Eight Great Yoga Retreats

Head to the serene mountains and vast skies of Bozeman, Montana for a fabulous reprieve from the hectic pace of daily life. Founded in 2007 by Margaret Burns Vap, a former corporate exec-turned-yoga guru, Big Sky Yoga is already receiving rave reviews for programs that combine twice-daily expert yoga instruction with skiing, horseback riding or hiking, depending on the season. Each weekend or five-day retreat, limited to 25 guests, is a blend of outdoor activity and soothing yoga practice geared to adapt your body to the day's exertion, such as core strengthening for hours in the saddle or muscle warming to prep for slicing through cold, white powder. Guests stay at the Big EZ Lodge, a cozy inn with 13 guestrooms furnished to blend in with each room's breathtaking view. Extra touches like gourmet chef prepared meals, shopping excursions if you forgot your cowgirl hat or boots and an emphasis on meditation make this the perfect well-rounded getaway. Check the schedule to see which activity interests you, and note that some retreats are women-only. Some getaways now include yoga combined with a weekend of oil painting or massage and wine.

Weekend retreats from $795; Five-day from $2,750.

You'll find sunshine and inner balance amid the lush jungle and cerulean seas at this peaceful beachfront resort on the Mayan Riviera, about an hour's drive south of Cancun. A driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the secluded location of Maya Tulum Wellness Retreat and Spa, where the week-long Mind Body & Spirit Program is all about relaxation and adventure as well as tuning into yourself and nature. Fill your time as you like with twice daily yoga sessions (designed for both budding yogis and expert practitioners), a host of Mayan-inspired spa treatments, tours of nearby ancient Mayan ruins and caverns, or snorkeling on a tropical reef. Guests stay in 43 breezy thatch roof cabanas with stone floors, limestone walls, nature-inspired furnishings and beachfront or ocean views. After a day of asanas you can refuel on chef-prepared vegetarian and seafood meals served in a large cabana overlooking the pristine white sand beach—which you can lounge on during breaks.

From $1,578.

No time to focus on well-being and fitness on a daily basis? This week-long residential retreat could be just up your street. Based in lovely Tuscany, Yogahikes combines yoga classes and hikes with detox diet programs. Group size is limited to fewer than 20 guests who stay in antique-furnished roomy apartments surrounding the main house. Be prepared to forgo all alcohol, coffee and meat while you're there. To create a peaceful, meditative vibe, talking is not allowed in the mornings. It might be an adjustment at first, but soothing massages, intense stretching and the glorious Tuscan countryside will ease any withdrawals. By the time you leave refreshed, toned and energetic, you'll already be planning your next trip back. Remaining dates for 2008 are Sept. 6 – 13 or Sept. 13 – 20.

From €2,215 including round-trip airfare from London.

If you're looking for a low key place to clear mind and body, try this retreat house near the Hamptons. After her children left home, American Yogini owner Mary McGuire-Wien turned her empty nest into a place for women to escape daily pressure and learn how to keep stress at bay. McGuire's three- to five-day day raw juice detox and yoga program is a full-on fasting experience—no makeup, jewelry, cell phones or television allowed. Guests (groups are limited to six) stay in cozy single or shared bedrooms, and have access to a beautiful salt water swimming pool and gorgeous stretches of the beach nearby. McGuire, a former dancer and certified yoga instructor leads daily sessions emphasizing breath work and meditation. In true retreat form, the days aren't over-scheduled, so you'll have plenty of time for yourself. Be sure to take advantage of the massage, acupuncture, mineral baths and holistic treatments all available on-site. McGuire also offers daily menu planning and whole food preparation work shops, so you can talk a new health plan home with you.

Three days from $700; five days from $1,200.

Want to practice your chaturanga on a safari in Kenya or ease into downward-facing dog on Mallorca? Bookmark this one. Lotus Journeys, a UK-based boutique travel agency, offers a personally vetted list of yoga and fitness retreats all over the world—their agents have been on many themselves and are more than happy to share their experiences. They have relationships with some of the best yoga centers, resorts and instructors from South America to Southeast Asia, and they'll set up all the arrangements for you. From yoga and massage at a luxury resort in Thailand to a vegetarian surf and yoga vacation in Portugal or a detox program in Granada, they have something healthy and active for everyone. One drawback: rates don't include airfare (but you can ask one of the obliging agents to help you arrange your flight if you'd like).

Retreats from £500.

The term "Shangri-la" is certainly overused in travel brochures, but there are a handful of places on earth that really do embody the idea of a perfectly stunning and lush paradise—and one of them is Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri. Shambhala is Sanskrit for “peace,” which you'll find in abundance at the intimate resort set in the forests of Bali, a 15 minute drive from Ubud—an authentic mountain village full of talented traditional craftspeople and artisans. Part of hotelier Christina Ong's COMO Group, which also operates Parrot Cay in Turks & Caicos and the Metropolitan hotel in London, the estate recently underwent a renovation, expanding the spa and adding a new wellness center staffed with ayurvedic doctors and experts on fitness and nutrition. It now offers comprehensive ayurvedic and holistic wellness programs and therapies year round. Yoga in the open-air pavilion is always a big part of a visit there, but several times per year Shambhala holds special retreats led by some of the world's top yoga masters. For five days, guests take part in five hours of focused daily yoga practice centered around a visiting master's specialty. (You don't need to be an expert yourself, but make sure you're up to the multi-hour instruction.) The 40 accommodations are in lovely, tropical wood villas with thatched-roofs; you can choose from a suite or one of the totally private villas with plunge pools. Breakfast and brunch are included daily, and you'll have the services of personal assistant on hand to help you book any health or spa treatments during your downtime. Yoga facilities are top notch, with special touches like eco-friendly yoga mats, made entirely from natural plant-based materials. A one-hour drive from Bali's International airport. The next scheduled retreat for 2008 is Nov. 16 – 22.

From $3,199.