Get Away! Win a Trip to Mexico with FP Escapes

Enter to win a spot on our yoga retreat to Mexico, and take in a few tips from Yogascapes on how to prepare for your next retreat! 

We’ve teamed up with some of the best around (Refinery29, Yogascapes, Yoganonymous and Bedstu) to give away one spot on our upcoming FP Escape to Yelapa, Mexico! Just think, daily yoga at a secluded eco-resort, meals customized for optimal health and daily workshops to expand your mind. That could be you! Head to www.freepeople.com/fpescapes-win and enter to win!

Nicole Hill

But for now, we asked our partners at Yogascapes to help you prepare for your next yoga retreat. Whether you’re headed on an FP Escape, or another yoga retreat, it’s important to make the most of your experience. Here’s how:

Yoga retreats are undoubtedly one of the healthiest ways to embark on your next adventure so, if you’re already signed up for one, you’re on the right track. Your next step is to make the most of it. Like anything in life, you can just show up, or you can really go for it. Follow these tips for getting the most out of your yoga retreat, you deserve it!

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Choose an amazing retreat

With all of the yoga retreats to choose from, how do you decide? If you have a favorite teacher, see where he/she is headed next.  If you can commit only to specific dates, well…that’s another great place to start.   Make sure you find a retreat that fits your needs.  If you want to practice yoga every day, all day, make sure you find a retreat that offers that.  If you want to dive into yoga but also explore your destination, connect with an accommodating community and come away with a more balanced experience.

Xinalani

Travel Sweetly

How many times have you gone on a trip and been so stressed out by preparing and traveling that you spend the whole time simply trying to recover, only to return home and jump back into your busy life? You’ll need another yoga retreat just to recover from your yoga retreat. Try treating the travel part of your trip like it’s as important as the actual trip. al.

– Which of your favorite healthy restaurants offer pick-up? Grab and go before your flight, and enjoy your favorite food when you’re on the plane.  You’ll feel like royalty.

– Bring your favorite tea along for the ride — order hot water instead of Coke when the cart comes around (I bring nettle tea).

– Bring a self-massage ball (tennis/field hockey ball). Imagine massaging your back during the entire trip!

– Check out the Free People Maderas Village packing list for some ideas.

– Bring a book you’ve been dying to read. Don’t open it until you start traveling.

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Prepare for your trip

Are you the person who skips yoga to check emails, or worries about a project that hasn’t been finished. Don’t be!

– Make a big to-do list. Take the most urgent things and put them on a sticky note or something small.  Take care of this list first!

– Clean out your inbox completely + create an out-of-office message.

– Write one person you’ve been meaning to write but haven’t had the time to.

– Clear out your voicemail + call your grandparents.

– Alert your credit card companies that you’ll be traveling.

– Clean your room/apartment. Throw out anything you don’t need.

Nicole Hill (9)

Make an intention for the week

This is a special week. What do you want to get out of it? Most people sign up for a retreat, knowing that they need it…but actually articulating your intention will allow you to drop in more deeply. Arriving to a retreat with intention will allow you to focus your energy towards a deeper experience, rather than just following the schedule. We find that, by making one loving intention for yourself, it acts as a guiding light for other gifts to arise and it gives even packing and cleaning your room before you leave more purpose.

Some ideas…

Forgive someone, (maybe yourself) – Slow down – Breathe deeply – Be open to anything – Create space – Be present – Eat slowly – Open your chest, hamstrings, etc. – Be accepting (of yourself, and others) – Learn alignment – heal an old wound – Indulge in yourself – Take a break from technology – Listen more deeply – Watch the sunset every day – Laugh – Take a break from work

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Slow down

Time and time again, travelers go through the motions without ever slowing down from the busyness that they attempted to escape.  Trying to pack in every single thing to get the most out of your experience will seem like a good idea, but be careful not to pack in so much hat you don’t take time for yourself to actually retreat — to actually create space from your busy life, to take space for planning, rushing, doing, moving — rather than just doing all of the same things in a pretty location.  If there’s a free day, head out on an epic adventure, knowing that the epic adventure might be all about a hammock and a nap until you decide you want to get up.  Start slowing down before the retreat and take the day off before your flight.  Continue slowing down after by taking an extra day off before going back to work. Whatever you do, leave your busyness behind. It’s just a week, after all — let yourself slow down every chance you get.

Nicole Hill (5)

For more on Yogascapes, be sure to check out their Website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

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8 years ago

I’ve never commited a crime or have been convicted bit I find sad that the terms and conditions of this giveaway cut off women who did. Everybody deserves a second chance and is our responsability as a society to do so. What a terrible punishement for someone who already by law had it. Is this a common practice in the USA? This would be anti-constitutional on most European countries. “Free People” ??

8 years ago

I’m already packing my bags! Seriously, dream holiday.

http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

julie
8 years ago

Thank you Rita. That is absolutely true. And coming from “free people ” at the same time. What irony.

Ashley
8 years ago

Rita & Julie…I’m not 100% sure, but it would be my guess that those are just rules specifically for getting into Mexico. It is my understanding that traveling across US borders with a criminal record is incredibly difficult (I’ve heard people say that Canada won’t let you in even if all you have is a DUI conviction).

I find it weird, however, that the contest is only open to women. I mean, I get that Free People is a women’s clothing company, but still…

Carly Usher
8 years ago

I am trying to enter the competition but when I click the link there is no competition to enter!!