Wellness Tourism: Meditation vacations offer ideal opportunity to unwind

If your ideal vacation involves rest, relaxation and mindfulness instead of a sight-seeing itinerary packed with excursions, a trip that focuses on meditation and rejuvenation could be the getaway for you. For vacationers who lead hectic lives or those who simply seek deep relaxation, hotel and vacation groups around the globe have designed meditation-based travel packages that can help you attune your thoughts and activate your best self while on vacation.

Meditation is the practice of using a technique to focus your thoughts and achieve a calm mental and emotional state. There are two main types: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. In concentrative meditation, an individual focuses on an object or a mantra to increase concentration and reach a higher state of awareness. Mindfulness meditation includes both mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) which can be used to treat certain issues, but they generally involve keeping yourself open and in the present moment. Both meditations have been proven to reduce stress, anxiety and ease sleep disorders and are often doctors’ preferred first treatments for these problems.

With the rise of these problems globally, travel companies around the world have begun to offer wellness and meditation-based vacation packages to great popularity. Some of the most well-known are Holy Isle in Scotland; Simple Peace Retreats in Assisi, Italy; Dru Mountain Lodge in Snowdonia, Wales and The Bali Silent Retreat. These packages all have their own meditation focus, activities and rules. Many are led by meditation instructors and experts who help visitors work with chakras, participate in sound-guided meditation and join in thought exercises.

If you are interested in a more beach-style retreat at an elegant, 5-star resort near some sightseeing, Greece -specifically the Athens Riviera– might be a good destination for you. Its Mediterranean climate usually guarantees good weather and its history as Europe’s oldest capital will allow you to visit sites such as the Parthenon, Ancient Agora and Plaka. A meditation vacation near Athens can include daily lectures and seminars on improving self-awareness, understanding what it takes to participate more fully in life and connecting with inner strengths. It’s a vacation that focuses on personal development in an excellent location; the birthplace of western philosophy.

If you truly want to relax, gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you, a meditation and relaxation-based vacation will allow you to return home focused and with a renewed sense of purpose. If you’re looking to combine your meditation-based trip with the beach and a little sightseeing, a package on the Athens Riviera will give you access to golden sand, gorgeous weather and, at the same time, the chance to marvel at true ancient testaments to human potential. These are trips that improve your life during vacation and, most importantly, beyond.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

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