If you are done with the weekend beer outings with friends or simply going to a nearby hill station and sitting quietly near the bonfire, then it is time to take the high road. Here are 20 mind-blowing retreat ideas for a complete makeover of mind, body and soul.
Away from discord, you shall find harmony and the clouds of confusion shall drift away. Do you feel dead inside? More than your heart that would want to say yes to all the questions, it’s your mind that never stops putting you in situations of strain and cacophony. The race to win has taken a toll on your well-being, mental health, and personal relationships. When the mind, body and soul co-exist in one serene environment, is when you attain your higher self, grasp the lost happiness from the depth of your sorrows. Enter Retreats. What is a retreat? Well, retreat means disconnecting from the stressful life and the uncalled hustle.
Here are 20 Retreat Ideas you Need in your Life now!
Remember, choose what floats your boat and matches your thought patterns:
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Yoga retreats are the way to delve into the depths of your inner world through unclogging the trapped energies within. You will be teamed up with like-minded people from different parts of the world so that you open up to new possibilities in a perfect natural setup. Different Yoga styles, experienced Yogis and Gurus and plant-based foods are some of the greatest adventures coming across your way. These teachers or Gurus will help you learn the art of Yoga on a whole new level where you will realize that it is not only about learning the poses but about knowing your capacity.
Usually, you will find a complete package encapsulating a planned Yoga & meditation retreats but some people prefer solely meditation retreats. The significance of choosing a meditation retreat is that the attendee gets an opportunity to understand silence, find peace in the stillness, and gets an insight of the world with his/her eyes closed. Does it sound mystic to you? Well, meditation and its highest form known as Samadhi is based on the idea of learning to center one’s life on one axis, which is selflessness, and realizing that arrogance and pride are merely the outcome of the false egotistical life of the human existence. Choose a beautiful destination and go for it.
When was the last time you went for an all girlie group vacation? When was the last time, you took a break from the kitchen chores and went for a holiday? It is time for retreat bookings to enroll for women retreats. A women retreat opens the gateway to the heart & soul to collaborate with women from different parts of the world and come forward as one. These women share their thoughts with each other, and re-kindle their dormant adventurous souls by trekking the deadliest mountainous ranges or snorkeling in deep blue seas. The idea is to help women find themselves and fathom what freedom really feels like.
Why are retreats important for our overall existence? The benefit of a retreat lies in the fact that it sets your soul free and brings your mind and body in the same wavelength. On solo wellness retreats, you are with your best friend- your own soul, your own messed up subsistence. You are on a mission to find the real self through activities that challenge your limits, such as Yoga moves on a beach with strangers, trekking the deep jungles or riding the waves in the troubled sea water. Always select a destination that is well-suited for your choice of activities, for instance, Bali for Yoga & meditation, South Africa for Jungles.
Do you believe in the healing effects of rare herbs? Ayurveda retreats are for such inquisitive souls. Ayurveda Retreats are for mainly two groups or types of people – people who love Ayurveda detox treatments and people who aspire to learn Ayurveda. No matter which group you fall into, Ayurveda Retreats shall help you in the endeavor. You can be a part of a team at a new destination like India learning the healing science of Ayurveda, get some beauty detox treatments by trained professionals or study the scriptures under the aegis of experienced teachers.
Perceived as a subtle combination of Yoga & meditation, Spiritual retreats are much more than what your ears hear and believe. These retreats can enliven your soul, help you connect with the divine, and learn the law of the Universe. You will chant prayers, become a part of the Kirtan Samiti associated with different temples and finally understand that our thoughts catalyze the manifestations. Yogis and spiritual gurus take classes and offer preaching on ways to let go, manage energies, and balance Chakras. Spiritual retreats rely heavily on the group discussions and classes on topics like self-esteem, confidence and battling depression.
Sometimes you run short of time and in some cases it’s the lack of enough money that stops you from attending your favorite live music concert. But, there is always a less arduous way to the things you desire – enter Music Retreats. Music Retreats allow you to connect with a destination that has a history in maintaining a certain genre of music as its precious tradition. For instance, England is famous for the bagpipers, India for Bharatnatyam, Latin American genres like rumba and conga, and Greek & Roman cultures are some of the themes that form the basis of such retreats. Become a part of a country by associating with its music & dance culture.
Food Retreats are for foodies- this is as simple as it looks and true in all possible ways. However, this does not hinder the interests of health or diet conscious people from taking a plunge. Thousands of people from all over the world travel to places like South Korea, Thailand, India, and Greece to taste cuisines and spices. The cuisine has a personality of its own and an identity woven around age-old tradition, usage of rare herbs and granny’s folklore. Choose a destination whose food lures you to the core and go ahead with normal trips or times when countries host food festivals.
One of the many benefits of a retreat is learning to balance the body and mind. Rebalancing Bodywork Retreat lets you unclog the trapped energy pathways within your body for optimum health. The experienced practitioners make use of procedures like breath work, body reading, applied tests at clinical consultations and various age-old massages to help your body come back to life. Very specific to its axis of ideology, countries like Costa Rica have special centers for hosting such retreats.
