Taking a Deep Breath

Can a weekend of yoga and meditation lead to a happier and more relaxed state of being? It’s a good start.

Written by Ann Cochran and Matthew Graham | Published on May 1, 2008

Travel > Nearby Getaways > Great Weekends

Most resorts have fitness centers that offer yoga or mind-body classes. Want something more intense? These retreats may jump-start a yoga or meditation practice.

Yogaville, Buckingham, Va.; 800-858-9642; yogaville.org. This ashram offers year-round retreats that run Friday to Sunday. Packages including daily yoga, meditation, vegetarian meals, and wellness seminars start at $150 a person for shared dorm accommodations; a private room with a bath is $250 a person single occupancy, $400 a couple.

A three-day workshop at the Lodge at Woodloch includes spa treatments, meditation, and the chance to make art. Photograph courtesy of the Lodge at Woodloch.

Specialty retreats include Yoga for Athletes, June 13 to 15. That’s $165 a person plus accommodations.

Visitors also get a tour of the LOTUS Temple, or Light of Truth Universal Shrine. The building, which resembles a floating lotus blossom, houses artifacts from religions and belief systems around the world.

Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Md.; 800-722-2949; perrycabin.com. This luxe inn’s three-night Yin Yang Retreat, May 1 to 4, includes yoga each day, meditation seminars, accommodations, breakfast and lunch daily, and an 80-minute spa treatment that combines a body scrub and massage. Rates start at $1,400 for one person, $515 for an extra participant sharing the room. The waterfront inn offers yoga classes year-round so guests may design their own weekend.

Rocky Gap Lodge, Flintstone, Md.; 301-784-8400, rockygapresort.com. From May 2 to 4, the lodge hosts a two-night Women’s Adventure into Wellness, put on by Western Maryland Adventures (301-784-8403, wmdadventures.com). The weekend features daily yoga, meditation, wellness seminars, canoeing, hiking, and rappelling. The fee, which starts at $428 a person, includes breakfasts and Sunday lunch. Rocky Gap offers year-round yoga classes.

Lodge at Woodloch, Hawley, Pa.; 866-953-8500; thelodgeatwoodloch.com. Awakening the Wisdom Within is a midweek program with walking meditation, fitness training, and art sessions such as drawing, painting, and photography. Sessions are May 4 to 7, July 13 to 16, and dates in September. Rates begin at $2,025 a person, single occupancy, and include room, meals, and up to four spa treatments.

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