Adventure Yogi Retreat Hosting Guide PDF

 Welcome This is your guide to hosting our retreats, and how to be an effective brand ambassador for Adventure Yogi Even if you are a very experienced retreat teacher and host, we ask that you take the time to read through this style guide, because it is not just about tea...

 Welcome This is your guide to hosting our retreats, and how to be an effective brand ambassador for Adventure Yogi Even if you are a very experienced retreat teacher and host, we ask that you take the time to read through this style guide, because it is not just about teaching or hosting yoga retreats, it’s about how to do it the Adventure Yogi way. We ask that you leave your own brand at the door to the yoga retreat and become an AY Brand Ambassador, part of the team and AY family! Contents Hosting a retreat with us Page 3 Pre retreat preparation Page 4 Problem solving Page 7 Brand Ambassador Page 9 On retreat - setting up Page 10 The Welcome Experience Page 16 The Yoga Page 20 Activities and daily communications. The Farewell Experience Page 23  Hosting A Yoga Retreat With Us First and foremost, as the yoga teacher, you are also the host of the retreat. As the host, you will need great communication skills, be able to and happy to problem-solve on the spot at times and to hold space for a diverse group of individuals. To work on AY retreats you have to be happy to teach the yoga and host all aspects and manage all situations. A great Adventure Yogi host can: Communicate well with a wide range of people. Create a safe and welcoming environment. Be calm under pressure. Understand how to react to situations, complaints and problems that arise and know that you are the one that must manage this to create a good outcome, and be happy with this responsibility. Handle any problems professionally and empathetically. Be able to adapt to sudden changes without getting flustered. Act like a swan, calm on the outside if flustered on the inside. NEVER let guests know you are stressed with the situation in hand. Allow guests to feel cared for, listened to, and acknowledged. Be the all-seeing eyes, spotting group dynamics and things that need addressing. Communicate well with venues, suppliers, and guides as an ambassador for Adventure Yogi. Never communicate badly to our suppliers or venues. If you are upset with them, get in touch with HO to communicate with them directly. A great team player. You, the Chef and Karma Yogi and therapists are a team. Help the kitchen when they need it with tasks like collecting mugs and clearing plates. Due to the nature of our retreats, they can sometimes feel quite complicated to run, especially our overseas holidays. External trips, adventures, taxis to co-ordinate, guests to advise and being able to adapt to changes in weather and group dynamics. We are under no illusion that this role is challenging. However, the key to being a great host is great communication, good listening skills and staying calm.  Being an Adventure Yogi Teacher and Host Pre-retreat Preparation Prior to the retreat, the office team will be in touch to arrange a pre-retreat brief online to talk you through all aspects of the retreat. You will have access to a shared drive which contains all the information you need: The retreat manual and video The Retreat Plan Expense sheet for all finances Guest list Any other information or documents relevant to the retreat - floor plans, walking guides, hotel confirmations, transfer details Retreat Manuals We have created Retreat Manuals and videos that have details of all emergency contacts, supplier and venue contacts and any intricate details you need to know about the venue/location/schedule etc. These are live documents - meaning they are consitantly being updated with new informtion. PLEASE READ AND WRITE NOTES/STUDY PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THE RETREAT SO THAT IF ANY ISSUES ARISE YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND THE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT YOU. We are moving towards the retreat teams operating autonomously and only being in touch when there is a real emergency. We trust that you can do a good job and we ask that you document issues that arise and tell us in the debrief so that we can pass this on to others to improve their overall experience at that location. You must spend some time researching the area and making sure you have the right paperwork. Guests WILL ask you questions. Anything from the nearest shop or pharmacy to the history and hikes. Guest List A couple of weeks before departure, you will be sent the guest list that will include everyone's names, dietary requirements, and any injuries that they have made us aware of. Plus which room they have booked. Pre-retreat recommended actions: Read thoroughly and learn the Retreat Manual Contact all suppliers ahead of the retreat to introduce yourself and say you are the point of contact and to confirm timings of transfers/hikes etc Introduce yourself in the whatsapp group Ask HO any queries about anything from the retreat Manual that is unclear ahead of the retreat start date Look at guest rooming list and start to get an idea of the guests and ask any queries about them if they arise Feel prepared for the retreat ahead of time to manage nerves if you have never been to that location before; google the area, look at a map, look at tripadvisor, ask HO questions If it’s a new location for you – find out who