Nothing soothes your soul and de-tangles the knots in your muscles more than a good massage. An addition to a Yoga retreat itinerary, healing massage retreats involves use of rare herb extracts, therapists from different cultures, and a holistic focus right up your alley. So, if you are tired of whole day trekking in the jungles or surfing the sea waves in sunny afternoon or exhausted from doing Yoga moves on the beach, then come for a massage retreat to put a relaxing end to your day.
Similar to Ayurveda retreats wherein you can approach trained practitioners for a healing therapy or a beauty treatment, Body cleansing programs are gradually becoming a popular retreat idea amongst new-age Yogis and travelers. The retreat offers you a chance to avail detox treatments like enema, blood cleansing procedures for a glowing skin, raw food & vegan food guidelines and much more. Sometimes, activities like trekking and walking are also included in the program for overall well-being, fat loss, and often seen as a tool for stress management.
Also known as Christian Women Retreats, Church Retreats are often seen as a restricted set of activities allowed to be experienced by Christians. However, this concept is shedding its old skin and many countries are now opening doors to history enthusiasts and travelers who love exploring different culture to visit the famous and old churches. You can choose to be a part of this retreat during festivals like Easter or Christmas or just go with the flow and attend the beauty of the architectural wonders during any time of the year.
When time is short and desires kindle within, you go for short bouts of happiness. Just like Weekend Retreats. You can either search for a lesser-known place or a hill station near your city or you can hop on a retreat booking site and choose a different state or a country that you can foray into during the weekends. The exciting times are coming with popular festivals celebrated in different countries like Memorial Day in the USA, summer vacations in parts of Greece and Cyprus and many more. So, it is time to start planning a weekend outside your comfort zone, which is in a different country or a new weather.
Outcomes of the millennial generation, Youth Retreats are perfect combination of adventure activities, solo travel plans, and music retreats. Some of the greatest and most impressive concepts of Youth retreats include helping people with depression through Yoga, mountain retreats for women who love meditation, supporting people with withdrawal symptoms as a result of drug addiction, smoking or even caffeine addictions. You will meet young energetic people who are keen to find their true self with tremendous amount of vigor, innocence and knowledge.
Nope, it’s not about holidaying in a country with your family, clicking pictures and doing the same boring stuff. Family retreats offer you a chance to be with your spouse, parents and kids in a place you have never been before. With that said, this clearly gives a green signal to new opportunities, skill building, doing fun activities together, exploring cultures, and grabbing a chance for your kids to understand a little more about this world. When you dine at a place, it will not be about munching on the delicious food but digging in the traditions of a country together with people you love.
If you love folk songs, cultural music, Kirtan or going for a Sunday mass in general then choose to go with Prayer retreats. Such retreats embellish the overall meaning of your vacation at a different destination by offering you a chance to connect with God on a deeper level. You will visit temples, churches or any religious place and chant prayers with people there, together as one, and push pass your circumstances to see more of the Divine powers that rules the existence of this planet. You might see a glimpse of this retreat while you are on your exclusive Spiritual retreat.
Going for company vacations or team building activities might sound corny and forced. However, company retreats are amazing on so many levels. Team(s) usually plans a week-long retreat wherein, the members happily participate in activities, such as luxurious resorts’ vacations, camping in the woods, snorkeling, or visiting lesser-known historical places in a nearby city. This gives a team the much deserved chance to shun their professional ways for a while, connect with people in higher hierarchies, and explore a culture together.
Who loves challenging their own limits? If you shout out yes to this one, go for Adventure Retreats. Usually a part of Yoga retreats as well, adventure retreats encompasses exigent activities like trekking for hours, snorkeling in deepest of seas, riding waves in troubled waters, visiting a spooky place or an abandoned monument like Bhangarh in Rajasthan, cycling on coarse terrains or even letting you taste bizarre foods like squids, octopus, or even fried avocados. These retreats are for the daredevils or people who would love to explore their own inner worlds.
A subset of women retreats, this boils down to vacationing with the sorority girls of your own family in a different destination. You will get an opportunity to associate with different groups, do different outdoor activities like attending beach Yoga sessions, spa treatments, and meditation classes in a meadow as the sun sets into its own shell. You will re-connect with your soul family i.e. your sisters, strengthen your blood ties, and share laughs with your baby main squeezes.
Away from the stressful life, here is as way to splurge and receive tons of benefits in the form of glowing skin and a relaxed mind- Spa Retreats. These retreats offer you a golden chance to stay at a luxury resort of your choice and avail benefits like spa, Jacuzzi, and other luxurious body treatments and wellness procedures. Owing to the price range, spa retreats have not yet received the deserved attention, however, the stress-laden lives of new-age professionals is one of the greatest factors why people are considering this expensive yet beneficial disconnect.
So, What is your Choice?
