My 30-day yoga challenge is now a thing of the past, and unfortunately so is my plan to continue doing yoga every day. So I looked around for a new source of motivation. I had heard about yoga in the Alps before, so I googled it and found Soulshineyoga. Yoga teacher Malia Campbell offers 3-day yoga weekends at the idyllic Schönwetterhütte in Upper Styria several times a year. Why not, I thought to myself. Mountains and yoga? That can only be a good combination.

Yoga retreat: 3 days of ‘Yoga in the Alps’

Malia schrieb etwa zwei Wochen vor Beginn des Yoga-Wochenendes das beste Vorbereitungs-Email, das ich je erhalten habe. Nicht nur eine Must-Have-Packliste war darin enthalten, sondern die genaue Anreisebeschreibung inklusive Fotos des Wanderwegs, die Abfrage der Abendessen auf der Alm und Mitfahrmöglichkeiten der Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer untereinander. So kam ich in den Genuss, vom Voralpenkreuz aus mit zwei Mädels aus Oberösterreich mitfahren zu können. Nachdem ich alleine unterwegs war, war es schön, gleich jemanden vorab kennenlernen zu können.

We drove up a mountain road and parked at the hiking car park. From here, it was time to go hiking. Luck came our way in the form of the hut owner. He packed our heavy rucksacks into his car, and we were able to tackle the short hike to the Schönwetterhütte without any luggage.

Sweaty and thirsty, we arrived at the hut – and were among the first to arrive. The welcome was wonderfully warm. Both Malia and the lovely hut owners welcomed us like family, which was a wonderful feeling. Sipping cool buttermilk with cranberries on the terrace in the sun, looking out over the Dachstein massif and settling in peacefully – a wonderful start to the weekend.

Into the sunset

We started our first yoga session a little late. Some participants had long journeys and traffic jams, so we waited for them. So we made our beds in the small dormitory on the first floor of the Schönwetterhütte, got changed and set off along the forest road up the mountain. We walked for a good twenty minutes – and every minute was worth it. Who gets to do yoga with a view of the mountains of Upper Styria?

The long yoga session was wonderful. Like every yoga teacher, Malia has her own unique style – relaxed yet challenging. Everyone was able to adapt the asanas to their own level. We placed a lot of emphasis on breathing and calmness and enjoyed a wonderful final relaxation session, during which Malia read a short story. The joint ‘Om’ at the end was completely new to me – an intense experience once I had let myself get into it.

And then it was there: we opened our eyes and gazed at the most wonderful sunset in the midst of the beautiful mountain panorama. For me, it was an almost magical moment in the lingering tranquillity of yoga relaxation.

We ended the evening with a really good dinner, which our lovely hosts cooked on a wood-burning stove. Tender lamb (from their own livestock and slaughterhouse) and hearty cheese gnocchi quickly replenished our empty energy reserves.

A stargazing walk was planned for the night, but I skipped it along with three other ladies – it was just too cosy in the warm room, and having the shower all to ourselves was too tempting. However, we obviously missed out on something special: in the complete darkness of the secluded mountain world, you could even see the Milky Way shining in the night sky.

Into an eventful day full of activity

Saturday started with bright blue skies, frosty temperatures, sleepy faces (a dormitory takes some getting used to) and a new yoga spot. We laid out our mats above a rushing stream. I admit it: this wasn't my kind of yoga session. I found it strenuous and somewhat tedious. As a non-morning person after a pretty sleepless night... Well, it just wasn't my moment. On top of that, it was unfortunately very cold, so the final relaxation was more like a final shiver with the prospect of the warm hut. When we had finished, the first warm rays of sunshine reached us and accompanied us up to the hut.

After breakfast, I was really looking forward to the mountain hike up to Gumpeneck . We had a 780-metre climb ahead of us. Let me put it this way: every single metre made it very clear to me that I had neglected my fitness training lately.
No, let me correct myself: I had been terribly lazy over the past two months and was panting like a steam locomotive on its last legs. No exaggeration. However, even in the ‘slow group,’ we were still moving along quite quickly and arrived at the summit about 10 minutes after the ‘fast group’ and in under two hours overall.