has been there before and arrange to speak to them to get their knowledge and experience advice The WhatsApp Group Our group communication platform is a great way to start to communicate with the group prior to, and during the retreat. We set up a Guest group and a Retreat Team group. Yoga teacher – intro yourself and say that you are looking forward to meeting everyone and what to bring. Guest WhatsApp groups are great, for instance, for sharing the itinerary, or if you are late coming back from the hike, you may delay the start of yoga by 30 minutes to allow people a bit more downtime, put it in the group chat so everyone can see the plan. It is also useful for things like, what to bring to evening yoga or if yoga will be outside in the morning as the weather is nice. It is also great for sharing maps and activities people may wish to do on their day off on longer retreats. It is great to add that days schedule or the first half of the days schedule so people can see it in the group and remember easily. Please be aware, it is not a replacement for the in person chats but, it can be a great support tool to keep in touch with the whole group and create a sense of community that they can all engage with. The office team set up the WhatsApp group but we do not manage it after this, before retreat the guests ca get to know each other, arrange taxi share and then communicate whilst on retreat. As the host you will be an admin for the group and will be able to add guests at their request. Any other queries pre retreat please ask us, or ask the guests to email us at HO On Adventure Yogi retreats we manage guests’ expectations by having constant check-ins or ‘chats’ each day at meal times to let them know what is happening next to keep them calm and happy. These well-timed group chats are a great way to relay clear information to the whole group and ensure everyone feels they know the events to follow and how they need to be prepared. Managing a problem Problems do arise whilst on retreat and it is the role of the host to manage these in a calm and professional manner. Troubleshooting means experiencing a problem and managing it with the best decorum so that no one notices there is an issue. As a freelancer, no doubt you come up against situations like this in your own business, we appreciate you using those skills on our retreats too. Stay calm. Listen to the guest. Let them know you hear them. Try and find solutions. Always stay professional in front of the guests, the retreat team, and any suppliers. What to do if an issue arises On retreat if an issue arises, we ask that you try and resolve it as best you can on your own before contacting HO. We are here to help in emergencies out-of-hours otherwise we ask that you contact us about queries between the hours of 9am – 5pm UK time Monday – Friday because this is when the whole team at HO works. The team at HO aren’t freelancers and so they work normal office hours so appreciate this being considered whilst you are away. An emergency would be that a there is a problem with rooming, or the transfer list isn’t correct or someone is injured. A non-emergency is for example messaging at 6am on a Sunday to ask about the contact details of the taxi to the beach. A lot of questions asked are answered in the retreat manual so please refer to this first before asking HO. We take every message to HO seriously in case it is an emergency so please save general queries until office hours – write a list of questions that arise and message them over at 9am. You can tell the guests that we are office hours to also manage their expectations and take the pressure off you answering them immediately. Included in the shared drive are the risk assessments, emergency procedures and everything you should need if you can’t get hold of someone at HO  AY Brand Ambassador We appreciate that you may have your own successful business as a freelance yoga teacher and your own brand identity. Adventure Yogi also has its own brand identity and when you are working for Adventure Yogi as one of our brand ambassadors and in contract with AY we ask that you respect our brand identity. We ask you to leave your own business and brand at the door to the retreat and take on AY’s brand and represent AY in the best way that you can. See below how you can do this: On Retreat: We ask that you learn the AY brand story and you talk about AY first and foremost, promoting what retreats you are working on next, encouraging them to rebook on your AY retreats. We ask that you do not talk about your own products and services in an active self- promotional way. If guests ask about you please tell them but don’t collate email addresses or actively get them to follow your handle and vice versa. You are not working for AY to collect as many new followers as possible. You are working with AY to represent AY in a professional manner. Encouraging them to follow AY on Instagram rather than your own handle, or if they ask for yours, to encourage them to follow AY at the same time. We ask that you always put AY at the forefront of your mind and think about re- engaging the customer to come back to AY. You are the only ones that can do this because you are with the guests. During the retreat speak about reviews and at the end of the retreat encourage them to write a review on google (and we have a fun game competition for you, see below), mention your name so that you can use it in your own promotional material. The more reviews we get, the more retreats and the more work for you. We ask that you feel proud and excited to be a part of the growing AY family!  