by Michele Krauss

If life is overwhelming and you crave some peace and quiet, consider a meditation retreat.

Spas and resorts offer endless tactile and visceral ways of experiencing the outer world. All those treatments, classes and outdoor activities may do wonders for your outer being, but they may leave your inner self crying out for a little attention. Next time you’re planning a mini-getaway or full-blown vacation, consider going somewhere to recharge and refresh your inner spirit.

The Chopra Center, located at the La Costa Spa and Resort, prides itself on being the ideal place to “heal, recharge, and re-connect with your soul.” The center offers several spirit- and meditation-based programs throughout the year.
Healing The Heart uses the ancient healing art of Ayurveda along with modern psychological techniques to help you love more, accept love, and heal the heart of old wounds from the past.
Seduction Of Spirit caters to those who want to deepen their experience with meditation. This program is in its tenth year, and uses advanced meditation techniques, yoga and wisdom from Chopra’s “Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” to help guests reach a new level of spirituality.
Secrets Of Enlightenment is a program that aims to bring about freedom for the individual, in every sense of the word. Harnessing the knowledge from another Chopra project, “The Book of Secrets,” guests will be expertly guided in their inner quest for liberation.

With two locations in San Diego, the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) offers services, lectures and retreats that rely heavily on meditation and self-reflection. Christine Herg went with a friend to a Sunday service one afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised. “I’m not a great meditator. It’s hard for me to turn off my mind. But being with so many people in silence was so peaceful, and the lecture really made me look inside myself more. I loved it, and plan to go back soon,” she said.
Aside from services, the Encinitas SRF location offers the perfect contemplative space in its beautiful meditation gardens. Always a surprise to those who first visit, the garden features lush landscaping, trickling ponds stocked with colorful koi, and a breathtaking view of the Pacific. Think of this small oasis as a day spa for your soul.

The Optimum Health Institute offers a more spartan style of purifying the body and soul. Their program is made up of three week-long sessions that impart ancient spiritual disciplines to promote healing. Guests who stay here experience whole-body detox through fasting, cleansing and exercise. Journaling and meditation are combined with prayer and silence to bring about inner healing and spiritual rejuvenation.

Rancho La Puerta is a world-class resort just across the border near Tecate. There could not be a more perfect setting for self-reflection than the lush grounds of “The Ranch.” Although it’s known for being a premier fitness resort and spa, The Ranch also offers unique opportunities to get you back in touch with your innermost self.
Chanting and drumming classes are offered as a way to find inner peace through rhythm and sound. Qigong and Tai Chi classes help guests slow down with their disciplined, meditative moves. The Labyrinth at The Ranch offers guests the chance to truly open their consciousness with a time-tested walking ritual. It’s modeled after the famous floor labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. Not to be confused with a maze, the labyrinth’s circuit offers a path to help quiet the mind and bring about reflection.

If you don’t have time for a retreat, but still want the benefit of opening your mind, The Vaj Rarupini Buddhist Center offers meditation classes all over the area. The practice of Buddhism relies heavily on meditation and creating stillness in the mind. Meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce stress. Although it isn’t easy, having a great guide and teacher can ease the transition from a mess of thoughts to complete stillness.

—[ article resources ]—

The Chopra Center at the La Costa Spa and Resort • chopra.com

Self-Realization Fellowship • yogananda-srf.org

The Optimum Health Institute • optimumhealth.org

Rancho La Puerta • rancholapuerta.com

The Vaj Rarupini Buddhist Center • sddharma.com