John Porter, an ad executive from San Francisco, had been around the
globe to exotic locations and often stayed in posh resorts. Yet, while
he was gearing up for his 2005 trip, he felt a strong desire to
experience something different -- something more meaningful. His deeper
journey led him on a week-long sojourn to a meditation retreat on
Scotland's Holy Isle. There, John took courses to help him learn
meditation practice, which he still uses almost five years later.
san francisco
Travel and Leisure Magazine recently rated their top
ten worldwideretreats for learning meditation. Number one on their list
was Ananda in the Himalayas, a spectacular 100-acre estate in
Uttaranchal, India, which has wide views of the Ganges River, the
Himalayan mountain foothills and the temple villages of Rishikesh and
Hardiwar. Amenities consist of a 21,000-square-foot spa, meditation and
yoga pavilions, a tea lounge, an antique billiards room and the former
maharajah's palace.
meditation
Here,
people will be given one-on-one guided meditation custom-made to their
individual needs. Stretching, Buddhist meditation teachings, yoga and
breathing exercises are taught in one-hour classes throughout the day.
This retreat appeals to all types of people, including a good number of
luxury travelers who have never visited a spiritual retreat till now.
classes
Another
place to learn meditation is the White Cloud Sanctuary in Santa Ana,
Costa Rica. Just west of the San Jos capital, you'll stay in a
one-person tile-roofed casita with its own kitchen, bathroom and living
area, while enjoying breathtaking mountain views. This quaint 13-acre
property amid the jungle mountainside can only take one person at a
time, so you'll be completely alone in your rigorous study of Tai Chi
and QiGong meditation. When you're not meditating, you can take a walk
through organic vegetable gardens, horse farms and groves of mango,
banana and papaya trees. Meals aren't included with this program, but
you can purchase healthy food at the lodge.
A third
destination to learn meditation is the Insight Meditation Society in
Barre, Massachusetts. Located on a 200-acre property surrounding a grand
mansion, you'll find 79 dormitory-style single and double rooms with
shared bathrooms, dining facilities, outdoor Buddhist shrines and
meditation spaces. For a more intense pilgrimage, you can stay at the
Forest Refuge, a long-term retreat center set several miles back into
the countryside. The practice here involves Vipassana (insight) and
Metta (loving kindness) meditation. You'll sit and you'll walk, but your
meditative practices will all be done in complete silence. Eventually,
through silence, you will find insight and self-awakening.