From the ascetic (an ashram in New York state at siddhayoga.org) to the decadent (rooftop classes within metres of an Ibiza beach), yoga holidays are de rigueur - at least at the Guardian, where at the last count six of my female colleagues had recently embarked on one.
Yoga styles
Where to start? If you already take classes in a particular yoga style, you may want to choose a retreat or workshop which specialises in it. Yogamovement.com/resources/styles.html lists the various types, of which ashtanga (ashtanga.com), iyengar (iyengar-yoga.com) kundalini (users.waitrose.com/~kundaliniyoga/) and sivananda sivananda.org/vacations/vacation.html) are among the most popular - though none of these sites is a comprehensive guide to all the courses and holidays on offer. Bikram, which is practised in a hot room, is available at the Turkish resort of Huzur Vadisi (huzurvadisi.com).
Tutors
Alternatively, you may want to take classes with a particular tutor, many of whom now have their own sites, such as Simon Low (simonlow.com), Nic Freeman and Gemma Mallol (ashtangaom.com) and Mary Madhavi (marysyoga.co.uk), who runs courses in England, Wales and the south of France (thesuncentre.com). 'This is not a yoga holiday; it is a deepening of personal practice and awareness,' Mary warns, a sentiment shared by a number of teachers.
Places
For an overview of what's available and where, try the listings in the Online Yoga magazine at indigo.ie/~cmouze/holidays/holidays.htm. There's an invaluable page of advice on yoga retreats in the Himalayan foothills (indigo.ie/~cmouze/yoga_online/Rishikesh.htm) . Free Spirit UK also has some excellent suggestions, including the Sri Lankan eco-resort of Ulpotha (ulpotha.com), which is highly recommended by several colleagues. If you're looking for a retreat in North America, yogasite.com and yogafamily.com/retreat have some suggestions. Otherwise, Centered Yoga has opened a new ashtanga retreat in Thailand (centeredyoga.com), and Skyros (skyros.com) runs regular courses in a number of different yoga styles on the Greek island.
Cheaper yoga
It's possible to stay at La Buissière in the Lot Valley (yogafrance.com) for less than £200 a week. Caeiago Yoga runs weekends for £160 full board at its centre in Carmarthenshire (caeiago-yoga.co.uk). The soon-to-be-relaunched Neal's Yard Agency (nealsyardagency.com) often lists discounts and special offers.
