If you think such luxurious retreats are reserved for the elite few, you’d be wrong. These wellness retreats are incredibly affordable considering what they offer. You’re sure to find one fit to your fitness, health and relaxation goals.

The summer season brings with it an air of calm, as if the real world is lightly on pause. But before fall comes rolling around, dragging you into the trenches of  winter, gift your body, mind and soul with a retreat – a more marked break from the real world with these wellness retreats that are affordable and luxurious.

1. Paradis Plage, Monaco

Ringing in for about $1,000 for a 7-night stay, the Paradis Plage resort’s retreat in Monaco makes for an ideal getaway. Monaco is known to have the healthiest climate in the world. Pair that with surfing, yoga, mountain hiking and spa treatments, you have yourself a holistic health retreat that might as well be sent from heaven.

2. GI Jane Bootcamp, London

This isn’t exactly a relaxing retreat, but it will sure deliver results. The GI Jane Bootcamp will run for about £595.00 if you partake in a Monday-Friday course. The bootcamp requires participants wake up at 5:30 a.m. and start the day off with circuit training. After breakfast, the working out continues on in full force with Iron Man sprinting with ammunition boxes up and down a hill, exercising the butt and abs, running, boxing, power walking, netball and, alas, a lovely massage.

3. Ann Wigmore Institute, Puerto Rico

The Living Foods Lifestyle retreat pairs education with healthy living. The institute has 1-week and 2-week long programs, which offer you certification in raw food legend Ann Wigmore’s lifestyle philosophy. The program includes education on food preparation, proper eating techniques, growing your own sprouts and wheatgrass and the ins and outs of internal cleansing, food combining and composting. The program starts at $1000 and accommodation at $450/week.

4. Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Bahamas

Starting at only $73 per night for up to 6 nights, the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island is an incredibly affordable option for those looking for natural beauty and relaxation. The getaway includes morning and afternoon yoga classes, morning and evening meditation workshops and two rounds of lacto-vegetarian buffet-style meals. The retreat is also kid friendly!

5. Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Massachusetts

Located in Stockbridge, MA, you don’t have to trek halfway across the world to go zen. The Kripalu R&R Retreat involves all-natural meals, daily yoga and yoga dance classes as well as use of a sauna, fitness room, private lakefront beach and walking and hiking trails. Midweek rates begin at $166 per person, per night.

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Have you ever considered a silent retreat? Here’s why you should.

My dad used to say that he couldn’t believe how different his two children turned out to be. And he would use the hour-long journey to grandma’s house as a good example of why. If it were just he and my brother in the car, it was silence, while I just never shut up. Part of me always envied my brother’s ability to be completely comfortable in silence.

Chatter can be a waste of time, especially when it’s pushed. Say you’re on a walk with a friend and you feel the need to carry on a conversation for the entire length of the walk. It can deplete you of energy, making you feel more tired at the end of your walk than you ever would have it you walked in silence by yourself. Not to mention that sometimes you can end up saying things that you don’t mean. When you’re out of material, sometimes it can be motivation to gossip–a massive downer and waste of time.

That’s where a silent retreat can be a great experience. It’s a reminder to use your words for good. Is what you’re saying worth while? Is it kind? When you don’t talk for a bit you’re more like to truly consider what you do say.

And silent retreats can be beneficial on a number of other fronts. If you’re in a transitional period of your life it can be a great reset. Maybe you’ve split with your partner, lost a loved one, or you’re looking to make career changes. Or maybe you want to learn how to deal with stress in your life in a more constructive way. Maybe you want more than anything to find your purpose in life, as cliché as that might sound.

In a noisy world silence can be welcoming, especially for those times when you can’t seem to drown out the distraction. Spending five days reflecting on your life can make a world of difference. After all, how can you make headway in your life if can’t learn to listen to yourself?

Happiness comes from self knowledge–learning to know and love yourself so much that you begin to spread that love to all living beings. And self knowledge comes from taking the time to sit with yourself in silence. It’s a beautiful thing.

You can go on a silent meditation retreat, which vary in length and can be found all over the world. Or you can go silent when you’re living at an ashram for as few or as many days as you feel comfortable. Don’t dive in, be realistic. Don’t go on a 10-day silent meditation retreat if you’ve never meditated in your life. But if you need a jumpstart in your life, silence may be just what the doctor ordered.

