10 Transformative Yoga Retreats in the US

Located in picturesque Buckingham, Virginia, not far from the city of Charlottesville, the Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville is open to the public 365 days a year and offers guest stays, programs and teacher trainings. Founded in 1980, the community is dedicated to the practice and philosophy of Integral Yoga which synthesizes the various branches of yoga into a comprehensive life style system. The ashram also operates an organic farm and offers visitors vegetarian dining with vegan and gluten-free options.

A popular, off-the-grid getaway since 1997, Sewall House in Island Falls, Maine offers several yoga disciplines along with massage and sauna sessions. The idyllic setting is also ideal for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, hiking or just meditating on the porch. Special workshops on writing, cooking, folk herbalism and other practices are also offered periodically on their calendar.

Break away from your day-to-day routine and find your inner Zen at this rustic retreat in the heart of the Rocky Mountains not far from Helena, Montana. Founded in 1975, Feathered Pipe Ranch offers specialized workshops, body work and massage, healing arts plus hiking on scenic trails and water activities on their spring-fed lake.

Established in 1998, Sedona Mago Retreat Center in Arizona promotes the spirit of Tao as universal principles of harmonious living and a peaceful world through such programs as Tao meditation training, Integrative Ki Energy Healing and other disciplines. The stunning desert location, which is 4,500 feet above sea level, includes healing vortexes, an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, meditation areas and other amenities. Accommodations include private or shared casitas with three meals a day based on your dietary needs, whether you are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free or dairy-free.

A legendary destination perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean along the coast of Big Sur, California, The Esalen Institute is both a holistic retreat, spiritual community and education center that played a key role in the Human Potential Movement of the early Sixties. The location is justly famous for its hot springs, healing arts and wide array of workshops (more than 200 available). You can even opt to take an experiential program in dance, singing, Qi gong, meditation and other disciplines that promote spiritual and intellectual growth.

For those who want to take a quiet break from the stress of modern life, Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat, located in the Oregon Cascades, is an ideal option. You can choose a day visit or a personal retreat that includes lodging in a 1930s-era rustic cabin that has been refurbished with geo-thermal heat for year-round use. Among the many popular amenities are the hot spring pools, steam sauna, organic vegan cuisine, forest trails and, of course, the daily workshops in yoga, meditation, EDGU (Evolutionary Spinal Maintenance) and other holistic practices.

Located in beautiful Laguna Beach, California, The Pearl Laguna is a luxurious wellness retreat that specializes in physical and spiritual rejuvenation through yoga, hiking, meditation and a cleansing diet of organic vegetables, fruits and non-gluten grains. Visitors can opt for a single week or multi-week program at this intimate twelve-bedroom ashram, which also offers therapeutic massage, a heart-shaped pool (pictured) and other restorative practices.

If you are seeking a retreat that combines yoga and meditation with an accent on spa and bodywork options, The Standard Spa in Miami Beach is a top choice with its private waterfront setting. Billed as "part recovery center, part hydrotherapy playground, part new-age ashram," this luxury facility offers a Finnish sauna, arctic plunge, mud lounge, a Turkish-style humam, Roman waterfall hot tub and other water treatments to connect the body, mind and spirit.

Situated in New York’s lovely Hudson Valley region in the town of Rheinbeck, The Omega Institute was originally conceived as a university of lifelong learning and a gathering place for spiritual teachers and social visionaries. It has since evolved into a world famous holistic center that focuses on yoga service, rest and rejuvenation retreats and wellness treatments that include Asian body work therapy, massage and facials.