Have you been contemplating a retreat? Below are 5 considerations before booking a health, wellness or spiritual retreat.
So, lately, you’ve heard from others about the life-altering benefits of attending a retreat.
Your curiosity is piqued, and you start to wonder if this is something worth considering.
A spiritual or wellness retreat often is located in a beautiful setting. A getaway like this would allow you the chance to unplug, remove yourself from your day-to-day life, and connect with others.
Retreats offer an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. It’s a chance to learn, stretch, grow and discover new ways of thinking being while being with like-minded people.
Participating in a transformative travel experience, like a retreat, is also an opportunity for self-care.
You’ll learn valuable skills and tools to take back and integrate into your daily life once you return home.
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash
How to choose your perfect retreat
With the abundance of information available, selecting your perfect wellness or spiritual retreat may feel overwhelming. But, with so many choices, where do you start?
What’s your reason for wanting to go? Or what’s your Why?
Consider first why you would want to go on a retreat in the first place.
- For example, do you need time away for yourself?
- Are you seeking more clarity about something difficult in your life?
- Are you on a spiritual path and looking to accelerate your spiritual growth ?
- Are you eager to learn how you can contribute your natural gifts and be of better service to humanity?
- Are you feeling stuck and no longer motivated? A retreat may inspire you to a new way of being.
- Is there a spiritual teacher, thought leader, writer, or other who has positively influenced you? Learning from another in a retreat-like setting would be both empowering and inspiring.
There is no one “size fits all” approach to selecting the most meaningful personal experience. Instead, the intention and willingness to listen to your internal guidance system are what matters most. And always remember to listen to your heart.
Do your research on the retreat leader or host
Anyone anywhere can host a retreat. It is up to you to do your homework before scheduling your memorable getaway. Make sure the organizer or retreat leader has the credentials and qualifications to offer you what you hope this experience will provide.
The specifics of the retreat should be clear and available on their website. For example, information about accommodations, rules, cancellation policies, itinerary, amenities, and other details for the scheduled event are posted and well-organized.
If you have any questions, it should be easy to contact the organizer and have them answered within a reasonable period.
Like planning any travel experience, do your homework before and know the policies.
Having a budget in mind for your transformative travel experience is a must
Once you have identified your reason for wanting to go on a retreat, and the credentials of the organizer, next consider your budget.
Consider seriously beforehand what is included in the cost of the stay at the retreat center. Lodging and some meals will most likely be packaged. Wellness retreats serve nutritious, well-prepared, and sometimes only plant-based food. Make sure you know a typical menu so you won’t be blind-sighted about food choices.
The price of a retreat may be hundreds or thousands of dollars. But, when you factor in transportation, the cost may make your ideal retreat just that –a dream.
Although exotic locations would be a dreamy option, there are some more local opportunities if you know where to find them.
Where to find transformative travel experiences
A good place to begin your search is the popular BookRetreats.com
This site is easy to navigate and search by categories, dates, and location. Prices, cancellation policies, reviews, and more are shown on their site. In addition, you can ask for personal recommendations if you don’t know which retreat is best for you.
Other options:
- Search locally- Somewhere within your state or area, there may be opportunities for a retreat experience. Check to see if there are facilities that offer something you might benefit from and enjoy. Speakers and presenters, with valuable offerings, schedule workshops and events closer to where they live or have presented there before.
- Social Media- The most influential leaders in the field of spiritual and personal growth, thought leaders in health, wellness, and more, keep their students up to date on their websites and social media. Check their site and event schedule to see where and when they might be presenting.
- Online- While you were hoping for that perfect getaway to help you find connection, enrichment, and a transformative experience, don’t rule out taking an online retreat. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of escaping for some time and taking a break just for themselves.
If you can’t attend in person, you can participate with others from the comfort of your home. The workshops are recorded. And you will benefit from connecting with others as you learn at your own pace.
Be inspired by three of the most well-known and respected retreat centers in the U.S.
While there are many retreat centers throughout the country and the world, three of the most well-known retreat centers in the United States are suggested as a starting point for self-inquiry. Each one of them is non-profit.
By exploring the programs, presenters, and workshops offered, you can better understand what a weekend or a week-long retreat might look and feel like to you.
The following destinations, while all different, provide topics and experiences with a great deal of information to help in your discernment.
- Omega Institute
Omega Institute, nestled in the natural beauty of New York’s Hudson River Valley, offers an expansive range of workshops and programs that enrich the body, mind, soul, and spirit. As a leader in “awakening the best of the human spirit,” their focus is on health, wellness, and life-long learning.From their website: “We believe that the well-being of every individual is deeply connected to the well-being of all living things, and we are committed to helping people build their capacity to effect change in an interconnected world.”Well-known and highly respected, the most influential spiritual teachers, thought leaders, authors, and creatives teach weekend and week-long workshops throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons and online throughout the year. - The Art of Living Retreat Center
The Art of Living Retreat Center, located in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, provides transformative learning in an inspiring setting. Here guests are invited to explore meditation, mindfulness, yoga, creative expression, and more, while specializing in inner and outer renewal through Ayurveda offerings. Ayurveda, often paired with yoga practice, is an alternative system of medicine from India with a 5,000-year history. Its purpose is to balance the body through health and healing with diet.From their website: Their “mission is to reawaken the human values of compassion, love, togetherness, joy, and harmony in order to realize a true representation of a one-world family—a place that unites people from all walks of life in the spirit of wisdom, celebration, and service to the world.” - Kripalu Center
Yoga retreats, meditation retreats, and mindfulness are what you will discover when checking out the type of retreats offered here. When thinking about a spiritual retreat, if that is where your interest lies, the Kripalu Center, with a fifty-year history, is well-known as a leader in yoga, and mindfulness.From their website: Purpose, Vision, and Mission: To ignite personal and societal transformation. A world united in service towards well-being, justice, and peace. Kripalu is dedicated to serving people and communities in realizing their full potential through the transformative wisdom and practice of yoga.
Think about if you want to adventure alone, with another, or with a group
- Solo:
You’ve decided that you would like to find enrichment through a retreat experience. And you may have already determined that you want to attend by yourself. For many, this is the optimal way to get the most out of your retreat adventure for personal self-development and spiritual growth.
You may initially feel like a stranger in a strange land, but you won’t feel that way for long. People, especially those who travel independently, quickly connect with others who feel exactly as you do. After all, you are attending this retreat, most likely for similar reasons. Take comfort in knowing that. Making connections with other retreat-goers is one of the unique parts of this experience. - Together:
You’re excited to make the travel arrangements with another dear friend or family member. You both have similar expectations in mind. It’s a comfortable way to travel together, as long as you know each other well. You will most likely share lodging, making it a little more affordable. You can support one another along this journey. - Group:
A girls’ time away together is the motivation for some. A relaxing, restorative retreat may be life-altering for a group that typically vacations with on the go sight-seeing in mind.
Selecting a wellness or spiritual retreat is an opportunity to focus inward while expanding your consciousness. It’s also a chance to deeply connect to the presenter, the program, and like-minded people.
Your choice in finding a meaningful retreat will be based on your personal goals and hopes. Exploring the many options available and deciding to attend in person or online is something only you can choose.
In the end, finding the perfect one to suit your health, wellness, and spiritual needs is well worth the time and effort.