Kripalu Yoga & Wellness Centre
Stockbridge, Massachusetts / Yoga giant Kripalu, 52 years old, has programming to appeal to everyone from yoga beginners to yoga gurus. But its programming goes beyond sun salutations and includes tarot immersions, couples transformational workshops, queer affinity circles, and healing retreats for men of color on its 125-acre campus, a former Jesuit monastery. Whatever your creative expression (dancing, drawing, drumming) or your self-care need (dealing with sudden loss, overcoming patterns of self-sabotage), there’s a plan that calls your name. Kripalu
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Rancho La Puerta
Tecata, Baja California, Mexico / Founded more than 80 years ago, Rancho La Puerta is considered a top wellness destination. The 4,000-acre organic farm and spa resort sets the standard with Wi-Fi-optional vacation homes, golden hour hikes, classes for every interest (kickboxing, salsa, aerial yoga), and workshops on building a purposeful life. Rancho La Puerta
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Augustine Abbey
Quebec City, Quebec / Of course, the organic breakfast at this renowned health and wellness center is eaten in monastic silence. As the name suggests, this health retreat was once a 17th-century Augustinian monastery. There’s Wi-Fi if you need it, but no TVs or phones in the rooms. Here, you’ll spend time with qigong classes, energy healing massages, sitar concerts, and compassionate listening sessions. Retreat programs range from the broad (Hatha Yoga) to the highly specialized (Harnessing the power of mindfulness for adult ADHD), and some even offer subsidized stays for local caregivers and health care providers. For a more ascetic stay, book the original monks’ rooms or splurge on a contemporary room with a private bathroom. Monaster
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Golden Door
San Marcos, California One of the country’s most exclusive wellness centers (with prices and celebrity clientele to match) promises a life-affirming experience in a highly discreet setting. Through candlelit, silent solidarity circles and labyrinth walks, kimono-clad guests explore the depths of their souls and unearth their deepest desires. There’s plenty of fellowship, tears and more crying to share, and once you’re done, there’s a Zen garden and 30 miles of private hiking trails to enjoy. Golden Door
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I know how to meet the needs of many, but I don’t know how to meet my own. I long for a moment of self-discovery. A week of peace and beauty, breathtaking landscapes, music that brings poetry to the soul, mountains, ocean, and people filled with love and joy. — Illonka Jenkins, Oprah Daily Insider
Ojai Valley Inn
Ojai, California / A collection of white stucco Spanish Colonial villas spread across 220 rolling acres, the Ojai Valley Inn is a destination in itself. Bordering Los Padres National Forest, a biodiversity hotspot that includes desert and redwood forests, the full-service resort with a world-class spa, four pools, tennis courts and golf course is a microcosm of the Southern California paradise it’s known for, without ever losing its local feel. For spiritual seekers, its bohemian charm is what makes it so special. Spend happy hours poolside with a sweet cocktail in hand in the year-round sun, or enjoy a variety of services that evoke the area’s older, more spiritual past, including CBD oil massages, vibrational therapy and macramé classes. ojaivalleyinn.com
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Sandara Inn & Spa
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin While most tourist-filled Wisconsin Dells establishments offer 24-hour entertainment to cater to families with school-age children, this 80-acre spa resort takes the opposite approach. People come here to escape the hustle and bustle, setting daily goals on designated meditation trails (complete with hammocks) or in a tranquil reflection room with floor-to-ceiling views of the surrounding forest. Those looking to socialize can take advantage of the heated pool with swim-up bar, or unwind in one of eight recently added suites, the largest of which has a spa tub and a private balcony with a fireplace. Sandara Spa
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Natura Cabana
Cabarete, Dominican Republic / Meditation and yoga are top priorities for travellers seeking serenity at this beachfront hideaway of 12 bungalows. Each thatched-roof cabana, with one, two or three bedrooms, is designed with feng shui principles at the forefront. There’s no air conditioning, but that’s OK; the important thing is to be at one with nature. Daily yoga classes are available, plus surfing and horseback riding are popular activities, and a rejuvenating white Dominican clay wrap at Ataveira Spa is not to be missed. Natural Cabana
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Photo credits: Augustinian Monastery of Quebec City: André Olivier Lira (1), The Golden Door: Tanvir Badal Photography (3), Ojai Valley Inn: Sarah Prince (2)