On retreat - setting up Punctuality We appreciate you are busy and being freelance means every minute is precious! However, we ask for all teams to be at the venue no later than 2 pm on UK retreats. In some locations, you can arrive earlier. On most overseas retreats you will arrive at least a day before and you will be able to access the venue when the venue stipulates, and we will inform you in your briefing and in the retreat manual. This allows for plenty of time to arrive, unpack, help set up the kitchen and set up the yoga studio before guests arrive. If you are running late, please let Head Office know ASAP. Karma Yogis On larger retreats, you may have a Karma Yogi. Karma Yogis are there first and foremost as guests but are also on hand to help. Tasks like laying the table for mealtimes, packing, and unpacking the dishwasher, washing up and keeping the tea station tidy are within their role. Their main role is to assist the kitchen however can also be on hand to assist the yoga teacher. The yoga teacher can ask them to sweep and mop the yoga shala floor if dirty. Get to Know the Venue Even if it is a venue you have been to before, make sure you take the time to explore around. Importantly, become familiar with the layout of the bedrooms and the guest allocations to each room. This is VERY important and means that when guests arrive you feel confident in where to take them and they feel well looked after. Some yoga teachers bring name tags and hang them on the bedroom doorhandle to remember where they go or post-it notes. Do whatever makes you feel more relaxed on the arrival day. If there are any problems with the rooms, for instance, a twin room that has been made up as a double bed, call the emergency number immediately to check the rooming list is correct. Also contact the venue manager to ask if they can provide linen for you to change or the venue can change the beds. Ultimately it is your responsibility to resolve the issue. Always communicate politely and professionally to our venue owners/managers. You are representing AY when someone from HO who usually communicates with them is not there and so please maintain and friendly and professional manner, even if you are stressed and in a hurry and have a guest breathing down your neck. If in doubt, please call HQ but appreciate that we will have the contacts as you so it will be quicker to handle the situation directly. If the retreat has a silent morning walk, make sure you familiarise yourself with the route and location. If there is a walk you as the host guide try to walk that too if there is time (or arrive earlier and do the walk before you head to the venue) Some venues also have fire pits that can be used. We recommend organizing a firepit with hot chocolate and on the last night. We provide the budget for wood and firelighters etc to the chef to buy this. On the first night, the guests will expect and take up a lot of your time so being prepared and creating a smooth transition is vital. Presentation First impressions matter. When the guests arrive, they will be absorbing as much as possible from their first interaction with you and the venue. Before they arrive, it's great to scan through the house and make sure everything is looking its best so that first impression really makes them feel excited for what else is to come. It's amazing what a difference plumped cushions, a tidy tea station and smartly pulled curtains make. We advise you to set up the yoga space prior to guests' arrival so that when you show them around the property and where yoga will be, they have a great first impression of the room. If you intend on creating a shrine or display within the yoga shala, you may wish to create this prior to guests arriving.  The Tea & Water Station The humble tea station is an exceptionally important place in a retreat setting. As a rule, the tea station is one of the first things we set up at a venue just in case a guest does arrive early. That way it looks like we are ready even if behind the scenes, still setting up. The chef will have a lot of work to do with unpacking, organising the kitchen and getting ready to prepare the first night's meal. Please help them by setting up the tea station in a suitable place. As part of your venue info pack, we will be able to advise where works best. Please ensure the tea station has the following: Black tea - we like to use the Clipper Organic Peppermint Tea - Even if you intend on making fresh mint tea, we always go through lots of peppermint tea bags! Fruity teas - a selection of different flavours inc. lemon and ginger. Milk - plant-based and cow's milk, please. Even as a vegan-based company, we can not go messing with people's tea - some things are too sacred! Most of the venues will have an urn that can be used. If it has an urn, it is yours and the chefs responsibility to make sure it is full. If there is not an urn, you will have to place the kettle at the tea station and a large jug of water so that guests can fill it. Please ensure you turn the urn off at night. Please set up your tea station with the following: Urn or kettle Jugs of water and glasses Teas Milk - clearly marked in jugs A glass of clean teaspoons Glass for used teaspoons Dish or a little bin for used tea bags. Hand sanitiser for guests to use Tray of clean mugs Tray for dirty mugs ideally kept away from the tea station that is easily accessible for both guests and the kitchen to collect Coffee Guests will ask you what the coffee situation is as soon as they see the tea station. Unlike many retreats, we are not a coffee-free zone. We do, however, try and keep coffee as something supplied at breakfast only.  