How Sarah Went From Teaching Yoga to Hosting Sold-Out Wellness Retreats

Hallstatt Austria

Three years ago, Sarah was standing exactly where you might be right now.

She'd spent eight years in the classroom as a teacher. It was good work, proper work, but something wasn't scratching the right itch anymore.

So she made the leap. She trained up as a Yoga and Mindfulness Coach and built herself a genuine following, running classes online with people who actually looked forward to seeing her each week.

But here's the thing: even though she was doing what she loved, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more she could offer.

She'd see her clients transform through their regular practice, and she'd think to herself: what if they could experience something deeper?

What if they all went somewhere together, somewhere beautiful, and really leaned into this?

She'd been turning the idea of a retreat over in her head for years.

The problem was she had no clue how to actually pull it off, and that uncertainty had basically stopped her in her tracks.

Hallstatt Austria

"I wasn't sure how it would go," she remembers. "Would people actually book? Would it feel strange after just doing regular classes?"

The thing is, Sarah wasn't thinking about this as some massive money-grab either. "I'm not really in it to swell my income, although that would be nice. It's more about adventure, isn't it? A proper change of scene. An incredible shared experience for everyone involved."

But doubt's a tricky thing. It keeps you small.

Then came the conversation that changed everything. It happened in one of her yoga classes with Lizzie, one of her regular students. Lizzie had serious travel experience under her belt – the kind of person who actually knows how to pull off adventures like this.

They got talking about retreats, about what Sarah had been dreaming of, and suddenly something shifted.

Lizzie had the skills, the know-how, the contacts. Sarah had the yoga expertise and the loyal following. It just made sense.

That's when the stars actually aligned. Austria. She found a stunning venue tucked into the mountains, picked dates that made sense, and sent the word out to her existing group.

Fifteen people signed up.

Fifteen of her students chose to spend a week with her in the mountains, doing focused practice in one of the most beautiful settings you could imagine. They mixed with locals. They actually lived it. It was brilliant.

And yes, it made a difference.

Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat Guests

That first retreat didn't just work out - It changed everything about how Sarah works.

Her second retreat sold out in 24 hours. Now she runs two retreats every year, and every single one hits capacity.

Better still, she's not just breaking even on these – the retreats have become a proper income stream, and she's picked up brand new clients along the way.

She's got a waiting list of people from all over the world, all keen to join her next adventure.

"Hosting retreats has completely changed how I work," Sarah says. "I've never felt more aligned with what I'm actually supposed to be doing. And my clients absolutely get it too."

The moral here isn't complicated. Sometimes the thing that's going to move you forward is the thing you've been thinking about for years.

Sometimes you just need someone to show you it's actually possible.

What's your Austria?