We all understand that there's work and after some time, there's a need to get away from work.

Which is why we holiday. The idea is to get involved in "unwinding" activities that take us away from our workplace with the resultant diversion serving as a stress buster. So whether we ski, trek or camp, it is the diversion that helps us in de-stressing.

But whatever we do, we'll have our desk waiting for us when we get back. While some of us feel quite low on returning to work, others begin work with gusto but soon get into a downward spiral of stress.

Try a Yoga Holiday or Retreat and you just may find the desk disappear (or at least the concept of work as we see it).

A yoga retreat other than serving the purpose of rejuvenation helps you to discover a new meaning to life.

How can a Yoga retreat help you?

In such holidays, you are exposed to a whole new philosophy to life. Modern medicine now recognizes that over 90% of all health disorders are psychosomatic in nature - they have their origin in the mind.

Yoga recognizes this holistic aspect of health and a yoga retreat serves a perfect medium for understanding this mind-body connection for health management.

A yoga holiday can help you learn tips and techniques on self-health management - Why feel dependent on external help to set yourself right?

More importantly, a yoga retreat provides a clearer direction towards a peaceful way of existence. We develop an increased capacity to resolve our inner turmoil and anxieties that we experience every single day.

A Yoga holiday serves as a guide for a fitter lifestyle through an all-round focus including attention to food and diet.

In all, while serving as a pleasant diversion, a yoga holiday helps you appreciate nature and surroundings in a way you have never before while providing you invaluable tools for independent life management that you will continue to cherish forever.

What to look for in a Yoga retreat?

A lot of casual holidays pass of as Yoga holidays when in fact they teach you nothing more than just some odd yoga routines in a good serene setting. However, there is much more to a Yoga retreat.

Firstly, be clear what you are looking for. You could either be a beginner seeking to be exposed to a yoga way of life management. Or you could be a practicing yogi seeking to explore advanced techniques and practices in physical postures. These 2 kinds of retreats could be quite different.

If you are a beginner, you should choose a yoga retreat that exposes you to various facets of yoga including some enlightening talks that will help you get familiar with the yoga way of life. Meditation techniques that help to harmonize the mind-body connection are a must. Qualified yoga teachers must conduct the retreats with a comprehensive understanding on various aspects of yoga and not JUST yoga exercises. It goes without saying that the yoga retreat should be conducted in a suitable, serene place that fits into the spirit of yoga. A place with tremendous spiritual energy would work best for such retreats.

If you are the one looking for advanced yoga practices, seek out a retreat organized by teachers with considerable experience in Ashtanga, Hatha or Iyengar Yoga, as they will be best suited to teach you advanced practices.

Either way, Yoga retreats are something that must be experienced as they provide that "something" that will serve as a helpful guide and something that you will always hold close to you - something that other kind of holidays can rarely provide.