Team Talk – pre guests arrival Once everything is set up, it is great to create some time for the team to come together with a cup of tea and work out any logistics, plans and timings. Things to discuss: The guest list:­Are there any people who have special requests, birthdays, anniversaries, any people with dietary requests that everyone needs to know about (nut allergies), pregnant women, cancer sufferers? You are each other's support, so start working as a team before the guests arrive. Room allocations:­Check in with the chef to let them know anything about the room set-up that may be a bit strange so that you can work out the issue together. Difficult guests: The office will be able to identify if there may be a potentially difficult guest,­by this, we mean that they may need more attention than others or have already been quite demanding before the retreat has even begun. These guests usually (although not all the time) are the ones who do need the most attention to feel safe and be able to settle. Once they are settled, they can often become the happiest. Take note of any characters like this so that you are prepped and ready to hold space. Chef and Karma Yogi logistics: Go through with the chef and let the chef go through with the Karma Yogi what their role is. Some chefs like a lot of help from the Karma Yogi and some chefs like less. We have our Karma Yogi job description, but it is good to clarify their role, so the chef feels supported. Do this all together to bring the Karma Yogi into the team if they have already arrived. If you have a large group: it is worth ensuring your Karma Yogi knows how to greet guests and that there is a strategy in place so there is always someone at the entrance to greet guests while you are showing them to their rooms. Guest Arrivals: Your retreat WhatsApp group is a great way to pick up on any guests that are likely to be late or even early. You may have to arrange for the chef or Karma Yogi to show a late guest to their room if you have already started the first yoga class. Make sure you have highlighted who those potential guests are and make sure the chef or Karma Yogi knows where to take them. Anything else that may arise: discuss anything else that comes up before the retreat. Relax: Once your guests arrive it will be hard to find the space again so make sure you take some time to de-stress and relax before it all officially begins.  Guest Arrival - The Welcome Experience All setup, venue looking great, tea station ready, rooms prepped, and team tea done - it's time to greet the guests! When the guests arrive, they can meet you in many different states, especially after a long journey. They may be - 1. Tired and flustered or stressed 2. Shy, nervous and unsure. Maybe they have never been on a retreat before. 3. Late - and have missed the initial welcome with the rest of the group Most of them will be nervous and not know what to expect ­time to work your magic and make them feel safe and welcome. It is important to greet them straight away, so they aren’t lingering in a hallway or doorway feeling lost. If lots of guests arrive all at once as they have come by shared taxi take them all into the communal area, sit them down, offer them the tea station and the welcome snacks and ask them to wait while you work through the group showing them to their rooms. Showing Guests to Their Rooms This is the guests' first real impression of you as their host for the retreat - so it's important! It's also your first impression of them - this is your chance to learn their name and get a feeling for them, who they are and what they need, so use it to your advantage. On the way to their room show them: The yoga room - explain how it will be set up, what time the first class is and anything they may need to bring. The communal areas ­dining room, kitchen - making sure you introduce them to the chef and explain the kitchen may be a 'guest free zone'. The tea station if you haven’t already shown them this. Remind them they are now on holiday. It is time to relax and the house is theirs to enjoy and feel at home in. As you are visiting each space also briefly let them know if there are any health and safety measures in place. A lot of people arrive anxious about living with a group of strangers and we have found addressing it straight from the start makes guests feel safer and more settled. It also shows them it is something we are not just ignoring these feelings.  