Published October 16, 2026 04:03PM
Calin Van Paris is a YJ editor. Here, she talks to yoga teacher Dusty Swehla, who has led 16 yoga retreats around the world, about what to keep in mind if you’re planning to host. When you’re ready to explore more retreat and wellness travel options, we have destinations.
If you teach yoga classes, hosting a yoga retreat can feel like a normal—even expected—next step. Retreats seem to be everywhere these days. According to BookRetreats.com’s 2026 State of Retreats Report, which is comprised a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers along of the site’s own learnings, searches for yoga retreats are up 15% year over year. Additionally, nearly 80% of those polled are interested in partaking in a yoga retreat within the next year.
The trend is ubiquitous within the yoga industry, with resorts, studios, influencers, and teachers all students to explore their practice in a beautiful place. Retreats also invite participants to approach on their yoga in a new, focused way, without the distractions of everyday life.
But getting a group together in any capacity, even to do something as healing as yoga, comes with its own challenges and learning curves. Weather patterns, travel realities (think flight delays, illness, lost luggage, etc.), proper planning, and personalities all play a part in the success of a yoga retreat. And although not all of these variables are within your control, certain elements are.
“I actually have a questionnaire, and then I meet with everybody, whether it be on Zoom or in person, just to see if we mesh,” says Iowa-based yoga teacher Dusty Swehla, who has hosted 16 retreats around the world. On one of her recent gatherings at Vista Celestial in Uvita, Costa Rica, she walked me through some of the most important things she’s learned along the way. And much of it comes down to something quite simple. “It’s just figuring out what works and what doesn’t,” she says.
Whether you’re planning a retreat, are attending a trip, or are just interested in the ins and outs of hosting, these considerations take some of the guesswork out of the process.
5 Tips to Consider When Hosting a Yoga Retreat
Patience is an important part of hosting retreats. As with building any business, it takes time and experience to learn the ropes, develop a rapport with resorts and students, and curate an event with seeming ease. If you feel called to do so, keep putting yourself out there.
1. Start where you are
Surprise: you don’t have to host a retreat across the world for it to be a meaningful experience. Swehla hosts retreats in locations including Costa Rica and Peru, but her initial offerings were much closer to her home state.
“I started with smaller, single-day retreats,” she explains. “Just a one-day immersion, or maybe a weekend in places like Wisconsin or near Chicago in the Midwest.”
Deciding to begin with an experience that’s more intimate and closer to home allows you to learn the ins and outs of hosting without the inevitable snags that come with international travel.
This option also gives you a low-stakes opportunity to build trust with your community of students. After enjoying a few shorter experiences with you, the option to buy a plane ticket to practice under your guidance might make a little more sense.
2. Count the costs
If you’re getting into the retreat game for the money, you might be disappointed to learn that there often isn’t much takeaway for the teacher. As for attendees, there’s a reason that partaking in a retreat often comes with a steep price tag.
Some resorts and retreat centers offer packages, often based on head count for hosting teachers—especially as you develop a working relationship with a destination. But most simply provide room, board, and practice spaces. The rest is up to you. Be sure to calculate all of the costs.
Alternatively, if you host your own retreat at an Airbnb or other rental, everything—including the rental fee, meals, goodie bags, transportation, and any additional services or experiences—fall on you. For her part, Swehla typically hires at least one helper who also enjoys free access to the retreat.
Finally, allow yourself the permission to determine how much your own time and teaching is worth and price your retreat accordingly.
3. Get the word out
Marketing is an essential part of any yoga retreat. After all, how can anyone sign up if they’re not aware of the option? More often than not, all of the publicity is your job.
“Some places will put your retreat on their website, but not unless you ask them,” says Swehla. “I really rely on my own marketing and reach.” To that end, Swehla likes to tie each of her retreats to a theme (such as self-love) that helps personalize the journey and focus the promotional material. Flyers, studio announcements, and of course social media are all crucial tools for generating interest.
As you cultivate a reputation as a retreat host, filling those retreat slots will likely become a more natural feat. But at the beginning, it’s all about believing in yourself enough to spread the word on your own behalf.
4. Prepare to pivot
Leading a yoga retreat requires that you go with the flow, wear many hats, and get comfortable with shifting plans and personalities.
“You have tons of balls in the air at one time,” says Swehla. “You need to be able to pivot and stay flexible, whether it be issues with the food, people complaining—and yes—people getting sick.”
For this reason, Swehla doubles down on her suggestion of starting things small. Not only do simpler retreats allow you to observe how people interact in these kind of containers, they also enable you to observe how you handle unexpected snafus.
5. Do what you love
The best way to figure out how to host your yoga retreat? Participate in those led by others.
“Go on a couple retreats and take note on what works, what doesn’t, what do you like, and what don’t you like,” says Swehla, who suggests looking to your dharma, or your life’s purpose, to determine what you really want. “What brings you happiness and joy?”
Ultimately, your yoga retreat is a reflection of you. Taking the time to get clear about your why can help you figure out what makes sense for your facilitated experiences, allowing you to say no to the rest.
