Two Mid-Hudson Valley wellness centers have been named among the best in the country.
USA TODAY’s recent 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards ranked hot springs, meditation centers, spa resorts, wellness retreat centers and yoga retreat centers across the country.
The Hudson Valley is home to several centers that specialize in meditation, a way to escape everyday life and address mental health issues, but two of them stood out in the rankings.
Dharmakaya Wellbeing Centre in Pine Bush won the top spot as the Best Meditation Centre and was ranked 5th among the Best Wellness Retreat Centres.
Omega Holistic Institute in Rhinebeck was ranked No. 4 among the best wellness retreat centers.
Here we explain what you need to know about each center, what their work entails, and what makes them unique.
The winners are:USA TODAY 10 Best Readers Awards
Dharmakaya Wellbeing Centre
#1 Best Meditation Center
#5 Best Wellness Retreat Center
position: 191 Cragsmore Road, Pine Bush
Offer: Buddhist studies, meditation programs, yoga practices, retreats
Dharmakaya Wellbeing Centre board chair Trevania Henderson said on Tuesday she was thrilled to hear that people who had visited the centre had such a positive experience and that it had been able to “make a tangible difference to people’s lives”.
A center for Buddhist teachings and practice, the Dharmakaya Wellbeing Center is located in the village of Cragsmoor in the Catskill Mountains. The 22,000-square-foot center sits on 90 acres and hosts a variety of retreats and programs. Five study paths allow you to personalize your experience, and you also have the option to visit the center for a day or extended stay. The center’s focus is on enhancing overall wellbeing and an individual’s mind-body connection.
more:Spiritual teacher opens Buddhist centre in Cragsmoor
“We have programs for people who have never meditated for 30 seconds, as well as programs for people who are serious about meditation,” Henderson said.
The Dharmakaya Center’s programs are small, with around 15 to 20 people, and designed to provide a hands-on, intimate experience, and Henderson said participants can develop close relationships with their teachers.
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center launched a program called “Still,” designed specifically for and offered free of charge to essential workers on the front lines. Now in its fourth year, the program is set to host a “Soul Spa Weekend for BIPOC Leaders” later this summer.
To learn more about the Center, including its programs, Center stays, and the Center’s mission and values, visit dharmakayacenter.org.
Omega Holistic Institute
#4 Best Wellness Retreat Center
position: 150 Lake Drive, Rhinebeck
Offer: Health and wellness workshops, spiritual retreats, yoga practices, conferences
Founded in 1977, Omega Holistic Institute is a Rhinebeck-based nonprofit organization focused on spiritual exploration and working to improve individual and collective well-being through an integrative approach to personal growth and social change.
Chrissa Santoro, the institute’s senior director of public relations, said the institute is excited and grateful to have been named one of the top wellness retreat centers by USA Today readers and hopes new people will discover what OMEGA has to offer.
“We bring in top-notch teachers from around the country and the world,” Santoro said. “Our teachers are experts in a variety of fields, including health and wellness, creativity and the arts, leadership and sustainability.”
More about Omega Labs:Hudson Valley Meditation Retreat
Santoro said they have also become a virtual global community, attempting to “democratize well-being,” making their resources even more accessible to those who can’t meet them in person.
“We can actively expand avenues for participation through online learning,” she said.
For almost 50 years, the institute has sought to be a hub for lifelong learning and community building, hosting topical workshops, signature programs, and more recently, online courses.
For more information about the institute, workshops, Center for Sustainable Living and Center for Women’s Leadership, visit eomega.org.
