Silent Retreat
Discover new countries? Fine. But discovering yourself is more interesting. How about a silent retreat at one of these monasteries or centers?
san francisco:SPIRITUAL SILENCE
Days spent only in silence, sitting, walking, breathing: Such retreats, mostly in the Buddhist Vipassana tradition, are available at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Beautifully situated north of San Francisco, it was founded by the famous U.S. meditation teacher Jack Kornfield.
würzburg: sit with the master
Willigis Jäger, Germany’s best-known Zen master, has converted a former monastery near Würzburg, into a meditation center, the Benediktushof. It offers Zen exercises alongside other practises, such as contemplation in the Christian tradition.
chiang mai: capital of silence
If you’re really serious about it, make the pilgrimage to Chiang Mai. The three-week beginners’ meditation course at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple is led by Buddhist monks. Thailand’s retreat hotspot also offers plenty of much shorter courses.
