Boasting many natural wonders such as Yellowstone National Park, the United States is a haven for nature lovers. Grand Canyon National Park has the Grand Canyon, featuring spectacular red rock formations and several viewpoints such as Mather Point and Yavapai Observation Station, which offer panoramic views of the canyon and the Colorado River. New York is home to the neoclassical Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building with observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floor, Times Square, and Central Park. Kids will have a blast at the various theme and water parks at Walt Disney World Resort. The United States also offers a number of meditation retreats to suit everyone’s tastes and budgets. Explore mindfulness, spiritual, or transcendental meditation to improve your overall health and mental wellbeing. Read on to know more about the best meditation retreats in the United States.
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1. Zen Mountain Monastery, New York
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Located on 250 acres (101 Ha) of protected woodlands overlooking Tremper Mountain, this property has different buildings, a tea house, Basho pond, vegetable and Zen gardens, and unique plant and animal species. Short-stay guests stay in dormitories, while those staying for over a month get private or semi-private rooms.
Programs, scheduled for a day, weekend or one month, focus on The Eight Gates of Zen, established by John Daido Loori. Activities include zazen for concentration and breathwork, Buddhist study, liturgy, right action on how a Buddha lives in the world, and art, body and work practices. Vegetarian meals, including gluten-free and vegan options, are provided. Discover how to incorporate your spiritual path into your everyday life.
Zen Mountain Monastery, New York
2. Rolling Meadows, Maine
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Resting on 100 acres (40 ha), this meditation retreat offers cozy rooms for up to 10 participants in a farmhouse. Sessions include silent meditation, pranayama, breathwork, and different types of yoga, such as hatha, vinyasana, yin, and restorative poses.
Unstructured alone time is spent hiking, relaxing in a wood-fired sauna, and swimming in a spring-fed pond. Silence is observed throughout, except during sessions where participants may ask questions and have discussions. Fresh wholesome vegetarian meals, including dairy, eggs, and gluten-free as well as lactose-free options, are served. Relish the feeling of openness as you explore the expansive grounds.
Rolling Meadows, Maine
Price: From 752 USD
Number of Guests: 10
3. Insight Meditation Society, Massachusetts
IMS comprises a Retreat Center and Forest Refuge that stand on about 400 acres (162 Ha) of serene and secluded woods. Meditators are engaged in dharma talks daily or twice a week, silent Buddhist meditations such as vipassana and metta, and daily work practice. These courses are tailored to suit each participant’s needs and take into consideration if one is new or experienced in the practice. Participants have the opportunity to have group or individual interviews with experienced teachers. Nutritious vegetarian meals, including dairy and eggs, are served, and cozy single rooms are provided. Visit this retreat and liberate your mind and heart.
Insight Meditation Society, Massachusetts
Price: From 90 USD per night
4. Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, San Francisco
Unwind in this wellness center that specializes in Soto Zen meditation and has a flourishing farm that produces organic vegetables for consumption and for sale. First-timers can try out the weekly zazen meditation instruction, Sunday morning meditation, and introductory or one-day sittings. A daily schedule comprises of lessons on zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and sesshins (traditional Soto Zen meditation). Participants also work in the gardens and can learn about the Japanese tea ceremony. The Japanese guest house offers single or double occupancy rooms. Awaken your spirit of mindfulness during your stay in this meditation retreat that’s located in a gorgeous coastal valley near Muir Beach, and surrounded by vegetation and hills.
Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, San Francisco
5. SpiritQuest Retreats, Arizona
When looking for a place for self-healing from past trauma, getting away from old patterns and awakening your state of mind, this is the retreat for you. It has spiritual, healing, couples, women’s, men’s, shamanic, wellness, vortex, yoga, and meditation retreats. They also offer spa weekend getaways for some self-pampering. Work on yourself under the direction of master practitioners, who wholly focus on your needs. Different session rooms feature a range of Himalayan salt lamps, sound healing tools, essential oils for a massage, and color bottles with crystals and plant essences for therapeutic healing. This property also has beautiful red rocks and sacred vortex sites for you to explore.
