What do Oprah Winfrey, Jack Dorsey and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common? They’ve all quietly retreated. You can, too, without having to fly to a faraway country. Tatler presents five wellness retreats right here in Hong Kong, where you can recharge and rejuvenate in a mindful way.
Modern city life seems to be all about keeping busy. Plus, with constant distractions from social media and other distracting entertainment, it’s really hard to really focus on yourself and enjoy some real alone time. The mechanical repetition of the inevitable urban routine sometimes makes some of us yearn for a getaway, a little quiet and peaceful place to calm down and rejuvenate.
To block out the noise, many people turn to meditation. Meditation is a way to achieve an emotionally stable state of mind by quietly focusing on your breathing. Practiced in many religions, especially Asian Buddhism, meditation, which trains your attention and awareness, has tremendous benefits for your mental health. Sure, you can use a wellness app to guide you through meditation or take a course at a meditation center, but nothing beats booking a quiet retreat to maximize your experience. With strict conditions such as communication restrictions and no cell phones or other distractions, Silence Retreats offer a unique way to deepen meditation in a different environment. And yes, there are several options in Hong Kong. Here we will introduce five of them.
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What do Oprah Winfrey, Jack Dorsey and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common? They’ve all done the 10-day Vipassana silent meditation, the holy grail of silent meditation. vipassana The most well-known Buddhist meditation technique was taught by the Indian guru Satya Narayan Goenka. It is accepted by many people as a non-religious approach, vipassana The emphasis is on focusing on breathing, developing a subtle awareness of bodily sensations, and clearing the mind. Joining her for a 10-day intensive retreat with meals and lodging arranged is the perfect way to learn this technique, or for returning visitors to go deeper. Fortunately, the Hong Kong Center (South Lantau Island) hosts this retreat regularly throughout the year. However, this is one of the more intensive silence retreats, with a jam-packed schedule of meditation sessions starting from 4 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., as well as a ban on cell phones, communication, reading, and writing. There are strict rules.
Vipassana Hong Kong
Address: Dhamma M uttā, Tung Wan, Lantau Trail Section 9, 6W92+GF Lantau Island, Hong Kong
