Healing Retreats
A healing retreat. What could be more nourishing to the body, mind and soul? It combines travel with rejuvenation and self-discovery. A few days at a retreat center would be a great stop to add to an itinerary. I found a few that incorporate Eastern healing arts. So, here are some beautiful locales, each with a retreat center, courses for personal growth, and the opportunity to jump into Eastern medicine.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: Sagrada is a 15-acre retreat center in the hills of Mexico. It is a wonderful place to go for a healing vacation, with yoga, pilates and much more. A fabulous small city and hot thermal pools are nearby. The proprieters have compiled themed retreats such as, cooking lessons, horseback riding and spanish language intensives. An california-trained eastern medicine practitioner and western medical doctor have teamed up for emotional healing sessions. Fly into Leon, Mexico at BJX airport.
Andalucia, Spain: At Armonia Alpujarras, an american-trained acupuncturist and a licensed reflexologist are teaming are providing healing retreats. On their site they say "In our retreats we combine Yoga, Meditation, therapies (Reflexology, foot reading, Acupuncture, Massage and Shiatsu) and great vegetarian food." Seville is the main city in Andalucia. The international airport there is called SVQ.
Casperia, Italy: Sunflower Retreats has yoga holidays. They don't have acupuncture but they have shiatsu and acupressure. They have vegetarian meals and training in "including Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, and Creative Writing" as it indicates on their website. It's 90 minutes from the Rome airport, in the green, rolling hills. Fly into Rome airport, named ROM.
Slade, Kentucky, USA: Three Waters retreat center is in located in the woods of the Appalachian mountains, near a state park. It is run by an MD/acupuncturist and massage therapist/tai chi/yoga instructor. You can learn foot massage at their "Happy Feet Workshop". They provide vegetarian meals and have a drumming circle. They are dedicated to helping guests "reconnect with the sacred in themselves and all around them" as it says on the website. Cincinnati, Ohio's CVG is the closest airport.
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica: In Costa Rica, "pura vida" is a common phrase used between surfers and those who are enjoying the natural good life. For us at puravidaherbs.com, a healing spa in Costa Rica is right up our alley. Luna Lodge is in a 150-acre tropical rainforest. They have a complete spa with acupuncture treatments available part of the year. Their cuisine is international, made with organic ingredients. Their retreats include: various types of yoga courses and even "a Bikini Boot Camp". To get there you fly to San Jose (SJO) and then to Puerto Jimenez and Carate, using local airlines.
Even if you can't attend a healing retreat in the near future, why not start doing yoga right away? Here are some yoga videos.