SpiritQuest Retreats, Arizona
Price: From 147 USD
6. Esalen Institute, California
Surrounded by expansive land, the mountain, canyon, and ocean, Esalen Institute offers a scenic tranquil spot for a relaxing retreat. Choose from about 600 workshops and programs offered annually in areas such as arts & creativity, body & movement, meditation & spirituality, and relationship & self. These programs can either be for a weekend, five, or seven days, and they aim to spark deep changes within an individual and the society. Guests have unstructured workshop time to indulge in activities such as hiking in the canyon, whale watching, and reading a book surrounded by stunning ocean views. At night, take a relaxing dip in the hot mineral baths and unwind. Cozy accommodations with varying amenities are offered and nutritious vegan or omnivorous foods are served.
Esalen Institute, California
Price: From 1345 USD
7. Art of Living Retreat Center, North Carolina
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Take a dive into deep transformation during your stay at this holistic wellness center perched on the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone. Indulge in various forms of retreat, such as happiness, silent meditation, yoga, and R&R retreats. Experience its Shankara Ayurveda Spa that gives Ayurvedic treatments, cleansing and detox regimens, and educational programs for your healing, health, and wellness needs.
Other activities to indulge in include nature walks, fire circle, kirtan, fitness, and steaming in the steam room. Guests have the option of private or shared en-suite spaces.
Art of Living Retreat Center, North Carolina
8. Spirit Rock Meditation Center, California
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Escape to this meditation center that is set amongst private oak woodlands in the hills. They offer programs on the teachings of Buddha (Dharma), Insight Meditation (Vipassana), and loving-kindness meditation (metta). Focus is on mindfulness, self-awareness, compassion, and how to have a less stressful relationship with life. The programs can be for two hours, drop-ins, a whole day, three days to two months, or year-long, depending on one’s needs. Accommodations are simple and comfortable, with single or double room options. Learn about meditation and Buddhism in a calm environment that will help you appreciate the power of silence and self-practice.
Spirit Rock Meditation Center, California
Number of Guests: 96
9. Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles - Eagle Rock
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Eagle Rock Closing Ceremony - https://mailchi.mp/d87878f473ba/please-join-us-994921
Posted by Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 27, 2021
Shambhala Meditation Center offers meditation programs in Tibetan Buddhism, Shambhala teachings, and contemplative practices. Explore a path of spiritual warriorship through meditation that will teach you how to live fearlessly and be gentle and intelligent.
Learn how to navigate through everyday challenges, live a full human life, and see the goodness in society. Shambhala emphasizes on the goodness, astuteness, and warmth of each and every person and strives to bring it out past our fears, reservations, and egotism. Awaken your inner spirit through mindfulness meditation.
Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles - Eagle Rock
10. Ananda Meditation Retreat, Nevada City
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Posted by Ananda Meditation Retreat on Friday, April 27, 2018
Spend some self-reflection time at this retreat with gorgeous meditation gardens and wild forest. The sacred lands with a variety of flora and fauna and water fountains give a serene and quiet space for one to be immersed in nature. Programs include guided silent retreats, yoga, meditation, personal retreats, and seclusion.
Accommodation options comprise of a cabin with a private bathroom and kitchen where you can prepare your own vegetarian-friendly meals, camping tents, and rooms with shared bathrooms and no kitchen. Embrace the silence and seclusion and rediscover inspiration within yourself.
Ananda Meditation Retreat, Nevada City
Escape from life's distractions
Take a few hours, days, weeks, or months to visit a meditation retreat surrounded by breathtaking and tranquil scenery. Heal your mind, body, and soul through spa treatments and different techniques in yoga, meditation, and breathwork. Learn about Buddhism from dharma talks and master the art of self-practice. Escape from the distractions of life, experience holistic wellness, and discover the power of silence, self-fulfillment and mindfulness in these best meditation retreats in the United States.
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