Ideas for a Personal Retreat
I’ve been doing a little research to plan for my annual Reflection & Rejuvenation Retreat. Last year I planned and hosted it myself; this year, I just want to show up. It seems like there are a couple options:
- A retreat center like Omega,
which is two hours out of New York City. This option is very
cost-effective ($481 for three nights, which includes basic dorm room
accommodations and three meals a day). There are free classes in yoga,
tai chi, meditation, and movement; boating and swimming on a lake;
basketball and tennis; extensive nature trails; and evening events like
concerts and films. - An awesome AirBnb. That’s what I did last
year with a small group of people, and it worked really well. The upside
is it’s more relaxing (if you’re introverted and don’t want as many
people around). The downside is that we would have to cook all our
meals. The real downside is that we would actually have to get people to
commit to going, so we would know how many rooms were needed in
advance. If we did this option, I would lean toward some place like the
beach in San Diego. - An adult camp. I like the idea of these
in theory, but when I dug into it, most of them started to seem like a
big frat party. I think I went to one frat party in college, so I’m not
particularly nostalgic for that scene. - A spa-like retreat center, like this one
in Austin. While the amenities seem amazing and it looks really
beautiful, I definitely can’t prioritize spending my money on this. - A resort like Canyon of the Eagles.
Although the rooms are nicer than Omega, I feel like the amenities just
don’t compare. It’s awesome to have access to a dining hall for three
meals a day (now that’s something I do really miss from college). And
the thought of running into other people’s children while I’m trying to
relax honestly makes me won’t to poke out my eyeballs.
I think Omega is the clear winner this year!
4 Comments
Nora
If you are part of a religious community (even as a sometimes participant), they often hold camps and women's retreats locally. Or, they may be in touch with local retreat centers. Catholic diocese and Buddhist groups often also offer interesting retreat options or short-term reflection courses.
Nora
This is a potential resource for teachers: http://fetzer.org/work/projects/teacher-residencies-gilchrist
Erin Martin
Have you checked out Travaasa? It's just outside Austin and they run specials semi-frequently that cuts the room cost in half. A group of girlfriends and I try to go every other year for a weekend and we cut costs by sharing rooms and going during a special. They have free meditation, yoga, pools, archery, art classes, etc. There's also paid spa activities, but honestly, the last few years I've been just as happy to attend the free stuff and sit by the infinity pool (with view of hill country) with a good book!
Erin Martin
PS, Travaasa was founded by a woman who was inspired by both Omega and Esalen, so there are a lot of similarities.