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Image: Minoru Nitta

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ColumnAfter a week on an eco-friendly yoga retreat, I have no interest in making myself angry so I’m taking a break from sticking it to the man.

Those of you who live in the world know that this winter has sucked ass. In addition to the war on women, thousands of dogs being killed in Sochi, attacks on our right to choose and other insults, it’s been really, really cold. We’re breaking records here, people.

But I am smart. I escaped for an entire week and went on an eco-friendly yoga retreat.

 Now that I am back in Chicago, reengaging with my newsfeeds and thinking about the possible feminist issues to talk about this week, I have come to a conclusion: I just can’t.

I thought about adding my two cents to the atrocity of Pussy Riot being attacked with whips and tear gas at the Olympics. I considered writing about the mom who was arrested for trying to get abortion drugs for her daughter. These things are important.

But I can’t.

I had such an amazing time in a beautiful place with a great group of ladies (and one equally great guy) that I want to bask in the bliss of being surrounded by good people rather than think about who’s zoomin’ who and undermining my rights as a woman today.

Xinalani is an eco-friendly yoga retreat center about 40-minutes by boat from Puerto Vallarta. I went with my main Chicago-based yoga instructor, Sara, and Diana, a San Francisco-based teacher I also love to practice with.

The plan was: two yoga classes a day with time in between to enjoy various activities like sitting, reading, hiking, playing Cards Against Humanity and whale watching.

There were also like 18 meals a day. Who overeats on a yoga retreat? Everyone who goes to Xinalani, I’d guess.

Our Foodie Underground columnist would have jammed on the gluten-free granola I had every morning at breakfast number one—it was so good that even gluten-eaters opted for it—and, yes, there were two breakfasts every day.

The staff didn’t give side eye when asked three times if something was vegan and/or gluten-free (even though most things were labelled). Everything was fresh, local and delicious. Okay, there was one mole/mushroom thing I could have done without, but the rest of the meals more than made up for it.

The yoga studios are pretty much treehouses and all of the rooms have at least one wall open. Let me pause here. I don’t believe in camping as a thing I should do (if you’re into it, that’s super), and I was nervous about an open-air room in a jungle.

There was a net over the bed which is good because a few uninvited guests did venture into my room. Notably, a hand-sized spider that I am fairly certain is responsible for the bite on my back, and a little frog who joined me in the shower. I was cool with the frog.

As I hunker down for the next wave of record-breaking cold (there was thundersnow here this week—I honestly didn’t even know that was a real thing) and brace for the next barrage of sexist crap, I’m giving myself a mental health pass on fighting the man this week.

Instead, I’m just sharing some advice for all of you eco-travelers: Retreat to Xinalani and stay offline while you’re there.

That Happened is Libby Lowe’s weekly column for EcoSalon analyzing media, news and pop culture through a feminist lens. Keep in touch with Libby @LibbyLowe.

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Images: Xinalani

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Looking for a dreamy holistic retreat? Lumeria Maui is off the tourist trail, and sure to soothe your soul. This intimate hotel brings the romance and traditional architecture of Upcountry Maui together with all you’d expect from a health-minded yoga getaway to create a soothing sanctuary. 

Confession: I’m allergic to New Age. I think it’s a side-effect of my years working in the natural foods industry, attending massage school, and living in Berkeley, California. Not, to quote “Seinfeld,” that there’s anything wrong with that. Mindful living is important, and alternative modalities and lifestyles are increasing in popularity. Even the global tourism industry has been impacted by the craving for wellness, and holistic retreats and spas—many of which draw inspiration from various indigenous cultures—are one of the industries’ fastest-growing segments.

When I heard about Lumeria Maui, an intimate, 24-room, luxury holistic retreat that opened in March, 2012, I was intrigued. The property is located on the 1910 Fred Baldwin estate (a prominent sugar cane and ranching family who still live in the area). The estate was built to house retired cane executives and plantation workers, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. My obsession with interior design and all things Hawaiian made the decision to visit Lumeria an easy one.

Lumeria Maui owner and operator Xorin Balbes, a renowned architectural conservator and designer, renovated the six-acre property in 2011, creating what he refers to as a “SoulSpace.” The result is a stunning redesign of the original Craftsman building, using reclaimed and sustainable materials. The exterior and key elements have been left intact, while the interiors have a tasteful neoclassical and Asian-influenced aesthetic.

