Looking for a mindfulness retreat near a sunny beach in Europe
April 29, 2015 5:32 AM
Recommendations please! More about what I'm after inside.
Most of the companies that run these things seem pretty small, which means a) They’re not really featured on TripAdvisor and it’s hard to tell how good they’ll be b) Their websites are sometimes not very up to date (eg. client recommendations are from several years ago) c) They don't generally seem to be in ABTA. So I'd love some personal recommendations before I throw my money at them!
Ideally I’m looking for:
* A retreat that’s primarily about mindfulness; a little bit of simple yoga’s OK, but I’m looking for the main emphasis to be on mindfulness rather than yoga. I’ve done some mindfulness before (eg. have completed the 8 week MBSR course and have a sporadic practice) but am quite open to revisiting the beginnings, so am looking for either a beginners’ course or something aimed at people who already have a practice.
* Sunshine.
* Peace and quiet – not in a town or city.
* A beach – a lot of them seem to be up in the mountains with a pool, which I know would be lovely, but I would really like to have a swimmable beach within reasonable walking distance if possible.
* About a week in length.
* Welcoming for solo travellers.
* Date-wise, June would be ideal but could go a little bit earlier or later.
* Tending towards comfort and luxury rather than basic accommodation; am flexible on price if it's for something really worth the extra spendies.
* I don't drive, so nothing that would rely on me having a hire car.
Bonus points for anywhere that's accessible by a direct flight from Edinburgh!
Most of the companies that run these things seem pretty small, which means a) They’re not really featured on TripAdvisor and it’s hard to tell how good they’ll be b) Their websites are sometimes not very up to date (eg. client recommendations are from several years ago) c) They don't generally seem to be in ABTA. So I'd love some personal recommendations before I throw my money at them!
Ideally I’m looking for:
* A retreat that’s primarily about mindfulness; a little bit of simple yoga’s OK, but I’m looking for the main emphasis to be on mindfulness rather than yoga. I’ve done some mindfulness before (eg. have completed the 8 week MBSR course and have a sporadic practice) but am quite open to revisiting the beginnings, so am looking for either a beginners’ course or something aimed at people who already have a practice.
* Sunshine.
* Peace and quiet – not in a town or city.
* A beach – a lot of them seem to be up in the mountains with a pool, which I know would be lovely, but I would really like to have a swimmable beach within reasonable walking distance if possible.
* About a week in length.
* Welcoming for solo travellers.
* Date-wise, June would be ideal but could go a little bit earlier or later.
* Tending towards comfort and luxury rather than basic accommodation; am flexible on price if it's for something really worth the extra spendies.
* I don't drive, so nothing that would rely on me having a hire car.
Bonus points for anywhere that's accessible by a direct flight from Edinburgh!
Here's a list of quite a few dharma centers that are generally focused on vipassana. Most are in the US, but there are a number in Europe. As a frequent retreatant, I would encourage you to plan a retreat followed by a beach vacation. The retreat will make your vacation much better.
posted by janey47 at 9:43 AM on April 29, 2015
posted by janey47 at 9:43 AM on April 29, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:42 AM on April 29, 2015