Meditation Retreats: What You Need to Know?
The everyday world can take a toll. The pressures of work, family, and day-to-day life can lead to us living in a state of perpetual stress. Mediation retreats provide a way to break that cycle of stress so that you feel renewed. You can also expect to leave the retreat with new skills that will help you combat stress in your everyday life. If your plan for the year includes improving your health, meditation could be a great way to reduce and manage your stress.
If you’re considering a getaway that will help your mind and body, you may be wondering how to pick the right retreat for you. Mediation retreats offer plenty of options, there are ways to find the best program for you.
Why a Retreat
Wellness travel, to use a newly coined phrase, has recently grown in its popularity as more and more people seek an escape from the pressure and stress of everyday life. While your city might offer classes in meditation, a few minutes of study in the midst of your regular routine is usually not enough to break a lifetime spent developing patterns of behaviour.
A different physical location can make it easier for your mind to take on new techniques and patterns of thought. If you’re reluctant to spend your hard-earned time off from work on self-improvement, spending that time in a beautiful, exotic location can help you combine the best of both worlds.
Selecting the Right Meditation Retreat
If you are already stressed and in need of a meditation retreat, perhaps you do not want the added pressure of picking the right one. Don’t worry though, the key areas to look at are simple. Focus on the location, intention, activities, and effectiveness, when deciding.
Location
If you want to get away from your bustling everyday life, consider booking a retreat in a more remote location. A meditation centre in the middle of a city could lead you to spend much of your time in the hustle and bustle, just like you do at home. Even if it is a city far away from home, you may end up worrying about public transportation schedules and what restaurant to try for lunch rather than on clearing your mind.
In Thailand, for example, a scenic mountain location may provide serenity while you focus on managing your stress and improving your health. A location by the ocean may tempt you but consider if proximity to the beach will lend itself to more time frolicking in the wave rather than finding peace of mind.
Goals
If your main goal is to learn a healthier way of dealing with stress, keep that in mind when you select a retreat location. Many retreats are more of a luxury spa setting where the emphasis is on losing weight, pedicures, or massages.
Activities
The range of activities offered is indicative of the type of facility and its primary focus. Having a great range of activities and services available can fill the time or keep you busy when you actually want to focus on healing.
Be sure to review a daily schedule/calendar of events and consider whether they match or complement your intentions. Are you someone who needs to be guided, fully taught or left to learn on your own? Different retreats will offer different levels of input, so make sure you choose what will help you most.
When considering the activities though, make sure that you keep an open mind. For example, even if you’ve never tried yoga, it might well complement your relaxation on a meditation retreat. In fact, trying new activities and getting out of your comfort zone can be an important step in letting go of your old routines. You definitely need to read the programmes fully to see why such activities are offered and the benefits to the individual of each one or combination thereof.
Perspective
Look at the underlying theories behind each retreat. Some focus on health and mental wellbeing. They may be based on a traditional methodology or philosophy like Kung Fu. Others may have built their meditation programme on religious teachings like Buddhism or Christianity. Individuals have also created their own teachings and methodologies. Do your research ahead of time to make sure the concepts behind the meditation centre will work for you. You don’t have to be completely familiar with them before you go but it is important that you find their concepts reasonably in alignment with your own beliefs and goals.
Now that you know what to look for, it is time to start serious planning. Remember, taking this time away from your family and work isn’t selfish, it is an important investment in your long-term health. If you spend much of your time taking care of others, it can be particularly important for you to get away at a retreat. Keep in mind that you need to care for yourself first so that you will be able to continue looking out for others.