been a very spontaneous decision on a grey and cold winter afternoon in December 2017. We were all very excited about going on this holiday and we couldn’t wait for the months to pass and to escape from our strenuous everyday lives.
Finally, when the day arrived and we took our flights down to Croatia, we were more than ready to go. Once we landed and arrived at the pier, we embarked on our yacht where we were greeted by a lovely crew.
The following days were filled with endless sunshine, joy and laughter. At that time, I had almost finished my qualification to be a certified yoga teacher and there was nothing I enjoyed more than starting the day with some exercises.
After a couple days my friends and even some of the crew members joined me each morning. Some even asked me for specific advice and exercises because they were suffering from various kinds of pain in their joints and backs. Soon afterwards, they were taking an active interest in yoga and were more than curious to learn about meditation and all kinds of breathing techniques.
In short, this sailing (& yoga!) holiday had become one of the best experiences in my life. My friends told me that they have never felt so relaxed and at peace with themselves in years and they asked me why I would not want to make this kind of experience accessible for everyone?
I was of course hesitant at the start, but then I figured that what my friends were telling me was the truth. Visiting all these lovely Croatian islands, being in touch with the sea like never before and truly letting myself go was an unforgettable feeling I do not want to miss.
So I decided to team up with 4me Sailing and since then we have organized various Yoga and Sailing Retreats. We designed a concept which would allow participants to become one with nature, connect with their mind and improving their yoga skills – all while visiting a new and exciting place every day! I personally love feeling the soft swaying of our sailing boat as it sails across the water and hearing the unique sounds of the sea. It’s as if the sea was holding its own meditation class! Surprisingly, doing yoga on a sailing boat does not require much more physical balance than you would expect!
All in all, I was incredibly happy to have taken the plunge and to have started Carpe Diem Yoga and our yoga and sailing Retreats. I cannot wait to see which new adventures our next yoga and sailing retreats will take us on and to share these remarkable experiences with you.