A yoga retreat Q&A with Julie | Julie is Partner at a pre-eminent accounting firm in Minnesota and has joined me on three (soon to be four) retreats. She first joined my Morocco retreat (2024), then France (2025), and Turkey (2026), and now she and I will reconvene back in France for her second France retreat (May 29-June 5, 2027).
Because Julie is the first of my retreat participants to repeat the same location (France 2025 and 2027), I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her experience on retreat with me to understand what keeps her coming back!
You’re coming back to France with me next May, which will be your fourth retreat with me. What brings you back?
Any trip that’s fully planned for you is really amazing.
I’ve loved all of the retreats I’ve been on with you, Sarah, but France, in particular, was different. Morocco was yoga plus a lot of sight seeing. France was more of a reset. We set a completely different pace and stayed in one, calm environment the whole time. Your France retreat is less about ‘I get to check this off my bucket list’ and more about disconnecting from the world, a true reset.
I loved our dinners and in-depth conversations over meals. I loved having our private chef. I was able to achieve a different level of connection on your France retreat with the other people on retreat too. We had plenty of downtime and did more yoga in general, which I enjoyed! Some vacations you feel like you need a vacation after your vacation, that wasn’t the case with your France retreat in 2025!
Plus, my friend, Kim, didn’t get to join in 2025 and is coming to France in 2027, so it was easy to say ‘yes’ to France a second time for that reason as well.
What draws you to retreat generally? You could go on any trip any time, why retreat?
As the person who’s usually the one planning the trip, I love that retreat is all planned for me. It’s 100% stress free. I’m not worried about when to catch the next train or where we need to go next. Sarah tells me where to be and what time, and I get to show up there at that time.
As much as I like to control things, I really like trusting Sarah to plan everything!
The connections I make on retreat are meaningful. I often come on Sarah’s retreats with 1-2 friends, but I also get to meet new people and reconnect with some people who’ve come year after year to the different retreat locations. I have found that Sarah’s retreat brings good people together, people who are looking for something deeper, for real connection, for something more than just ‘I want to see the Eiffel Tower’.
From a yoga perspective, coming on retreat year-over-year, I get to observe progress in my yoga practice. As a teacher, Sarah accepts me at the level of yoga where I am. I don’t have to be a ‘perfect yoga person’ to come on retreat. I’m not intimidated to try things because lots of people around me are at different levels too.
My job is stressful. I’m very connected to my job and often work on weekends and late on weeknights. I don’t bring my work laptop on retreats. I actually, fully, unplug. That’s really rare for me!
Retreat is a significant investment, but it’s worth it for the reset and the mental health break.
Sarah’s retreat is an investment in my wellbeing.
What should people know about retreat they might not be thinking about?
You can pack 7-10 days in a carry on. It’s possible!
I’m an introvert, so there’s always little fear of the unknown on trips like this. Though I often go on retreat with one to two friends, I would go on retreat with Sarah even if I didn’t know anyone else going. The environment – of all new people – isn’t as scary as it sounds. And the yoga isn’t as scary as you think either!
For someone on the fence, what pushed you over the edge to come to France with me in 2027?
I have true FOMO. This is your one opportunity to do this with Sarah, so you should go! You just have to do it!
I think what stops a lot of folks from signing up for retreat is the cost. As I debated joining your France retreat next year, I knew I wanted to take the time off work, but I had to ask myself: Do I want to spend the money?
Ultimately I decided to join because I see retreat as an investment in myself. Retreat allows me to do cool things and meet really cool people. Retreat allows me to fully disconnect and opens me up to new experiences. Retreat is also a break from the stress in my life, particularly work stress.
Do you have any concerns about the current protests in France (as of November 2026)?
No. I know Sarah won’t bring me anywhere that’s unsafe. The protests in Paris and the South of France are so far from Toulouse.
Leading up to our retreat in Turkey in May 2026, Sarah and her co-lead Courtney kept us all very informed as to the political situation with neighboring Iran. I knew they wouldn’t bring us to Turkey unless they felt sure we would be entirely safe. I feel the same way about France in 2027.
What was your favorite thing about my France retreat last time that you’re most looking forward to in 2027?
I loved our group meals at our big square table. I loved having conversations as a group. The group bonding we were able to achieve around that table was really special.
I’d also come back just to have those fresh-baked chocolatines every morning.
Sarah’s upcoming France retreat runs May 29-June 5, 2027. You can find more information here and can email her at sarah@wonderingsoulsarah.com with any questions.
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