While the word “retreat” means to withdraw from battle, it can also signal a far more holistic escape for reflection and rejuvenation. British Columbia—a haven of mountains, forest and ocean—is home to many examples of this other important type of retreat. Such places offer the ultimate refuge: experiences can shape new ways of living, aid in the pursuit of good health and inspire one to reflect on his or her own personal wealth—one that has nothing to do with dollars and cents.
Here, five vastly diverse opportunities for calm, seclusion and, ultimately, the chance to breathe:
1. Gulf Islands
Hollyhock, nestled on Cortes Island in hauntingly beautiful Desolation Sound, positions itself as Canada’s leading educational retreat centre.
Despite its isolation, the centre has been going strong for 27 years and is now a charitable foundation dedicated to learning and well-being. Here, you’ll unearth a wealth of activities, including yoga, kayaking, cooking and spa treatments; special weeks are set aside for artists, writers and those seeking refuge from the pressures of daily life.
Hollyhock is also renowned for its ongoing series of speakers who fall under the centre’s theme of social-change programming: each explores and explains alternative lifestyles, teaches a variety of art forms and indulges in spa therapies.
“We find programs that bring together personal and professional skills have such a high value for people,” says Dana Bass Solomon, Hollyhock’s CEO. “The aim is to inspire and nourish people who are trying to make the world a better place.”
Bass Solomon says the ongoing stresses of everyday life are leading more people to take stock in what is important to them.
“Life is a little bit confusing right now, and we are finding the types of gatherings we offer are a strong draw,” she says.
www.hollyhock.ca
2. Kootenay Rockies
Quantum Leaps Lodge, located on 4.5 ha (11 ac) in the Blaeberry River Valley near Golden, offers a wide variety of holistic pursuits for those eager to recharge their batteries—all within a glorious mountain setting.
Retreats vary from the activity based to the reflective: adventurous firewalking ceremonies, plus dance and shamanic drumming workshops are scheduled alongside yoga, meditation and massage. (Outdoorsy types can try river-rafting in the summer and cross-country skiing in winter.) As an added draw, the lodge hosts many guest speakers and specialists who explore spiritual growth.
Annette Boelman, who co-owns the retreat with partner Brian Olynek, says Quantum Leaps aims to provide visitors with the opportunity to explore ancient wisdoms from North America and around the world.
“We’re generalists when it comes to a spiritual path,” she explains. “We believe in using the best from international spiritualism. It all provides an excellent path.”
Boelman says they call their workshops “playshops” to encourage a lighter, more joyful path to enlightenment.
And within such a wide schedule of programs is the theme of exploration for self-knowledge and peace.
“We try to provide a safe sanctuary for inner and outer explorations,” says Boelman. “Some of our guests come for the beauty of the Rockies, some for rejuvenation. We’re very flexible with what people want to create.”
www.quantumleaps.ca
3. Kootenay Rockies
Yasodhara Ashram, a yoga retreat and study centre on nearly 50 woodland ha (120 ac) along the shores of Kootenay Lake, attracts visitors from around the world.
The ashram was founded in 1963 by Swami Sivananda Radha, an early pioneer of yoga in the west, unique particularly because she was a woman. As a westerner, Radha was able to bridge eastern yogic practices to everyday life in North America. The teachings offered at the ashram are both practical and inspiring.
“We are a very vital spiritual community. Families come with little children and our oldest resident is 85,” says Janet Gaston, the ashram’s manager of admissions. “Yoga goes beyond Hatha, beyond the postures. It is an entire system of living we try to follow.”
Gaston said that along with yogic movement typified by Hatha, the retreats Yasodhara offers work with symbolism through dreams, chanting mantras and the invocation of divine light. Newcomers to yoga are just as welcome as longstanding enthusiasts. Visits can be as short as a few days or last three months or longer; the ashram is open year round.
“In terms of wellness, a lot of what we teach creates a balance in our lives... a focus,” she adds. “Typically, visitors speak of finding rest and renewal, and they comment on how happy they are to meet other people with similar questions.”
www.yasodhara.org
4. Kootenay Rockies
Mountain Trek near Nelson is a retreat for the body that is good for the mind. Here, you’ll find a weight-loss and fitness centre that combines the luxury of a spa and the discipline of a boot camp using the alpine trails and flowery landscape of the Kootenays as a backdrop.
General manager Kirkland Shave says Mountain Trek staff aim to provide a challenging outdoor experience to de-stress guests, using the retreat’s FitPath program to change the unhealthy habits of a lifetime. Participants can go for one week or several.
“We’re pretty scientifically focused. Weight loss is our visitors’ primary, conscious objective. The experience is very in-depth, and we give them a tool bag so they can go home and integrate what they’ve learned into a subtle lifestyle change,” Shave says.
He added that in the first three or four days, many participants go through emotional moments as buried feelings surface. He attributes this to the rigours of the boot camp and the detoxification experience, thanks to the combination of organic diet and exercise. Most guests, Shave says, are “traditional” people who generally don’t try alternative therapies like yoga.
“They are coming to us without having explored a lot,” he says. “We make it safe and comfortable for them. By the end of the first week, there is quite a transformation. The lines in their faces have dropped, they sleep more deeply and by the time they go home, they are pretty pumped.”
www.hiking.com
5. Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
The Hills Health Ranch near 108 Mile Ranch is nestled in the heart of the province’s cowboy country—a setting that the destination takes to heart. Surrounded by 8,100 ha (20,000 ac) of ranchland, the fitness spa and resort boasts a wide range of wellness services with the added bonus of time spent in the saddle.
Guests are drawn to the retreat to decompress and to focus on personal well-being through quality fitness, food and fun, says the ranch’s wellness director Regula Wittmer. They stay from a week to 90 days, with longer stays increasing in popularity. Weekend breaks are also in demand.
“It’s not the Hilton; we’re a ranch,” says Wittmer. “Our packages and programs are luxurious and our staff… well, we are always getting compliments on how caring and nurturing they are; they are our strong point."
Face time with these professionals is indeed paramount; Hills Health Ranch offers over 40 fitness classes and weekly workshops, all with a focus on fitness in Mother Nature’s backyard.
Along with its year-round programs, from hiking to skating depending on the season, The Hills Health Ranch is also family oriented, offering an array of children’s summer riding and winter ski camps.
“Parents can do their own thing and their kids are well taken care of,” Wittmer says.
www.spabc.com
For more information on retreats in British Columbia, visit www.HelloBC.com/healthandwellness.com.
www.hellobc.com/en-CA/default.htm