13 Life-Changing Spiritual Retreats Around the World

No matter your religious leanings, taking a break from your routine to look inward can be therapeutic.

Whether you’re going through a difficult transition or simply feel the need to withdraw from the stresses of everyday life, a spiritual retreat can provide a tranquil space to find solace and meaning. Needless to say, there are countless options reflecting the vast diversity of beliefs. Some retreats are focused on the teachings of a specific religious group, while others combine spa treatments with ancient mind-body wellness practices to help you restore physical and emotional balance. From silent, spartan monastery stays to holistic programs at luxury island resorts, these are some of the best spiritual retreats around the world.

Top 3 Can't Miss

• Six Senses Vana offers a bespoke retreat in the foothills of the Himalayas, incorporating Ayurveda, yoga, Tibetan medicine, and healing therapies.

• At Spirit Rock’s silent Buddhist-informed retreats, meditation is practiced seated and while walking in the stunning Marin County landscape.

• The desert surroundings are right out of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting at Ghost Ranch, which offers both spiritual and art-focused retreats.

Six Senses Vana, Uttarakhand, India

Mango and lychee orchards shade this 21-acre wellness destination that combines Ayurveda, Tibetan healing, yoga, and other therapies. Retreat options range from three nights to several weeks; on arrival at Six Senses Vana, a doctor will tailor a regimen to your specific needs. Facilities include a meditation cave, "reflection garden," and spiritual study library to support visitors' inward journey. There is also a temple for puja or prayer sessions. The sand-colored, LEED Platinum-certified buildings are sleek, modern, and filled with artwork. At the two on-site restaurants, artfully plated cuisine is organic and locally sourced with vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and vegan options. Light-filled Anayu caters to participants according to their dosha, or Ayurvedic constitution.

Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, California

Nestled in the verdant hills of Marin County, north of San Francisco, Spirit Rock Meditation Center hosts silent retreats based on Buddhist principles. Options range from a single day to one month, with a program of meditation, dharma teachings, and light chores to foster mindfulness and compassion. The meditation practice is both seated and walking, and participants are encouraged to hike in the peaceful grounds, where Buddha statues are dotted around more than 400 wooded acres. Accommodations are simple yet comfortable, and since the mindfulness here extends to eating, the communal, vegetarian meals are anything but spartan, with aromatic, seasonal dishes like lemongrass curry and roasted delicata squash. Can’t make it to California? The center offers online retreats via Zoom.

Related: I Went to a 7-day Silent Meditation Retreat — Here's What I Learned

Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Amid the colorful cliffs and canyons of Ghost Ranch, guests attend a variety of spiritual retreats and art workshops. Personal creativity, landscape photography, female empowerment, and soulful marriage are just a few of the retreat topics you might find at this Presbyterian-run center. Expect basic rooms and lots of nature. You may recognize the desert setting from the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, who had a summer home at Ghost Ranch, and the organization hosts a residency program for artists and writers.

Isha Institute of Inner Sciences, McMinnville, Tennessee

For an Indian-style retreat experience closer to home, Americans need look no further than this center in rural Tennessee. The Isha Institute of Inner Sciences offers both personal wellness retreats and organized meditation or yoga programs inside an enormous golden dome. Try Isha's signature "Inner Engineering" program devised by leader Jaggi Vasudev, aka Sadhguru. There are seven waterfalls and beautiful trails near the complex, so be sure to bring your hiking shoes.

Le Monastère des Augustines, Quebec, Canada

This monastery-turned-wellness-center in Quebec's old walled city has a healthcare heritage dating back to the late 17th century when it also served as a hospital. These days, people come to unplug, rebalance, and eat wholesome organic meals. Guests can opt for a variety of retreats (most available in French only) or a range of wellness programs incorporating yoga, meditation, massage, or spa experiences. The rooms are modern and simply furnished, but you can get a sense of how the Augustinian Sisters lived in the past at the on-site museum, which displays original objects like religious art and medical relics.

