Full article at Vogue.com

“the retreat, in general, is getting mini-er and mini-er,” says amanda harding, owner of prema yoga in carroll gardens, brooklyn. harding led the studio’s first three-hour “mini retreat” earlier this month, and plans to host another one—as well as an eight-hour version—in the fall. “more and more i’ve noticed that exotic retreats don’t feel as effective as localized ones, where there isn’t a pressure to go sightseeing and shopping,” harding says. “when you haven’t saved up for two years to take a trip across the world, there isn’t this pressure to see everything and you can focus on your practice.” she leads the session at her studio, a beautiful, bright space located in a former bank. a two-hour practice will be followed by a 20-minute meditation, then a 20-minute chanting session, and culminate in a vegetarian lunch cooked by harding.