Image: Lumeria Maui

Explains Balbes, “I’ve always found it to be important to hold on to history through architecture. Considering the property was originally a convalescent center, I thought it was important to save and restore the original structures and the history they represent. As the oldest wooden structures on Maui, the buildings really exude a feeling of a bygone era of ‘old Hawaii,’ which I felt would be amazing to share with travelers from around the world.”

Lumeria’s location outside the sleepy paniolo (cowboy) town of Makawao, in Upcountry Maui, was also a big selling point for me, as the region is one of my favorite spots on earth. While less than seven miles from the North Shore’s bustling former sugar mill town of Paia and world-class windsurfing of Ho’okipa Beach, Upcountry might as well be a different planet.

Historically a cattle ranching region, Upcountry is still very much paniolo country. The landscape is one of lush pasture and forest, grazing livestock, and rolling hills, situated on the flanks of Haleakala volcano. Makawao is just up the road from Lumeria, with its handful of great restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and historic structures. Lumeria lies smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, unobtrusively located behind wooden gates off the main road, Baldwin Avenue. While B&B’s are popular, Lumeria is the only “hotel” in Upcountry.

Image: belindah-Thank You!-150.000 Views Now

Upcountry is a peaceful place; the main noise pollution comes in the form of tradewinds rustling the eucalyptus, guava, and Norfolk Island pine trees. While there’s a laidback sort of tourism here, there aren’t herds of people to “ruin” the vibe. Yet, Lumeria is a sanctuary-within-a-sanctuary. Here, you’re sheltered from the everyday annoyances like shrilling devices (While the property does have Wifi and iPod docking in every room, there are no phones or TV and cell service is spotty) and traffic.

Image: Lumeria Maui

Lumeria offers classes, programs, and retreats in yoga and meditation, often taught by world-renowned instructors (daily yoga and meditation are included with all reservations). There’s a small yoga studio next to the restaurant, and a larger, appealingly airy stand-alone studio. A black-bottom lap pool and Jacuzzi overlook Haleakala’s western slope, while a nearby pine grove is strung with hammocks that invite snoozing.

Rooms are individually designed, and full of light, making good use of the lofty original ceilings. All feature river rock-tiled, rain-head showers (with Aveda amenities; yay). My four-poster King Bed was luxurious and draped in a duvet (Upcountry nights can get chilly); a cozy daybed provided a separate space to read and daydream. One caveat: the walls are thin: Between the amorous couple next door and a bickering family two rooms down, I endured a couple of late nights.

The design of the Baldwin home is such that it forms a U-shape, with a covered porch running the length of the interior. The porch overlooks an immaculately-groomed grass courtyard bordered by tropical flowers and other vegetation. Inside the main entrance are a plush, lavishly furnished-and-decorated library and sitting room stocked with books, art, and magnificent chunks of crystal and geode.

Image: Lumeria Maui

While I’m not a big fan of yoga because I  find it too sedentary (I realize the irony of this statement; I’m exactly the kind of stressed-out person who could benefit most from the discipline), I got into the spirit of things and spent a day taking classes. Given the deplorable state of my downward dog, I expected to be the laughing stock of my Anusara class. Surprise: not only did it kick my butt, but the instructor and fellow students were kind, and helped me refine various poses. Inspired, I took a Yoga Nidra class, which is when I hit my tolerance level for alternative modalities.

Ultimately, Lumeria Maui is designed to appeal to guests seeking a genuinely holistic, experiential retreat. If that’s not your thing (and you find being offered colon hydrotherapy within minutes of arrival off-putting, which I most certainly do), you’ll likely be weirded out by the drinking the Kool-Aid vibe. If you can look past that intensity, you’ll enjoy the property for its aesthetic charms, solitude, and enchanting location.

Lumeria offers weekly classes from visiting shamans, Hawaiian cultural educators, and botanical experts. You can also book traditional lomi-lomi massage or partake of the Lumeria Glow Cleanse program, which includes a “state-of-the-art juice and broth” regimen. The small, on-site restaurant serves tasty dinners made with locally-sourced produce when possible (advance reservations required); a no-frills Continental breakfast is included.

Lumeria can also help facilitate booking outside activities like horseback riding (Makawao’s lovely Piiholo Ranch is owned and operated by members of the Baldwin family), farm tours, stand-up paddleboarding, and wind- and kitesurfing.