THE YOGA Yoga on retreats is different. This is not a drop-in studio or fitness-based class. Retreats create the time and space to explore, dive deeper and understand more about yoga. For guests, it is a chance to try new styles, techniques and learn new things. As the teacher, you can take guests on a journey. As an Adventure Yogi teacher, we know you have years of experience in teaching and guiding incredible yoga classes. We trust you to deliver magic to our guests and take them on a yoga journey that explores asana, pranayama, mudras and so much more. Of course, only teach what you know and what you are comfortable with. Some of our teachers love mantras and chanting, others do not and that's ok. Class Planning If you are new to AY we will ask for class plans until we are happy that you have shown us that you are confident with teaching and hosting on a retreat. Once you have been with us for a while we are happy that you are delivering great yoga retreat teachings. You may decide that you want to create your class plans in advance to make the best use of time and resources. For example, if you are running a retreat over a summer solstice, you may wish to weave teachings, themes and messages into your classes to correspond with the time. The First Yoga Class On Adventure Yogi retreats, the first class is all about arriving and unwinding from the day's journey to reach us. This is your time to set the pace and theme for the retreat and ensure that the guests feel safe and seen in your classes. It is also a great time for you to gauge the level and energy of the group and what they may need from you as the retreat unfolds. Setting intentions, arriving at a nurturing environment, time away from the 'real world', space to indulge in self- care and embracing the time to do so are all key messages we want our guests to understand from this class At the end of the first class, your guests will be intrigued about what else is to come, so you may wish to explain what the yoga classes will be like during the retreat - morning (more dynamic) and evening (more restorative) and any yoga shala etiquette to adhere to such as no mobile phones.  Morning Yoga Classes Morning yoga classes on hiking and activity-based retreats are 1.5 hours and on our more well-being style retreats they are 2 hours long. If you are hosting an activity-based retreat, remember that the guests have a busy day ahead of them. There is a balance that needs to be met that ensures they have a dynamic and uplifting class to start the day without being too tired to then enjoy a 4-hour hike. The aim is for guests to feel content, not exhausted. Hatha and vinyasa styles with time for meditation and a lovely savasana are the styles for morning classes. Evening Yoga Classes On all UK retreats, our evening yoga classes are 2 hours long unless an activity or adventure impacts it. This allows for plenty of time to create a truly relaxing and restorative space for guests to indulge in after hikes and adventures. Yin, Yoga Nidra, Mindfulness, Meditation, Restorative Yoga, Somatics and Yoga Therapy are the styles for evening classes. It is always worth appreciating that these are often the styles of yoga that guests have never done before. Most people have only done Hatha or vinyasa-based asana practices and may initially struggle with the pace and stillness of restorative classes. Be prepared to have to explain the benefits and reasons behind these styles and use language that makes people feel safe and comfortable Welcome Chat The official welcome chat is done after dinner and before dessert on the first night. This is your chance to formally welcome everyone (latecomers should also have arrived by now) to their Adventure Yogi retreat and set the tone so everyone is excited about what is to come. It is also a time to give them a brief outline of what to expect from their time with us. Please be aware that people will be tired so do not go into too much detail. Things to mention in the welcome chat: Welcome - we are thrilled to have them join us, thank them for choosing AY Any health and safety or housekeeping they need to be aware of. Where the fire meeting point is and the fire safety procedure. Formally introduce the Chef and the Karma Yogi. The rough schedule for the retreat or at least the main activities they can expect. Massage bookings - if applicable. The plan for tomorrow. What time is the silent walk/yoga/hike and is there anything they should prep this evening to make the morning run smoothly. Ensure guests fully understand that you are always on hand to help with problems. Explain the use and purpose of the WhatsApp group. Let guests know that meal times will be our time for group communication so everyone is kept up to date with the events coming up. REITERATE THAT THEY CAN COME TO YOU AT ANY TIME, WITH ANY PROBLEMS. This is to be repeated so they can’t say we didn’t give them the opportunity to have any issues looked at and hopefully resolved whilst on retreat.  Breakfast Chats Time to check in with everyone, see how they slept and ask how they are feeling. Then, it's into the plans for the day. They should already know what time they are heading off on hikes etc but, remind them. What do they need to wear and bring: water, hats, walking boots, sunscreen, money etc. Remind them to collect their packed lunch box and where from. What time will they be back at the house. Massage schedule if applicable Things they may wish to do in their downtime. If anyone is not going on the hike, talk to them separately about their plans. Plan for when they return and what time yoga is that evening. Remind them you are on hand for queries. This is the chat where people have the most questions. They will want to know how long the hike is, where it is and everything they need to take. The activities are different on each retreat, but generally start after breakfast and finish in the afternoon before the evening yoga session Please familiarise yourself with the activities for each retreat, and make sure you join in on them! Evening Chats Evening chats are predominately about checking and asking everyone if they had a great day. They will most likely be tired so keep it short and sweet. Did they have a great day? Tell them what the plan is for tomorrow and if there are any changes to the schedule. Make sure you collect packed lunch boxes so they can be cleaned, ready for the next day. Any problems? Come and chat. On the last night, explain how the final morning will work, timings, leaving the room and any travel info. The End of The Day Please ensure you leave the house ready to begin the next day afresh. If there is no Karma Yogi, it is great to assist the chef in clearing away the plates and helping pack down the kitchen at the end of the day as they work exceptionally hard.  