By Jade Doherty
A meditation yoga retreat is a chance to unwind, recharge, and dive deep. Find out how to choose the right retreat for you.
We all need a break sometimes, don't we? Some time away from the normal hustle, bustle, and - let's be honest! - stress of everyday life.
While your mind might automatically jump to a poolside vacation as the perfect place to unwind, choosing to go on retreat is a great way to destress and recharge.
Whether you're into yoga, meditation, a mix of the two, or even a silent retreat, there is something for everyone!
Let's have a look at all things retreat-related, and see what would be the best options for you, keeping in mind your situation and the national one too!
What is a retreat?
I like to think of a retreat as a container that can facilitate rest, relaxation, spiritual exploration, and nourishment for your mind, body, and soul.
It provides structure, a focal point, and tools to help you, the participant, feel held and supported. While retreats were traditionally in-person, due to the current situation many retreats have moved online and can still provide a held container for you.
A retreat will typically have a theme. It could be meditation, yoga, or even both for a meditation yoga retreat! You might have a wellness retreat, a spiritual retreat, or a silent retreat.
You will be looked after, most likely enjoying vegetarian meals every day, plus daily instruction in yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and perhaps even a spa treatment.
Many retreats will be very luxurious - like a luxury yoga retreat, for example - designed to help you relax, unwind, and nourish yourself. Others, like a vipassana retreat, will typically be less luxurious and be a place for silent meditation and deepening your spiritual journey. Others will be in-between the two. Whatever you’re looking for, you can find a retreat to cater to your needs.
Retreats are a great place for inner healing, discovering new workshops, and giving yourself time and space to just be.
Make your next vacation a yoga holiday or a meditation vacation!
What are the benefits of attending a retreat?
There are so many benefits of attending a retreat!
Firstly, it's time out for you. Life gets very busy, so creating this space just for you is a huge gift to yourself. Sometimes we all need a break from our normal routines and obligations, and a retreat can give you that. Whether you do it in-person or online, there's something so soothing about having this time just for you.
Secondly, it provides a great opportunity for you to focus on what's important to you. That could be focusing on your health, your yoga practice, your meditation practice, or even something totally different like art or writing.
Finally, a retreat can have long-term benefits for you. Maybe you have incredible insights on a meditation retreat that bring clarity to a difficult challenge in your life. Maybe your wellness retreat helps to solve your health issues and you feel better than ever. Maybe your yoga retreat helps you fall more in love with your yoga practice and develop a daily yoga practice at home.
Attending a Retreat
So, you're ready to attend a retreat! That's great. You have a ton of options!
At The Art of Living Foundation, we have a variety of retreats available, both in-person in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and online retreats you can do at home.
At the retreat center, we have many retreats, from retreats with a focus on health like the Ayurveda retreat to daily yoga classes with the yoga retreat, meditation retreat, silent retreat, to special interest retreats with different themes.
Have a look and see what best fits your needs and interests!
Many of the retreats are also offered online during these pandemic times.
At-home Silent Retreat
A silent retreat is a beautiful way to connect deeply with yourself and explore what lies beyond the noise of daily life. We offer an online silent retreat called The Art of Silence that you can do from the comfort of your own home.
No retreat center needed, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home! Inner peace might be closer than you think!
How do I know which retreat is right for me?
I can see that attending a retreat might feel like a very big decision. There's the time commitment, as well as knowing which themed retreat is right for you.
I would say be guided by your intuition, and see what feels right for you.
If you've been wanting to deepen your yoga practice and the idea of daily yoga classes with a great yoga teacher feels like heaven on earth, then chances are a yoga retreat is right for you!
If meditation is your thing, and the idea of spending several days in silence, with nothing to do but practice meditation, then a meditation retreat it is!
If it's health and wellness, then listen to that instinct and check out a wellness retreat, or even an Ayurveda retreat to bring your body and mind into great health and balance.
Are there any other options?
Let's say you love the idea of attending a retreat and having this space to look after yourself, but it's simply not feasible for you at the moment. What else is available?
At The Art of Living, we have a variety of programs that you can take to learn more, look after yourself, and develop your meditation and yoga practice.
Sahaj Samadhi means effortless meditation. You might have found meditation to be hard work, constantly trying to control your mind and getting stressed out in the process! Not anymore.
Sahaj Samadhi can be learned in a few days, and practiced for the rest of your life!
Sri Sri Yoga is a style of yoga created by our founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Based on traditional wisdom and made accessible for the modern yogi, Sri Sri Yoga is a great way to explore yoga and take your practice deeper.
You can take a foundation course in Sri Sri Yoga, which will include instruction in yoga asana, breathing exercises, meditation, and yogic wisdom.
SKY Breath Meditation is one of our most popular courses. An evidence-based program, research has time and time again shown SKY to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, improving wellbeing, and even reducing PTSD.
This is a great option for you if you want to learn breath-based meditation that will help you destress and boost your wellness and quality of life.
Join us for Beyond Breath
Beyond Breath is our free introductory class to SKY. You will have a live instructor guide you through a breathing technique and will have the chance to experience the benefits for yourself.
You'll also be able to ask any questions you might have about how SKY works, and decide if the full program is right for you.
Click the image below to sign up.
Jade Doherty is a freelance copywriter, meditator, and traveler, who is currently exploring and learning to surf in Goa, India.
