In short: The Journal is where YogaVacation publishes stories, interviews, features, essays and research explainers, alongside our practical guides. Every post carries a label that tells you what kind of piece it is (a firsthand story, an interview, a researched feature, an opinion, a research explainer, news or sponsored content), so you always know how much weight to give it.
Our guides answer practical questions: how to do a pose, what a style involves, when to visit a country. The Journal is for everything that doesn’t fit that shape: the people who practice and teach, the places and festivals, the ideas, and the research. It sits alongside the guides rather than replacing them, and the two link to each other. A feature on a festival in India will point you to our India destination guide; a research explainer on meditation will point to our guide to mindfulness meditation.
Because the Journal mixes very different kinds of writing, we label every post. Labels are the most important thing on this page: they tell you whether you are reading someone’s own experience, a researched article, an opinion or something a partner paid for.
Start here
- Pick a section from the list below, or browse the latest posts.
- Check the label at the top of each post before you read.
- Follow the links from each post to the guides for the practical detail.
The Journal’s sections
The Journal has nine sections. Each post belongs to one, and the address is always /journal/ followed by the post’s name, so links never break when a post moves section.
| Section | What you will find | Label on the post |
|---|---|---|
| Practitioner stories | First-person stories from real practitioners, published with their consent | Firsthand story |
| Teacher interviews | Interviews with teachers, recorded or written, approved by the interviewee | Interview |
| Retreat experiences | Reports from retreats that the writer actually attended | Firsthand report |
| Destination features | Longer pieces on a place, its yoga scene and its culture | Researched feature |
| Culture | The history and meaning of traditions, festivals and practices | Researched feature |
| Practice reflections | Essays and opinion pieces about practice and daily life | Opinion |
| Responsible travel | Sustainability, respectful participation and local impact | Researched guide |
| Research explainers | Plain-English summaries of published studies, with their limits stated | Research explainer (reviewed) |
| Events and festivals | Dated events and observances, with the date and source checked | News |
What each label means
Firsthand story and firsthand report
Written by, or told to us by, someone who lived it. The writer’s experience is their own and is not a recommendation for everyone. We confirm that the person exists and agrees to publication, and when a piece mentions a retreat, school or teacher by name, we say whether the writer paid their own way.
Interview
A conversation with a teacher, organizer or expert, edited for length and clarity and approved by the person interviewed. The views are theirs. When an interviewee runs a business we also write about, we say so.
Researched feature and researched guide
Written by our editors from published sources, which are listed at the end of the post. These follow the same standards as our guides: sources for every historical, travel and health fact, and traditional beliefs presented as teachings within their tradition, not as established fact.
Opinion
A personal view, clearly marked. Opinion pieces are there to make you think; they are not advice.
Research explainer (reviewed)
A plain-English summary of one or more published studies. Each explainer says how big the study was, what kind of study it was, what it can and cannot show, and links to the original. Health-related explainers are checked by a qualified reviewer, named on the post, before they are published. A single study is never presented as proof, and nothing in an explainer is medical advice.
News
Dated information about an event, festival or observance, such as the International Day of Yoga. We check dates against the organizer’s or official source and show when we checked. Events change, so confirm with the organizer before you travel.
Sponsored
A post paid for by a partner carries a visible “Sponsored” label at the top, names the partner, and marks the partner’s links as sponsored. Sponsors can propose a topic, but our editors write or edit the piece and our standards still apply: no invented experiences, no health promises. U.S. Federal Trade Commission guidance on endorsements says that material connections between a brand and the person promoting it must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously, and we follow that principle on every post, sponsored or not.
What the Journal will never do
- Invent experiences. We do not publish stories, reviews, quotes or ratings that did not happen or come from real people.
- Hide money. Free stays, payments, affiliate links and sponsorships are disclosed on the post where they apply. Affiliate links are explained in our editorial standards.
- Make health promises. No post says that a practice cures, heals or detoxifies. Where health matters, we suggest checking with your doctor.
- Present belief as fact. Spiritual and traditional teachings are described as what a tradition teaches, kept separate from historical interpretation and scientific evidence.
How the Journal connects to the guides
Every Journal post is tagged with one or more subjects, so it appears in the “From the journal” box on the related guides. A practice reflection on starting again after a break shows up next to building a consistent practice; a culture feature on chanting appears alongside our yoga philosophy pages; a retreat report links to the Yoga Retreats hub and to guides such as how to choose a yoga retreat; and a destination feature links to the country guide in destinations.
Share your story or suggest an interview
We welcome first-person stories from practitioners and suggestions for teacher interviews. Tell us briefly what you would like to share through our contact page. We read everything, and we only publish with your consent and after you have approved the final text. Retreat organizers who would like to be considered for a feature should know that features are editorial: we decide what to cover, and paid placements are always labeled as sponsored.
For updates when new stories and guides are published, sign up for the newsletter. To learn who writes and checks what you read here, see About YogaVacation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YogaVacation Journal?
The part of the site for stories, interviews, features, essays, research explainers and news about yoga and yoga travel. It sits alongside our practical guides, and each post links to the guides on its subject.
What do the labels on Journal posts mean?
They tell you what kind of piece you are reading: Firsthand story or report (someone's own experience), Interview, Researched feature or guide (written from listed sources), Opinion, Research explainer (a reviewed summary of published studies), News (dated events) or Sponsored (paid for by a named partner).
Are Journal posts sponsored?
Most are not. When a partner pays for a post, it carries a visible Sponsored label, names the partner and marks the partner's links. Free stays and affiliate links are also disclosed on the post.
Can I write for the Journal?
We welcome first-person stories from practitioners and suggestions for interviews. Send a short note through the contact page. We publish only with your consent and after you approve the final text.
Is the Journal medical advice?
No. Journal posts, including research explainers, are general information. Health-related explainers are checked by a qualified reviewer, but for your own situation, talk with your doctor.
Sources
- FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (accessed October 6, 2026)
Facts checked on October 6, 2026