The retreat begins with a reason to belong
A profile of Bunnell teacher Whitney Andrews asks what brings people to a retreat when yoga is only part of the reason.
In a November 6 Observer Local News profile, Whitney Andrews describes building Yoga Elements & Retreats from local teaching into glamping weekends and international trips. Her account puts connection at the center of the business.
More than the destination
Andrews estimates that around two-fifths of retreat guests actually practice yoga. That is her own estimate, rather than a survey of retreat participation. She describes people arriving for community and maintaining relationships after they return home.
The report follows weekends in furnished canvas teepees in Ocala and later trips to Peru, Greece and Sicily. It also describes the business’s larger studio in Bunnell. The official studio page independently confirms its local base and emphasis on welcome.
For retreat leaders, the profile raises a practical question: what parts of a gathering support people who do not come primarily for asana? Shared meals, conversation and time together may be part of the answer. This is one operator’s account, not evidence that travel or a retreat produces a particular health outcome.
Sources
YOGA+