Packing

What to Actually Pack
for a Yoga Retreat

By Stacey · 4 min read

Every retreat, without fail, someone messages us a few days before departure asking what to pack — usually with an apology for asking something "so basic." It is not basic. Packing for a retreat is genuinely different from packing for a normal holiday, and most packing lists online are written for a flat-lay photo, not an actual week away. Here is the real one.

The yoga kit (there is less of it than you think)

Two or three pairs of leggings or shorts, a couple of vest tops, and one long-sleeve layer for cooler mornings and evening yin. That is genuinely it. You do not need a different matching set for every class — nobody is judging your outfit at 7am, least of all the woman next to you who is still half asleep. Mats are provided on every retreat, so unless you have a travel mat you truly love, leave it at home.

One "nice" outfit, not five

There is usually one dinner out, one evening that calls for something other than yoga wear. Pack a single outfit you feel good in and stop there. The version of you that packs five "just in case" outfits is the same version that comes home having worn one of them.

The unglamorous essentials

A reusable water bottle, a light cardigan or jumper for evenings (deserts and boats both get cold once the sun is down, whatever the daytime heat suggested), a journal if you like to write things down, and any medication you take regularly, in its original packaging. If you are prone to blisters or seasickness, bring what you would normally bring — a first aid kit is standard on most trips, but your own remedies work better than borrowed ones.

What you can leave at home

Hairdryers and straighteners, unless you have specifically checked and know there is reliable power where you are staying — some of our venues run on generators, or do not have sockets in every cabin. The full skincare shelf: pick your five favourites, not your fifteen. And the stack of books you have been meaning to read — bring one. You will be busier, and more tired in a good way, than you expect.

The one thing everyone forgets

A portable phone charger. Whether you are on a boat, in the desert, or at a bush lodge, plug sockets are not always where or when you want them, and you will want your phone for photos more than you think you will. Pack it, charge it before you leave, and thank us later.