Mindfulness and meditation go hand in hand. However, the mere act of slowing down long enough to hear yourself breathe and think takes a bit effort more than you might imagine. Mindful living involves proper self-care, resourceful nutrition habits, and imbuing your daily comings and goings with respect, kindness, and compassion.
Meditation, on the other hand, is the act of going inward, being in the moment (even in chaotic situations), and allowing your mind and heart to merge with grace and peace. Each of these two manners of living can ease stress and improve your mental health.
If you want to practice mindfulness but don’t know where to start, try a holistic vacation retreat. Read on to learn about the top eight holistic retreats in the world, allowing you many opportunities to learn how to care for yourself. There is a plethora of holistic remedies you can ascribe to on any one of these holistic retreats—and have an adventurous vacation to boot.
1. Dunton Hot Springs – Dolores, Colorado
Located in an abandoned mining town between the charming city of Telluride and the lush Mesa Verde National Forest, the resort’s natural hot springs are praised for their ability to promote better circulation and enhance skin wellness, not to mention increase your mental health awareness.
2. Rancho La Puerta – Tecate, Mexico
Getting away and relaxing on vacation oftentimes includes traveling to a nearby country that offers amenities so luxurious they’re hard to pass up. From the top-notch cuisine to the meditation labyrinth to sunrise hikes, this holistic destination is a true lesson in self-healing.
3. Road Scholar Health and Wellness Retreats – US and Canada
This nonprofit tour operator gives travelers the option to sign up for yoga and meditation instruction in New Hampshire or study Buddhism in California. Road Scholar offers over 5,000 escorted adult-learning retreats every year, many of which are affordable, allowing you to find the ideal destination for you.
4. Miraval Austin Resort & Spa – Austin, Texas
The city that’s home to music festivals and eclectic art shows also knows how to put on a wellness retreat. Miraval, in particular, prides itself on a Zen-style of yoga, helping you balance your intentions with healthy connections and offering cleansing ceremonies to tie it all together.
5. Cavallo Point – Sausalito, California
While admiring the Golden Gate bridge from this former military fort in the Marin Headlands of Northern California, guests can participate in spa treatments, mindful cooking classes, guided sunrise hikes, and yoga classes to help focus their energy on healing and rejuvenation.
6. Civana Wellness Resort & Spa – Carefree, Arizona
Just as its location implies, this wellness adventure is everything and then some. Submerge yourself in the desert vibe with sensational spa facilities, yoga and spin classes, gut-healing nutrition, and a host of aqua therapy pools and steam rooms.
7. The Lodge at Woodloch – Hawley, Pennsylvania
Located near the rustic Pocono mountains, this family-friendly retreat offers hot tubs, yoga and spin classes, an indoor activity pool, and a chance to relax by the Aqua Garden’s Hydromassage WaterWalls. The food is delectable, and vegan options are available as well.
8. Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) – Virginia Beach, Virginia
From the outside, this wellness retreat looks like a colonial throwback to traditional times. However, the oceanfront facility, which originally opened in 1928, is a tribute to the famed psychic Edward Cayce and focuses most of its enlightenment on past life regression therapy. There’s a relaxing labyrinth and garden as well as chiropractic and dream counseling services. The staff at A.R.E. believe that profound enlightenment and change can occur through the many services they offer.
The Takeaway
Whether you’re considering a personal need for transformation or an upgrade in your wellness program, look no further than a retreat. The above are but a handful of offerings, and there are many more wellness treatment locations all around the globe. If you know what your body demands and you can carve out the time to get away for a week or two, why not indulge in self-care and healing that will help your overall energy for the better?
You don’t have to sink a ton of money into the experience, you simply must be willing to be open to what’s being offered at any given location.