A Guide To The World’s Best Spiritual Retreats

It's January and our goal-driven society has officially lost the plot. From going dry to veganuary, everyone seems to be cracking out the self-imposed whip.

Be kind to yourself and swap the mental/physical hamster wheel for some zen time. It's time to recalibrate, do something you'll actually enjoy and de-tangle whatever's pent up inside and out for good.

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Floating Bamboo Yoga Retreat

Peel yourself away from all forms of techy paraphernalia and allow yoga whizz, Sarah, to loosely structure your day. Sessions take place twice daily on the floating shala. Slow-paced, restorative care training takes precedence here – closely followed by Thai massage.

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Eco Yoga Retreat

If you want something totally off-grid, affordable and without a long-haul flight, Eco Yoga Retreat is a sure-fire choice. Perfectly poised among lochs, rivers and forests, at Eco Yoga Retreat you’ll cut ties with the modern world. Peppered across your week-long retreat are candlelight meditations, restorative sessions of yoga and wilderness walks, in addition to other equally wholesome pursuits. Sustainable to its core, here bathing is powered by 100% renewable energy with water sourced from their own spring.

Address

ecoYoga Centre Inverliever Lodge Ford Argyll PA31 8RH

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Ulpotha Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat

If you thought that spiritual retreats were synonymous with luxury, think again. Ulpotha is all about getting down and dirty with nature in the rural hinterland of Sri Lanka’s Galgiriyawa Mountains. Prepare a serious lifestyle shift and replace your iPhone alarm with monkeys shaking trees overhead at 8am. Here, days begin with sun salutations followed by wheat-free and vegan-friendly cuisine. As for treatments, these include a warm water bath (with added mung-bean flour for cleansing) and body oil application carried out using poultices made from special milk rice. Charmingly rudimentary and rustic, Ulpotha is an absolute game changer.

Address

Embogama, 60718, Sri Lanka

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42 Acres

Hailed as the UK’s first comprehensive emotional detox, the focus at 42 Acres is on emotional healing and creative flow. Put into practice, this means yoga, painting in nature or cooking with foraged ingredients. Addressing and assisting in ironing out your tensions and anxieties , we’re justifying this splurge as a life investment. Leave with an emotional toolkit to guide you through the rest of your year (and a lasting pep in your step).

Address

Witham Friary Frome BA11 5HL

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Feathered Pipe Ranch

This week-long spiritual retreat encompasses a spectrum of health and wellness, including restorative and therapeutic yoga, mindfulness and meditation, alongside Ayurveda and other holistic healing arts. Wrapped by acres of forest and mountains, the ethos of Feather Pipe remains rooted in the life sustaining traditions of India and Native America. The vibe is inclusive, local and unpretentious. Cut the noise and chaos, and prepare to slow right down.

Address

2409 Bear Creek Road Helena Montana

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Kamalaya Holistic Spa Retreat

At Kamalaya, the spirituality of an Indian ashram meets the luxury of a tropical spa resort. One-to-one sessions with Kamalaya’s four mentors – Sujay, Smitha, Rajesh and River – all of whom have previously led monastic lives pave the way for rejuvenation via stress-busting pranayama breathing, acupuncture and traditional Chinese or Ayurvedic technique massages. Populated with banana trees, casuarinas, bougainvillea and frangipani, the site is camouflaged by its surroundings and puts you in the heart of nature.

Address

102/9 Moo 3 Laem Set Road Na-Muang Koh Samui 84140

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Vivamayr Altaussee

In a world of fast-moving trends, false promises and quick-fix detoxes, consider VIVAMAYR your constant. Situated on a plateau on the shores of Lake Altuasse, this medical retreat embarks on correcting the wear and tear that modern life imposes on our bodies and minds. Attended by the likes of Lisa Eldridge, Kate Moss, and err Michael Gove, this place has local cures and cutting-edge medicinal treatments in its toolbox. Seventeenth-century inspired body decontamination and nutritional research stands alongside spiritual tranquillity and meditation.

Address

Fischerndorf 222 8992 Altaussee Austria Spa Resort

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Silver Island Yoga

Perched on a private Greek island , a 15-minute boat ride off the shore of Evia, Silver Island serves up tranquility by the bucket load. Daily classes of mediation and yoga are all done en plein air, overlooking a landscape of sea and mountains. After a yoga-heavy day, retreat to your whitewashed, blue-shuttered house and when you muster up the strength again, trot down to the island’s pebbly beaches for sunset. Retreats are available from April and October.

Address

Pteleos 340 12, Greece

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