Feb 14 2025 - Feb 17 2025
Puerto Rico: Climbing, Slacklining, AcroYoga and Surfing Retreat
Puerto Rico
Ever wonder how a single visit to Thailand turned into a decade-long tradition? When we first came to Thailand ten years ago, we thought it would be a one-time experience. Little did we know that a decade later, we’d still be coming back, hosting annual retreats, and falling more in love with this incredible country each time. This year marks a special milestone—our 10th year anniversary of hosting the YogaSlackers Thailand Retreat!
There are countless reasons we keep coming back, but here are a few highlights:
Known as the “Land of Smiles,” Thailand’s locals are incredibly kind, always greeting you with warm smiles and genuine hospitality. From bustling city streets to quiet rural villages, their friendliness turns every interaction into a memorable moment.
Thailand is one of the safest countries we have visited. The roads are well-maintained, the police are helpful, and the people are always welcoming to tourists.
Whether you’re an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, or simply a lover of delicious cuisine, Thailand has something for everyone. The variety and freshness of the food keep us coming back for more. Since our first taste of Thai fruits, we knew we had to return. The sweetness and flavor of their tropical fruits and fresh vegetables are unparalleled—a true treat for the taste buds!
December and January offer ideal weather conditions for outdoor activities and indoor training. During Thailand’s cooler season, we can train intensively, enjoy plenty of outdoor time, and avoid excessive heat and mosquitos. For those of us coming from the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the perfect winter escape.
Kaomai Lanna has been our go-to retreat venue for years, and it’s easy to see why. Over the past decade, this resort has evolved significantly. Once a resting place for royalty, it retains its regal charm while offering a peaceful retreat atmosphere.
A restaurant, coffee shop, two yoga studios, a fabulous pool, and plenty of trees for slacklining.
The staff has always been incredibly accommodating, even when we make unusual requests—like setting up multiple waterlines over the pool or bringing in an inflatable paddleboard. They consistently rise to the occasion with smiles and support.
The serene environment is perfect for practice, playtime and relaxation.
Our retreat has grown and evolved alongside the venue. While certain core elements remain consistent, we adapt and add new elements each year to keep things fresh. Our packed schedule includes:
If only we could add more hours to the day!
One of the best parts of our retreat is the vibrant, international community it attracts. Each year, students from all over the world join us, bringing excitement, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and play. Their energy and enthusiasm make the retreat truly special.
We learned so much from each of you! Thank you!
This event was the vision of YogaSlackers teachers Sam Salwei, Raquel Hernández, and Emily Baxter, who co-led the retreat from 2014 until 2019. Since then, Emily has focused on Partner Acrobatics events in Europe and South America. During the following years, Sam and Raquel have welcomed different guest teachers to bring different perspectives and their unique skills.
In 2023, Dane and Caitlin from Duo Die Acrobatics, along with Liz Thomas, joined us and added their own dynamic energy to the retreat. In 2024, we had the pleasure of working with YogaSlackers teacher Ajlaan Raza Sayani and guest teacher Dasha Kalinikita, who enriched the experience with creative flows and Icarian games.
Each retreat offers a blend of new insights and familiar lessons. We learn to listen more attentively to our bodies, the value the strength of community, and accept the unpredictability of traveling, group dynamics, and the weather. We relearn the essence of balance—on the mat, the slackline, upside down, and with a partner. We rediscover the joy of play and the importance of keeping our practice light-hearted, making it both rewarding and fun.
Each year deepens our belief in stepping beyond our comfort zone, exploring new challenges, and remaining present in the moment. Even when our schedules looked packed up, we learned not to worry. Because it provides space for both early risers and night owls to thrive. A reminder that we all have different needs and desires.
Every single year we’ve learned that there’s never quite enough pool time or training time, or play time, or acro time, or slackline time, and that we somehow need to invent a time machine that can allow us to pack more in the same amount of time. More training and more rest. Because on these retreats we all turn back to a time when we simply can’t have enough.
Year after year, we watch joyfully as our students exceed their own expectations, becoming more confident, precise, and safer in their practice. We observe how handstands, though often a solitary practice, forge friendships and deepen bonds. How yoga allows for introspection, acro lift us up! and the waterlines keeps us humble.
We remind ourselves and our fellow friends, that everyone – including teachers – arrive to the event carrying something from their life to process, and each one finds a unique path to do so during the retreat. And in a way, we are all part of creating that container for developing more than our muscles and physical balance skills. Above all, we are reminded that a week-long retreat is a rare and cherished privilege both as a practitioner and a teacher.
We relearn how privilege we are. And we are therefore filled with immense gratitude for being able to make a living by sharing our love for movement, balance and exploration with people around the world.
And of course, probably the most important lesson we’ve learned is that… … … the easiest way to motivate someone to attempt their most challenging skill is simply to point a camera in their direction.
As we reflect on the past decade, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to every student who has joined us on this journey. Your energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to step out of your comfort zones have made each retreat unforgettable. A special thank you goes to this year’s incredible crew, whose presence and spirit turned this retreat into yet another extraordinary gathering.
Will we be hosting this event again next year? At this point, we’re not planning a retreat in Thailand for 2025. But who knows? Perhaps we’ll be back in 2026. If we do, would you join us?
For now, we celebrate the memories made over the past decade and look forward to wherever our next adventure takes us. Stay tuned and stay ready—the YogaSlackers journey is always evolving!
Our complete collection of slackline gear, thoughtfully designed for all skill levels.
