Where can I relax outside of, but nearby, New York City?

January 28, 2011 7:59 AM

I need to get out of Manhattan and spend a weekend in a quiet place specializing in relaxation, meditation and massage. I don't want to travel more than an hour. I have no car. Cost isn't an issue. I just need sanity & isolation. Where to go?

I would love to find some place upstate that can be accessed by train. I'm not a religious or particularly spiritual person, but have been through some major life stress the last few months which is affecting me physically. Several kinds of doctors have recommended I do this, so I'd like for it to be someplace very good for recharging the mental batteries and getting away from the city and the internet. I haven't been in NYC that long so I really don't know the surrounding area. Thanks!

posted by critzer to health & fitness (8 answers total)

I can't think of anything within an hour, but if you're willing to travel a little further and take the bus, you could try the Zen Mountain Monastery. I have never been there, but have attended a couple of workshops at their Brooklyn location. I'm not very religious or spiritual either, but am trying to work on meditation, and they were very open and welcoming.
posted by bobafet at 8:11 AM on January 28, 2011

The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck is probably just what you need.
posted by headnsouth at 8:12 AM on January 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

You can go camping at Floyd Bennet Field / Gateway Recreation Area.

You can take the MetroNorth to the stop that intersects with the Appalachian Trail.

Your "travel an hour" thing might have to be expanded a bit - it'll barely get you out of the Bronx.
posted by entropone at 8:14 AM on January 28, 2011

Ditto the Omega Institute. 2 of my friends went a few years ago and loved it. I'm not sure how easy it is to access without a car but maybe someone else from NYC is going and you can share a ride.
posted by victoriab at 8:25 AM on January 28, 2011

Spa Castle! http://nyspacastle.com/eng/main/main.php
posted by auiricle at 9:53 AM on January 28, 2011

I'll second Zen Mountain Monastery, even if it's further than you specified.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 10:44 AM on January 28, 2011

Perhaps Ananda Ashram in Monroe, NY: it's a little closer and more accessible to NYC than Omega or Zen Mountain Monastery.
Or a private retreat at Mount Saint Alphonsus in Esopus, NY. Very Beautiful, quite cheap.
posted by Corvid at 11:22 AM on January 28, 2011

Mohonk Mountain House. Pricey but lovely, in New Paltz.
posted by sdn at 3:11 PM on January 28, 2011