Feeling overwhelmed by the world these days? One of these meditation retreats could help restore your calm
By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
Living in a metropolis can be stimulating and engaging – but also very fatiguing. We become easily addicted to running around non-stop, being sucked up in the flow of smartphone communications, work, commuting and cheap entertainment. As a consequence, we lose not only the primordial contact with Mother Nature, but even contact with our own minds.
Perhaps for this reason, more of us are looking for meditation retreats to restore our health and sanity. Here, you have no choice but to forgo the phone, and bid farewell to your social contacts and technology. It’s all in the name of re-connecting with the one person who means the most – you.
Here, we’ve selected ten top meditation retreats that can help you restore your mind, body and spirit.
Meditation Retreats To Restore Your Mind
1. Meditation Retreat Peru
The 3-day silent meditation retreat at Lake Titicaca is a unique opportunity to spend conscious time with yourself. Here, you will practice meditation, yoga and other exercises in order to open and heal your heart and increase your awareness of your Self.
Meditation is done in ancient temples of the Island. This is one of the best silent retreats is for people who are interested in looking deep within and inviting more clarity and inspiration.
Accommodations are basic, and it can be a bit chilly. But this remote area of Peru is filled with mystery. It’s even said there are civilisations that have lived under the lake, and some have claimed to have spotted UFOs!
Where: Lake Titicaca, Peru
One of the best meditation retreats for: Meditation in the setting of nearby ancient ruins.
2. Pura Vida Adventures
You may actually break your silence at this retreat with a gasp! It’s known to host several celebrities, including supermodel Gisele. They come here not only to clear their minds of the frantic worlds they work in, but also to heal and stay in shape. Yep, this women-only retreat is focused on fitness, via yoga and surfing, as well as silent meditation.
This resort recognises that the act of maintaining silence can be challenging for some. So it encourages people to start out with ‘baby steps’. First, you can enjoy silent activities like Tai Chi and Hatha yoga. Then, you can move on to full ‘quiet days’. Set on the shores of a glorious beach in Costa Rica, being silent will allow you to fully appreciate the crashing ocean waves, chirping birds and rustling palms.
Where: Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
One of the best meditation retreats for: Women only, of course.
3. Assisi Retreat Home & Hermitage
You don’t need to be Catholic to quench your cultural and spiritual thirst at this lovely retreat. But for those who follow the religion, the lovely Italian town of Assisi is an important place. That’s because it’s here where St Francis, the venerable saint and founder of the Franciscan movement in the early 1200s, once lived, prayed, and of course meditated in silence.
Besides God and spirituality, there’s plenty to reflect on here. The Assisi Retreat Home & Hermitage, set in 25 acres of farmland surrounding the Umbrian countryside, brings nature to the fore. This resort will give you peace of mind. Each guest has a private bedroom with en suite bathroom. Privacy is valued!
Retreats are conducted in English, and a kitchen space is provided to prepare your own meals. The programme offers six day five night meditation retreats for a period of one to three weeks.
This retreat was dubbed one of the Top Ten Silent Retreats by Travel & Leisure Magazine in 2008. and again by CNN in 2011, Pope John Paul II, who visited in 2002, even loved it!
Where: Umbria, Italy
One of the best meditation retreats for: Catholics; luxury; privacy.
4. Bali Silent Retreat
If you adore the beautiful East, you’ll love the Bali Silent Retreat. This is way more than a mere yoga and meditation centre. It’s a comprehensive restoration and inspirational sanctuary for you to take a-time-out from the demands of busy modern life.
Yoga and meditation sessions occur daily in an open air octagon tent, surrounded by green nature. The asanas vary from Hatha to Ashtanga to Iyengar traditions. And, of course, there’s also restorative yoga. Labyrinth meditations and jungle and rice field walks will restore your senses. But there are loads of ceremonies, workshops, and other activities, too.
Everything here is sustainable. The centre includes solar electricity, water distilling, herb drying, and catches rainwater from the roof. Food is naturally organic. You’ll love the two daily vegetarian buffets that tribute Slow Food certified recipes. Even your sleep will be eco-friendly, since all linens are 100% cotton and recycled timber forms the structure for each room.
If you feel like giving back to this wonderful community, you can always join their volunteer program. It feels good to give back!
Where: Bali, Indonesia
One of the best meditation retreats for: Silently delving into the beauty of nature.
5. Gaia House
If you want to weld Eastern and Western approaches, try The Gaia House Vision in the United Kingdom. This retreat offers Insight Meditations in the Buddhist tradition. The vibe is one of silence, rural tranquillity, simplicity of lifestyle, sensitivity to the needs of others, and a commitment to ethical behaviour, compassion, loving-kindness and generosity.
Through the year you may opt for weekend or week-long group retreats. All are led by experienced Dharma teachers from around the world. The retreat is part of the Vipassana (Insight) meditation movement.
Gaia House itself is a historic listed building set deep in the peaceful countryside of South Devon. It boasts views of the scenic wilds of Dartmoor National Park, and is found about half way between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth.
The centre is sustainable, in many ways. For example, its wall paints are environmentally-friendly water-based glosses. Additionally, all original baths were substituted with showers to reduce water and fuel use. The old Victorian septic tank here was replaced with a Biorock Sewage Treatment Plant. This has a liquid output 6 times cleaner than general UK environmental standards.
Where: South Devon, UK
One of the best meditation retreats for: Vipassana meditation.
