In the familiar big cities or out in quiet places, retreats for lesbian travelers and the LGBTQ community have grown considerably as of late, and are available worldwide in 2023/2024. Next, receive a soothing massage at a restful spa free of charge, and have ample free time to lounge by one of the various infinity pools, reading a book, or journaling? These concepts weren’t new to me, but here, surrounded by queer and trans folks, I made a new connection to them. I appreciated this teacher’s brief explanation of her own yoga journey. She began practicing yoga as rehabilitation of an old injury. She felt relatable. She couldn’t do yoga perfectly, either.

Morgan, who trained in Phoenix Rising yoga, notes that specific styles of yoga may work better for healing trauma. In her work with trauma survivors, Morgan avoids hands-on corrections (which may be unwanted) in favor of clear directions that avoid “yoga jargon.” Rather than gendered cues — common in traditional yoga classes — LGBTQ-affirming cues are open-ended, so participants can decide how to adjust their bodies. Very recommended! Kungfucowgirl Jenny (retreat leader) is a very energetic and joyful person, comfortable doing yoga and journeys with her. Attentive and thoughtful, always makes me happy. She also occasionally taught us Chinese, which was so much fun!"As connections are made explicit in yoga classes, participants can return to them at home. As Morgan says, yoga “causes one to look inward and to find a quiet place of peace in the mind and body. Once a person learns this skill, it can be applied in any situation in life that is challenging.” Would you be interested in a weekend of inner alchemy in deep sisterhood and in pure joy, aligning in complete feminine and masculine balance, releasing and receiving through breathwork and empowering sacred ceremonies, to fully discover and embody your radiant wild heart? This 3 day retreat in the United Kingdom with a focus on meditation is a perfect example. It takes place in lovely Snowdonia National Park in North Wales under the guidance of David Johnson , International Buddhist MeditationTeacher, Author & Retreat Leader, and Manuel Orozco Jimenez, Accredited Yoga Teacher & RetreatCoordinator. When children grow up hearing transphobic and homophobic slurs, their body image suffers and they internalize shame . Long after coming out, LGBTQs bear the scars of stigma.

These stressors carry lifelong consequences. Almost half of transgender adults report depression or anxiety, compared with 6.7 percent and 18 percent of the general U.S. population, respectively. A huge struggle that my trans clients face is being able to feel safe in their own skin without the world judging them,” says Bernard Charles, an LGBTQ lifestyle coach who uses meditation to heal LGBTQ body image issues. They provide that rare opportunity to get away, relax, practice mindfulness, and release the stress we accumulate in daily life. Yoga’s power to heal a negative body image lies in its focus on movement that draws participants out of their minds and into their bodies . While remaining in a pose, students may be encouraged to ground, balance, or soften. Strength, stability, and emotional release come through focused movement. Playful poses lighten the mood, helping participants find fun in their bodies. Yogic breathwork grounds participants in the present moment, which can pause anxious thoughts.Sarah and Maria explored several areas of the gym and even tried out a few moves on steppers before Jen finally asked the employee to take a closer look at the duo’s outfits.

With regular practice, yoga changes fascia, tones muscle, and increases balance. As it becomes easier to move, people feel better in their bodies. There was no default to gendered language, something mainstream yoga teachers used without a second thought. I’d become accustomed to these cues and developed my own workaround: Rather than take the recommended hand position for men or women, I would switch my grip midway through the pose. It was my way of coping with a system that used hand positions, pose recommendations, and different terms for male and female yogis to center, without space for fluidity, the gender binary. Fitness fans Sarah Reilly and Maria Luciotti partnered with renowned body painter Jen Seidel for the social experiment at a gym in Baltimore, Maryland where they worked out with only body paint as their clothes. That’s some awesome painting work!How about going to the tropical and deeply healing energetic vortex that is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, staying in luxurious treehouse villas with ocean and jungle views? Or maybe you're looking for lesbian retreats with like minded women out in beautiful nature first, where you are traveling as a same sex couple in a lesbian relationship, or solo lesbian traveler and either way your destination is a place of compassion and peace. You would stay in a cabin or a tent even if the retreat had the right workshop subject, yoga class, or meditation session you are interested in. But here, as we flowed through sun salutation, something shifted. Surrounded by other LGBTQs, I felt seen and uplifted in a way I’d never been in yoga class. Well, it's happening in a boutique country house estate nestled in spectacular Somerset, United Kingdom rural scenery.