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

This luxury Maldives resort offers more than the typical beach getaway. Sure, you'll have the bungalow or villa with a private pool, but you can also swim with whale sharks and manta rays in the Indian Ocean or work with a nonprofit to help restore coral reefs. The resort's wellness center, AyurMa, brings together wellness practices like Ayurveda and yoga with spa rituals that emphasize connecting with nature. Sign up for a three- to five-day yoga course, or Panchakarma, an intensive detox program based on Ayurvedic principles over 14 to 21 days. You can also tap into the expertise of "visiting masters," offering everything from Pranic healing to transformational philosophy sessions.

Springwater Center, Finger Lakes, New York

Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, the Springwater Center offers a silent retreat without a rigid schedule. Plan your own stay, or join one of the regular Quiet Weeks. Guests can participate in a daily schedule of meditations — if desired. All that's required is to stay silent during silent times, and to contribute an hour of work per day. The rest of the time is open to wander through forests and meadows, eat vegetarian meals, meditate, or meet with the spiritual advisors in residence. The retreat is open to all faith and meditation traditions.

Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia

If your idea of spiritual development requires a lot of creature comforts, book one of the 24 villas on Song Saa Private Island. Despite the name, it's actually two islands: Set in protected waters off Koh Rong, the resort is spread over tiny Koh Ouen and Koh Bong, which are linked by a footbridge. Five-night spa retreats are inspired by Buddhist practice and treatments take place in outdoor thatched-roofed "sanctuaries" scattered around the property to immerse guests in the lush setting. Expect yoga, meditation, massage, bath rituals, and blessings from Buddhist monks.

The Clearing Folk School, Door County, Wisconsin

Landscape architect Jens Jensen established this retreat in the 1930s for people to clear their minds by reconnecting to nature and each other. It's a good option for those who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." Students revive their spirits through wandering in the forest, gazing out at the Green Bay shoreline, taking classes in yoga, blacksmithing, watercolors, or memoir writing, among other pursuits, and socializing over family-style meals.

Etnikas Ayahuasca Retreats, San Salvador, Peru

For those looking to chemically jumpstart their spiritual development, Etnikas offers ayahuasca retreats in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. A combination of nature, Peruvian shamanism, and, of course, the hallucinogenic and purgative ayahuasca plant is sure to make for a memorable stay. With more than 40 years of experience in the traditional healing realm, Etnikas is recognized by Peru's Ministry of Health and works with a team of conventional medical and psychological practitioners to assess participants for possible health risks. A doctor is on hand at ayahuasca ceremonies.

Temenos Retreat Center, McGregor, South Africa

Named for an ancient Greek healing temple, Temenos offers self-guided retreats or dedicated wellness weeks, mindfulness retreats, and silent retreats. Depending on your chosen program, your stay could include yoga, meditation, artistic pursuits, and walks in the center's renowned gardens. Emotional transformation therapies and other therapeutic tools help guests release emotions, old beliefs, and patterns. For sustenance between sessions, the on-site restaurant serves globally inspired dishes based on regional ingredients, and there's even a bakery for light bites and indulgent treats.

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Falls Village, Connecticut

Now part of Adamah, an organization focused on Jewish community and environmental change, this Connecticut retreat center originally provided respite for female sweatshop workers in the late 19th century. Today, urban denizens escape to these 400 forested acres to celebrate Jewish holidays, hike, pray, or attend a Torah Yoga workshop or a meditation retreat. A glass-walled synagogue overlooks mountains and a lake, and kosher meals incorporate produce from the on-site farm.

Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, England

People come to Quarr Abbey for silent retreat and to receive spiritual guidance. This active Benedictine monastery invites guests to participate in community life, which centers on Catholic church services. The abbey is known for its peaceful grounds, farm with pigs, and delicious cakes in the café. Guests occupy 10 single rooms on a by-donation basis. Visitors should prepare for some gender separation; men and women eating in separate areas, for example.

Related: 15 U.S. Wellness Retreats With Incredible Spas, Outdoor Activities, and More