Insight into a Trika Retreat! Summer in the Alps

So you’re thinking of joining us on a retreat! Well firstly, yay! Our retreats are such a lovely way to get away, carve out some time just for yourself, fill up your cup, rest, revive…

They are also a wonderful way to adventure and explore somewhere new, as we tend to retreat in really beautiful, special places to the team; places we are so excited to share with you!

One such place is the French Alps, Tignes to be exact, nestled into the heights of the mountains near the Italian border and a glacier called Grand Casse. Now, this is somewhere many people visit during the Winter for skiing, so you may have already heard of it in this context! Not everyone knows about its delights during summer though… clear blue skies, incredible sunshine, wild flowers, butterflies, hikes, glacial swims… need we go on?

The Alps in summer really are somewhere utterly dreamy, with plenty to keep us occupied while we slow down on retreat. Before I dive into those wonders though, I thought maybe you’d like an insight into what preparations are like for your week away and how we support you at every step.

 

The Logistics

Firstly, once you're booked onto a Trika Retreat, you may still have some questions about your trip and what kinds of things to bring/ to expect once you’re there. The team is always quick to reply over email or phone, happy to answer any queries ahead of time and manage your booking. Payment plans are available if you can’t pay the whole amount for your spot upfront and we can cater for any dietary requirements if that’s something you are worried about at all (plenty more about the food later on though).

In terms of travel for our non-UK retreats, we provide details in advance of the flights to book and organise seamless transfers so everyone is travelling together in our group. Closer to the retreat, we also set up a WhatsApp group so everyone can chat before we go, sharing advice about what to pack, getting to know each other in advance and maybe seeing a few familiar names if you come to the studio regularly! It’s actually so lovely hopping on the flight together and all moving through the airport - already a sense of family and adventure starts to form!

 

The Arrival

Once we reach the house (which overlooks Tignes lake may I add), the Trika team will show you to your rooms, with yummy snacks and refreshments provided on arrival of course. This first day/afternoon is about you arriving, settling and grounding into the space, so there’s plenty of chill and quiet time, maybe a peruse of the lake and local area if you fancy it, planning a little about what you might want to get up to over the week. Dinner is prepared whilst we move through some gentle yoga, before we sit down, crack open some wine and feast.

The Retreat

Over the course of the week, it really is up to you how you would like to spend your time! While we have a loose schedule of morning and evening yoga sessions and lots of ideas and group activities to get involved in, we don’t hold ourselves or you to any strict itinerary - this is your retreat, to spend exactly how you feel and wish!

That being said, here’s an idea of some of things you could get up to:

• Since a MyTignes card is included in your payment package, you might want to make use of this. This gives you access to lake rentals, such as SUP (hello SUP yoga) and canoes.
• Using your card you can also take the chairlifts higher up the mountain and hike further afield. The wild flowers, butterflies and general scenery are stunning, so it is well worth doing this one day or a few!
• You can also hike from the house via the most beautiful circuit, with snow capped mountaintops surrounding you and a few glacial pools along the way for a quick dip. Paddling about in the cooling clear water, and scaling some fresh water rocks in the beaming sun - honestly, it is magical.
• Climbing! If you’re a climber (which I am not, but others of the Trika team are!) there’s plenty of incredible routes to do - have a chat to us before or on retreat if this is something you’re interested in.
• Alfresco yoga sessions are also a thing, with a beautiful garden to make use of adjacent to the house. We tend to take evening sessions outdoors, releasing the happenings of our days with movement and play before resting into the lush grass with blankets and pillows for savasana.
• You are also always welcome, whenever you need, to just curl up with a book, take yourself off for a wander, have a nap, watch something silly, whatever floats your chill boat. Soak it all in however you need.

 

The Peeps

Just a little note also, if it’s not already clear, our retreats are open to ALL - regardless of yoga experience, age, whether you are coming alone, whether you have been to Trika before. If you’re at all hesitant about coming solo, then we just want to reassure you that many people have done this over the years and left with new friends and just a general sense of being part of something lovely - both for yourself and others. The team and everyone who attends are always super lovely, welcoming and we just have a great, chilled time together.

The Food

And last but by no means least, I can’t finish without mentioning the food, because it is nothing shy of phenomenal. Wholesome, nutritious, filling, tasty… we’ve had many people return to our retreats for the food alone. And it makes sense; a retreat is all about nourishing yourself, and what better way to do that than through delicious, soul-feeding food.

Every meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner - is catered for, as well as snacks to keep you fuelled throughout the day. If you are heading out somewhere for the day, then lunch can be packed up for you to take along, with snacks on return if that works better for you!

Refreshment wise, we have freshly brewed coffee and lots of tasty tea, as well as the option of wine in the evenings with your meal. Dessert is another given at the end of our days, always sweet and delicious, before we retire to the sofas for chats and then restful, cosy sleeps.

 

After Retreat

At the end of the week together, people really do tend to have bonded and made friends, and often we head home with the WhatsApp group very much active and plans to see each other in some way again very soon! If you’re local to the studio, it’s so lovely to see your faces about for classes throughout the week, and generally we keep in contact, with many retreaters often returning the following year (anyone returning receives a 10% discount too FYI).

As we’ve already mentioned, coming on a Trika Retreat is often the start of lots of wonderful trips, friendships, and a sense of lovely community here in Bristol but also beyond…

 

So with that in mind, I hope you have had a little bit of an insight into a Trika Retreat, but if you’re still intrigued, do drop us an email at contact@trikayoga.co.uk or pop in for a chat. Better still, book your spot for our upcoming Summer in the Alps Retreat 2-9th July 2022 here, and find out all about our retreats the best way - by coming along to one :D