Meditation retreat: ideal places to meditate

If you are thinking of doing a meditation retreat, you will certainly have doubts about which is the ideal place to retreat and to do the meditation you are looking for.

As you already know, to be able to meditate you need to be surrounded by peace and relaxation, disconnected from any source of stress or tension. To achieve this, you must look for a place away from people and external stimuli, so, this rules out the idea of doing a retreat in any city.

Just like the word retreat itself, one must retreat from our usual surroundings, because by doing so, we will also take distance from our day to day and we must face this new situation counting with only oneself.

Out of the city, surrounded by nature

It´s only surrounded by nature where we can feel most relaxed. The silence that we can only find in nature itself is free from noisy and stressful stimuli and helps us to concentrate and to fully connect with ourselves.

Studies have shown that sounds coming from nature affect our bodies’ nervous system directly, they influence our brain’s activity in a way analogue to having a rest. There’s no direct explanation of why this happens, but it is an associated effect. When your brain is resting, that is the moment when you can best meditate.

Beach, mountain, countryside or forest

To do a spiritual retreat there is no better place than one surrounded by nature. Be it the beach, the mountains, the countryside or the forest, they are all ideal and perfect places to practice meditation in a satisfactory manner. It will also depend mostly on your own personal preferences, but they are all advisable.

It seems that it suffices with only imagining these places to feel somehow relaxed. The soothing sound of waves crashing against the shore or against the rocks of a cliff… the chirping of birds in the mountains, or the water falling from a spring… they are all examples which merely hearing about can transport us into a state of relaxation and peace.

How long do you need to do a good spiritual retreat?

The length of a retreat can vary. It can range from a weekend to weeks and even months. This depends on the personal situation you find yourself in and the specific objectives you decide for the retreat. You won’t need the same time if you want to do some light meditation or if, on the contrary, you are after a big change in your life, one that requires a deep process of introspection.

Alone or accompanied?

It is advisable to do a spiritual retreat alone or in a reduced group of people, who, preferably we don’t know or have any relation to. People we can’t really relate to in the outer world.

The benefits of meditation are undeniable. We hope to have helped you in the choosing of your next meditation retreat, so you can do it the best way possible and to meet your expectations, even to exceed them.