Finding Peace and Quiet
We love a good vacation. Or a baecation. Or a girls’ trip.
Designating time to find peace and quiet takes intention and overall self-care to another level.
Meditation retreats are becoming as popular as resorts. People are prioritizing how they spend their time. More importantly, people are becoming more intentional about how they take a break from the usual chaos and demands of day-to day life.
In general, meditation helps recenter focus and energy, shifting mindfulness. It creates a sense of calm and tranquility, lowering stress, increasing memory and brain function, and increasing creativity. Meditation has a unique way of creating space for you to be conscious of your surroundings, while also focusing inward on breathing and stillness.
Located in Chicago, Sister Afya Community Mental Wellness focuses on Black culture and mental wellness through drums and dancing, therapy, hiking, vision boarding and so much more. The center offers several free programs and services, educating and elevating Black women’s mental health.
Esalen is a notable holistic retreat that takes advantage of the scenic location, situated in Big Sur, California. The center has several workshops that focus on mind, body and soul. The centers allude to the concept of mindfulness through a variety of mediums – meditation, yoga, dance, and research.
The We Care Spa is located in Palm Springs, California and focuses on internal transformative methods. From the detox mixologists to the reiki sessions, the spa creates a true self-indulgent experience.
The Salamander Resort and Spa is black-owned and located in Middleburg, Virginia. The Winter Wellness packages are intended for restoration and relaxation. The balancing sound therapy is a treatment that includes a full body massage with CBD-infused oil and hot stones. The Hammam-inspired therapy involves a ritual of stimulating heat, aromatic steam, and detoxification in a private ceramic chamber. Additionally, there are CBD-infused hydrating therapeutic wraps that are meant to relieve stress and tension while reducing inflammation and pain. The resort and spa has everything you need.
As you plan your wellness, be on the lookout for The Jenesis House, the first female, black-owned, adult-only resort in Arizona. Expecting to open in 2025, the resort will offer a spa, healing arts, farm-to-table nutrition, and complete wellness experiences in an eco-friendly, sustainable environment. Until the resort’s grand opening, you can now book a stay at one of the wellness retreats led by The Jenesis House.
There are a variety of meditation retreats across the country. They serve as a necessary halt in one’s usual daily routine and cater to specific needs. While some are luxurious, others rely on nature’s landscape as the backdrop to ignite renewal. Whatever your needs and wants are, there is a meditation retreat for that.
Photo credit: Denise Gilmore-McPherson