The farewell experience The Goodbye Chat - at last breakfast - or dinner for early transfer departures Time to say goodbye. On the last day, people are a little flustered about driving and heading off in good time so you may wish to do this at the START of breakfast, not the end as you will lose people who sneak off to pack. You could even do this at the end of the final yoga class if there is one before check out Thank them sincerely for joining us. We appreciate their time and that they have chosen to join us. Let them know that we at AY really value their feedback and that you the yoga teacher will share in the WhatsApp group a message with links to google to review if they so wish – say that we love all the thank you messages in the WhatsApp groups but if we can have them on google that would be really great for everyone to see how nice the retreats are with us. Also mention the yoga teacher and chefs by name so you can use them on your promotional material also. The guests add lovely messages in the WhatsApp group so it is our aim to try and get them to do this on google. Then also let them know AY send a welcome home email and there is a link to a feedback form and we would also appreciate this being filled in so that we can improve the retreat experience. Remind them they can keep in touch through the WhatsApp group and share their pictures. A big round of applause for the chef Tell them we hope to meet them again on another retreat in the future Thank you, thank you, thank you The End of The Retreat Congratulations, another successful retreat has been completed. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK We appreciate that after a retreat you are tired and ready for home but please do not leave before the last guest has gone this looks unprofessional Just as the tea station is the first thing to be set up, it is also the last thing to be packed down. Guests must feel welcome, cared for and able to access what they need up until the very moment that they leave the venue. The Debrief - When you return home, we will be in touch with you to de-brief, go through any problems that may have occurred and just generally check in with how you are! This is the final part of the operational process and it’s vital we collaborate with each other to make any changes and or improvements to the retreats. We want to know what worked well, what didn’t work so well, and how you felt hosting this retreat - we are hear to listen to your feedback and take it all on board. If nessecary we will feedback to the product team who will take any venue issues back to the venue. We work together with a '360' approach. Based on what you learn about how to run AY retreats and represent AY on retreats in The Manual, we will go through areas that we see that you have excelled in and areas that can be improved so that we are all working to the high standard that we all set on AY retreats that make them so successful and secure return guests. This also helps you to understand what we are looking for in an AY Retreat brand ambassador so that next time you can do more of what works and improve in the other areas. For example, this could be how to handle a difficult guest. it may have gone slightly wrong on one occasion and by talking it through and hearing ways to manage it, next time, it is a breeze! This is an opportunity to grow and work with these transferable skills in your own businesses. This is observational and a conversation in a safe space where we can speak honestly in order to support your personal growth during your AY journey/career. When we say 360 - this is also an opportunity for you to feedback on how we, the office team did so that we can all work together to continually improve ourselves, the processes in AY, and how we represent AY. If you have an idea on how we can improve our processes, please share! We are open to new ideas, especially if it makes systems, communication, customer service (to name a few) work better for everyone. It is also an opportunity to share with your retreat team member what you enjoyed and what could be improved upon when working together, so that when you work together next time, you are also a more cohesive and collaborative team, supporting one another. We will also share any customer comments, positive or constructive and we will share with you the feedback forms so you can see what the guests enjoy and don't enjoy so you can try things differently next time, or learn what the guests are looking for in a perfect AY retreat so you can introduce new conversations, timings etc. Finally, any Google reviews with your name on! This is the collaborative process, no-one is in trouble, it is a conversation on how to work together to improve every time in an honest and transparent way, so that everyone is seen, heard and valued.