6. Gampo Abbey Monastery
If you feel you really need to reconnected with your spirit with a sabbatical year, Gampo Abbey is the place to go to. This Western Buddhist monastery is in the Shambhala tradition. It’s located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and was founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1983.
Gampo Abbey is guided by the local abbot, the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Its principal teacher is Acharya Pema Chodron. Their life-changing, One-Year Temporary Monastic Residency Program follows an in-depth curriculum based on the principles of the Tiger. In other words: friendliness, mindfulness, discernment, renunciation, selflessness, exertion, contentment, and confidence.
It also includes frequent practice of Shambhala Meditation and other teachings of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The shrine rooms are elaborately decorated with Buddhas and pictures of leaders of their Tibetan section.
Not willing to invest an entire year of your life meditating nine to ten hours a day whilst sitting on Spartan floor rugs? Does the idea of shaving your head sends shivers down your spine? Don’t fret. You can also attend a one week cabin-based retreat, assisted by a recommended spiritual teacher or meditation advisor.
Where: Nova Scotia, Canada
One of the best meditation retreats for: Truly changing your life through a long (or short) term Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice.
7. Holy Isle Mediation Retreat
This private island just off the Isle of Arran, on Scotland’s west coast, may sound luxurious and exclusive. But in fact, it is home to a rather spartan Tibetan Buddhist centre. Here, basic accommodation houses both serious Buddhist students and visitors who just want to learn about the practice.
Naturally beautiful and lush with indigenous flora and fauna, Holy Isle hosts 65 guests. You can choose to stay in either single and double private rooms. All have private washbasins but shared baths, or in some cases, hostel-like, shared dorm rooms. All come with basic bed clothes, a dresser, and that’s about it. In short, it’s the perfect place for guests to focus on the spiritual and break away from the material.
The retreat offers talks, classes and seminars like “The ABCs of Meditation,” led by visiting BBC actor-cum-Buddhist Alistair Appleton. Apart from meditation and learning about Buddhism, you can walk along paths beside the rugged coastline and through the island’s grassy hills, or help out in the gardens on the ground, which provide some of the natural food served to guests.
Where: Scotland, UK
One of the best meditation retreats for: Tibetan Buddhist meditation in a minimalist setting.
8. Osho Meditation Centre
Just outside the frantic city of Mumbai lies a modern – even chic meditation campus. It boasts some surprising amenities, too! These include a towering ‘meditation auditorium’, tennis courts, a nightclub, and even a mini-mall. Clearly, Osho is a retreat unlike any other. It has something of a ‘pop psychology’ hotel vibe about it which may appeal to those who are deeply embedded in life in the digital age.
Whilst minimally furnished, the rooms are indeed modern, comfortable and very stylish. Guests are encouraged to be silent throughout the meditation sessions. But other activities include power-breathing, vocalising, and even ‘meditative dancing.’ The philosophy here is based on the teachings of Osho, the eponymous founder of the retreat. He insisted that all guests wear maroon robes during meditation activities in order to add to the collective energy of the group.
Food is not included in the price of most packages. Instead, it is served at three restaurants on the campus. And what a campus it is! Set in thickly treed, lush greenery punctuated by perfect pools, the setting is more reminiscent of a 5 star hotel than a meditation retreat.
Where: Pune, India
One of the best meditation retreats for: Meditation, breath work, ecstatic dance and much more, all done in a beautiful setting.
9. The Middle Way Retreat
Thailand is the perfect place to leave all your destructive behaviour behind. Whether it’s negative thoughts, telling lies or killing–even insects. Yes, that’s right. At this Dhammakaya meditation centre, guests are asked to refrain from even killing mosquitos.
This could prove to be quite a challenge, since the centre is in the lush tropical forests of northeastern Thailand. These forests are filled with buzzing, humming, hooting life. The property in the centre of the jungle features a variety of indoor and outdoor meditation spaces, waterfall-splashed gardens, and an outdoor dining hall.
Indoors, you’ll find bungalows that are constructed from local hardwood and furnished in basic Thai style. While the retreat welcomes men and women, this is definitely no place for couples. The sexes are segregated into different compounds, and interaction is not encouraged. Instead, guests are instructed in Dhammakaya meditation, a form of Tibetan Buddhism that focuses on the core of the body as both an energy centre and a gateway to higher consciousness.
Where: Northeast Thailand forest
One of the best meditation retreats for: Focusing on your inner self. Leaving harmful behaviours behind.
10. Dunagiri Retreat
This is one of the best meditation retreats for anyone who really wants to be isolated and surrounded only by peaceful nature. Situated 400 km north of Delhi, India, it takes 10-11 hours to reach the retreat from Delhi. But by all accounts, it’s worth it. Here, guests are given a pure, clean space, facilitating reflection and refreshment of the soul. Busy routines, noise and pollution are completely left behind.
The private, comfortable and serene accommodation is situated amidst a beautiful estate bordered by peaceful, dense oak forests. Surrounding the house are organic herb and vegetable gardens where everyone is welcome to come and help cultivate the plants, and harvest them for meals. Quiet sitting areas are scattered around the farm amidst fruit trees to encourage peaceful meditation.
Yogic practice, as well as meditation, are stressed here, especially Kriya Yoga. Apart from spiritual practices, cultural tours are offered. These include a heritage tour, a photography tour, a yoga and Spirituality tour, and an artists and painters tour.
Where: Delhi, India
One of the best meditation retreats for: Silent meditation. Participating in yoga and art based activities.
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