Find yourself at this men-only yoga retreat in Ibiza

Yoga retreats are often seen as quite a feminine thing to do.

Whatever their reason for going – whether it’s to get fit, try and face a mental health issue, or get over a break-up – women seem more likely than men to book themselves onto a week of spiritual workouts for their body and mind.

Men who like the idea of a week of yoga might find the feminine associations off-putting – especially as men are more likely to brush their mental health issues under the carpet.

Add to this the fact that most of these retreats are aimed at women anyway and we see that men are typically short-changed when it comes to their chakras.

This is why Lindsay Jay and partner Ivor Campbell-Davys are launching a men-only retreat in Ibiza.

They’ve been running YogaFit Retreats for three years in Ibiza, the Baltic and the UK, and the pair are now passionate about helping men ‘find their soul’.

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This will be the first men-only Primal Beat – their weekly Ibizan yoga retreat, which involves sunrise hikes, lots of yoga and sharing circles around the campfire in the Ibicenco countryside.

The inaugural male retreat will take place in October, in a remote north-east part of the island.

Men-only Primal Beat YogaFit Retreats in Ibiza — You don’t even need to be able to touch your toes (Picture: YogaFit Retreats)

‘Women have been supporting themselves and changing their role for so long and their work has blossomed over the last few years,’ says Ivor.

‘It’s essential that we start that work with men, to provide the balance our species urgently needs in order to evolve.

‘There is so much more to life than the struggle most of us wake up to, and finding it is an exciting journey which sends shivers down your spine and consciously connects you to our world.’

Ivor knows all too well how the British ‘stiff upper lip’ can be detrimental for your mental health. He suffered from depression while working as an estate agent in London, and suffered from what he describes as: ‘My soul slapping me in the face’.

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‘Depression is our spirit’s alarm clock,’ he says. ‘We’re trying to wake ourselves up from the struggle we find ourselves in – depression can be a rewarding gift.

‘Most men are still being educated in the same way as a man in the 1800’s; don’t cry, be brave, stiff upper lip; we need to transform ourselves so that we are free to explore the feminine that lies within us all, the intuition, the emotion, the love, the passion for life.’

‘These retreats are about finding balance and joy in life’, he continues. ‘I hope the word spreads so that all my brothers can start their journey on this beautiful island’.

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They’ll be offering yoga, fitness, hiking, shamanic ceremonies and even fire-walking, as part of the retreat – and you don’t need to have ever done yoga, as the retreat is designed for every type of man, yogi or not.

If you’re the type of man who still sees yoga as a girly thing to do then a) you haven’t been to the right yoga class and b) try telling that to the huge amount of buff guys who regularly attend my studio’s 8.30am Tuesday class. *waggles eyebrows*

Namaste motherf*ckers.