What a panorama! Exhaustion? Panting? Burning thighs? All forgotten. 360° mountain love all around us, clear skies and sunshine. Heart, what more could you want! And even though the descent was exhausting and we all arrived back at the Schönwetterhütte pretty exhausted, it was a fantastic experience. Showering has never been so wonderful!

But of course, the day wasn't over yet. After a three-hour break to relax and refresh ourselves (yes, I know I already mentioned it, but I LOVE buttermilk with cranberries...), we rolled out our mats right next to the hut and embarked on a long Yin Yoga session. And it was wonderful. Deep relaxation, here I come! And that was followed by a hearty dinner of Styrian doughnuts, cheese dumplings and roast pork. Hey, could it get any better?

At this point, I would like to mention that if you are seeking a yoga retreat characterised by asceticism, a vegan diet, prohibition of alcohol, and complete tranquillity, this is not the right place for you. Or let us put it another way: I would be in the wrong place there.

The evening ends with Malia, her nice husband Herwig, the hut owners Sibylle and Otti, yoga colleague Thorsten and lots of fun. Sometimes life is just beautiful.

A Sunday to go, please!

Admittedly, after another long night, my motivation for the last yoga session of the weekend was somewhat limited. But of course, that was no reason to skip it. This time, Malia chose a sunny spot about 10 minutes away from the cabin. Warmed by the sun, we enjoyed a wonderful and long yoga session. Malia also came up with a real highlight for the last day: We were divided into two groups and each of us chose an asana that we liked. One after the other, we got into this pose and were lifted into the air by the others in the group. It was a wonderful feeling to do yoga weightlessly floating in the air. Most of us laughed out loud: how wonderful to hear this pure joy.

Our breakfast together brought this lovely weekend to a close. It was hard to leave the Schönwetterhütte. I would have loved to spend another day there. By the way, something I would recommend to everyone: add an extra day to your stay. After this wonderful final yoga session and such beautiful weather, who wants to return to everyday life so quickly?

Thank you, dear Malia, for this wonderful weekend. Let's see if my plans for Thailand allow me to come back here next summer to enjoy yoga with you in the Schönwetterhütte again.

Facts about the ‘Yoga on the Alpine Pasture’ weekend

Organiser: Soulshineyoga, Yoga teacher Malia Campbell

Duration: 3 days, Friday afternoon until Sunday midday

Dates: Schaut auf Malias Website.

Group size: 15 participants max

Level: All levels are welcome. In my personal opinion, it is helpful if you have at least tried yoga a few times and know the most basic asanas.

Price: Schaut auf Malias Website.

Best suited for: Communicative people who enjoy travelling in a group; good sleepers (or earplug wearers); lovers of good food; mountain enthusiasts.

Weniger geeignet für: Asketen. 😉

Men in the group? We had only one man in the henhouse. On one of the last weekends, there were five men among the 15 participants. But I think (and Thorsten confirmed it) that it wasn't a problem for him. So, men, get ready for the yoga weekend!

My packing list for ‘Yoga in the Alps’

Three days and a hiking backpack with a capacity of 30+5 litres... quite a challenge. Here's what was on my packing list:

• Yoga mat (there was no room for the yoga block, but Malia has brought several mats, blocks and blankets with her)
• Three sports shirts, one of them long-sleeved
• A functional jumper
• One pair of long sports trousers and one pair of short sports trousers, which I use in combination as yoga and jogging trousers.
• A wool cardigan for cool evenings
• A water bottle
• For hiking: hiking trousers, hiking boots, Camelbak (or water bottle), cap, sunscreen
• Two T-shirts and a jersey dress
• Slippers for the camp (no shoes allowed!)
• Flip-flops and outdoor sports shoes
• Ear plugs (!)
• Underwear, toiletries (you can safely leave your make-up at home, as everyone will be going without make-up anyway)
• Mobile phone charger, cash (no ATM payments in the hut!)

What I missed, but would have been good:

• Hiking poles
• A warmer jumper (instead of the cardigan) and thick socks for yoga in cool conditions or for the final relaxation.

I would definitely participate in Yoga oin the Alps again. What about you, have you had any experiences with yoga retreats? What have you experienced in this regard?