Females retreating deliciously solo
Across the ages, human beings have tended to think they are living at a time of huge change, and those of us living in the early 2000s are no exception.
The pace of just about everything seems faster than ever before: eating, driving, texting, reading, walking, travelling (hence the sudden huge interest in meditation, and the enduring popularity of yoga? People need a safe space to stop running).
Women's role in everyday life is no exception; casting back just a generation ago, it was still relatively rare for women to enjoy a university education, enter parliament, sit on the board of a big corporation, travel alone.
Whilst there's a long way to go before women are fully and fairly represented in big business and politics, the world of travel is overwhelmingly female-led.
Take these sharp facts about women and travel, published in 2012 by researchers Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell:
80% of all travel decisions are made by women
92% of all online travel purchases are made by women
Most female travellers are over 55
75% of those who take cultural or adventure trips are female
My eye was especially caught by this: it is now much more common for woman to travel alone than men, with 73% of travel agents polled noting that more female travellers embark on solo trips than their male counterparts.
All the above figures mirror our own experience providing retreats in Morocco and elsewhere. On our 2013 Easter retreat to Marrakech, every guest was a female travelling alone. In general, solo women form around half of all guests, and the numbers are increasing.
So what's the appeal of going on a retreat if you're female and happily travelling solo?
Whilst plenty of women are happy to take off and travel the globe alone, many more of us would prefer the sometime company of a group of like-minded people, and a little ready-made structure to the trip, not to mention yummy, healthy fooded provided daily without fuss, and without having to reach for the purse.
There are many reasons why women take a solo retreat trip. Here are some:
The retreat environment offers a ready-made balance of alone-time and friendly, like-minded company: structured classes, plenty of free time, two or three meals a day when the group eats together. All in all, a supportive, safe environment where friendships are often forged.
On retreat, there's always an implicit focus on wellbeing: yoga, healthy eating, massages, much-needed headspace. At the risk of sounding sexist, women are generally better at looking after themselves, and generally have the awareness (and follow-through) to do something about it if they feel run-down and in need of escaping.
More women practice yoga! It's an obvious fact, and, as more and more men discover the practice, one that is slowly changing. At our own yoga classes in Chelmsford, Essex, our classes are still 80% female.
We have found that it's also increasingly common to welcome older women on retreat (whatever 'older' means!). On our last Suffolk Art of Relaxation weekend, three of our participants were in their 60s and beyond. It was wonderful to see.
Whether it's to rejuvenate on a retreat or spa weekend, or backpack around South East Asia, the phenomena of the solo female traveller looks set to be a long-term trend.
I'll sign off with these words from Anita Septimus: 'You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t chose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.'
Lucia Cockcroft, yoga and meditation teacher, and co-founder, Satvada Retreats and yogaatthemill.co.uk