My stay at Lumeria was sponsored by the Maui Visitors Bureau, but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Top Image: Simply Stella, Flickr

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Next time you and your friends want to get away, go on an eco-friendly adventure.

Oh, the girls trip. If you and your friends are thinking about skipping town, avoid the all-inclusive resort trips, pretend Vegas doesn’t exist and steer clear of cruises. Instead, set off on a true adventure at one of these eco-friendly destinations. Because girl getaways on cruises are so 1988.

SeaHorse Eco Safaris

(Above) Attention equestrians: South Africa is calling. SeaHorse Eco Safaris offers adventurous, educational horseback experiences in Vleesbaai, a breathtakingly lovely coastal town. Spend three, five or seven days on a riding/yoga adventure. A lifelong horse lover, the owner and guide, Cornelia, focuses on providing the best experience for both riders and animals. On horseback, you’ll explore Renosterveld landscapes, the coast and the dunes learning ecological facts along the way. Keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, tortoises, porcupines and more.

What to know: Groups are limited to four, $98 – $120(varies based on season) per person, per night. Includes beach house accommodations, riding, yoga and food.

Bison Quest

The name alone makes me want to book a trip to Bison Quest in Townsend, Montana. The ranch and camp are primarily wind and solar-powered, the veggies are organic and while the main dish for many will actually be bison, vegetarian meals are available. Learn from wildlife biologists, participate in wildlife studies, interact with the herd, visit Yellowstone, hike, canoe, go white water rafting and more. And, never fear, you and your pals can get your spa fix with botanical facials and a visit to a traditional Native American sweat lodge. Check out the Modern Homesteading Package if you’d like to learn to garden, add solar panels to your home, keep chickens and more.

What to know: All-inclusive, most three-night trips are about $2,000/person, but packages vary. A percentage of your deposit will be donated to students at Fort Belknap Community College on the Fort Belknap Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Reservation.

Ojo Del Mar Ecolodge

Nothing says girls’ getaway like a yoga retreat. Grab your mat and head to Ojo Del Mar Ecolodge, Costa Rica. Wake up to a healthy breakfast then head outside for a 90-minute yoga class. Spend your afternoons hiking, surfing, kayaking or touring the gardens to learn about tropical fruits, spices and herb. Wind down with a restorative evening class. Ojo del Mar is situated between beaches and the tropical rainforest on the Osa Peninsula, home to more than 350 species of birds, 115 species of reptiles, 750 species of trees and 10,000 species of insects. Be sure to take time out to explore the 100,000 acre Corcovado National Park.

What to know: Shared accommodations, $1250-$1400 buys you six nights, three meals a day, two cooking classes, two yoga classes a day and taxi transfers. No TVs, phones or air-conditioning.

Tundra Buggy Adventure

Party with polar bears on a Tundra Buggy Adventure in Churchill, Manitoba. Adventurous groups can book a stay at the mobile Tundra Buggy Lodge while those who like their travel a little less rustic should check out the Churchill Town and Tundra Experience – home base will be a hotel in town and you’ll head out in buggies to bear-spot. The organization is committed to preserving the environment and well-connected to local conservation groups. All of the trails you’ll travel were naturally-formed. Parent company Frontiers North also supports and contributes to researching ecosystems to ensure its tours don’t negatively impact the environment or the animals.

What to know: These trips are pricey—about $5,000 CAD – and you’ll want to pack warm clothes.

Mountain Lake Conservancy and Hotel

If you’re like me, Dirty Dancing was your first lesson in sexy (hello, Solomon Burke!), your first introduction to abortion and the first time you realized traveling without parents would be awesome. In Pembroke, Virginia, you and your friends can experience a Dirty Dancing weekend at the eco-friendly Mountain Lake Conservancy and Hotel where the movie was filmed. Join Conservancy naturalists to learn about the cycles and history of the lake, flora and fauna and Appalachian culture. Hike to breathtaking views of Bald Knob, Bear Cliffs, and the Old Golf Course. Make all the “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” jokes you want, you’re in a safe place.

What to know: Fly into Roanoke; rooms start at $230/night.

Get ready for your trip with these eco-friendly travel tips and 10 songs to inspire travel.

Photos: SeaHorse Safaris, Bison Quest,  Ojo Del Mar Ecolodge, Tundra Buggy Adventures, Mountain Lake Hotel

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