7 Memorable Personal Growth Retreats

Everyone needs to take a break from the relentless stress of their everyday lives. Sometimes, it’s important to step away and take some time to grow.

I’m not talking about your typical family vacation. Taking your kids to the beach for a week may feel like more work than your day job!

What I’m referring to here are personal growth retreats—otherwise known as self-help, self-improvement, or personal development retreats. They are designed for you and you alone, so you can spend time on your health, mindset, and becoming the best you that you can be.

There’s a vast number of self-growth retreats, and it can be hard to choose the right kind for you.

Maybe you’re looking for a luxurious spa getaway. Maybe you’re searching for fulfillment through mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Maybe you’re looking for a spiritual journey created with the help of psychedelic drugs.

Whatever it is you’re searching for, you can find a self-help retreat that is catered to your needs. Here are seven unforgettable options that could help propel you into a happier and healthier stage of your life.

#1 – Enjoy the Simple Life at this Minimalist Self-Improvement Getaway

Do you often find yourself searching through your junk drawer for something you need, but find it cluttered with a bunch of other useless crap? Do you find yourself dreaming of a life less dependent on your worldly possessions?

If so, maybe a minimalist lifestyle is a good choice for you. Minimalists embrace the simple things in life, and they believe that holding on to too many possessions doesn’t just clutter up your house—it clutters up your mind! When you eliminate all of that excess stuff, you will feel a sense of relief and clarity.

To get a taste of this lifestyle, you can visit the Minimalist Getaway self-growth retreat at the Honor’s Haven Retreat and Conference Center in New York. When you leave to embark on your minimalist journey, you’ll only be allowed to bring thirty items with you, so choose wisely!

The Minimalist Getaway is a short, three-day long retreat held every weekend, so it easily fits in your schedule.

The accommodations at the Haven Retreat and Conference Center are sublime. You get free Wi-Fi, a TV, and a mini fridge in your room. There are tons of activities available, from classes on zero-waste mindfulness, to tennis, to spa treatments!

There are many serene hiking trails through the surrounding forests, and you get access to the indoor pool and Jacuzzi.

#2 – Discover Your Deepest Truth at The Shift Retreat

For an experience that will totally change your perspective of yourself, your relationships, and your life moving forward, you might want to check in for a stay at the Shift retreat located in the Netherlands, just three hours outside of Amsterdam.

The Shift is a groundbreaking retreat that legally uses psilocybin, the active psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms and truffles, to heal your unresolved trauma.

Now, you may be thinking, “Woah, I tried shrooms once back in my early twenties and all I did was stare at a leaf for four hours after crying and vomiting!” Well, that’s because in order to heal your innermost trauma, the psilocybin must be taken in a controlled setting with trained professionals.

At the Shift, you will be guided by Trauma Integration Practitioners, who are specifically trained to administer psilocybin. Groups of eight to ten participants are facilitated by at least two therapists and one helper to make sure that the process is manageable and promotes healing.

Six weeks before the personal healing retreat begins, participants take an online course to make sure they’re emotionally ready for the process. This helps to foster a trusting, intimate relationship between the participants.

That means not only do you get to take psychedelic truffles, but you’ll also make a bunch of new friends on a similar healing journey!

#3 – Sit Back, Relax, and Breathe at the Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat

Bodhi Khaya is located on the stunning and serene southern coast of South Africa in one of the most biodiverse parts of the world!

While you stay in your comfortable accommodations, you can step outside to explore the surrounding forests, ponds, and meadows filled with Milkwood trees, baboons, and the cape otter, among thousands of other species.

At Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat, you can choose to take a solo retreat or, if you prefer more guidance and structure, you can opt for a group retreat, such as the Earth School: Natural Grounded Presence Retreat.

The solo retreats are a great choice if you prefer to go with the flow and live in the moment.

One option is a catered personal growth retreat, which comes with a schedule of pre-planned activities, three delicious and nourishing vegetarian meals per day, and even a tree for you to plant at the tree planting ceremony.

Bodhi Khaya’s catered personal retreats offer a wide range of accommodations. You can choose to stay in a deluxe courtyard room with a fireplace, or a tent tucked under the Witkransberg Mountains.

If you’re feeling especially free spirited, you can book a retreat in one of the self-catering cottages, where you have complete control over your schedule. On Friday, maybe you’ll join in on the early morning group meditation. On Saturday, maybe you’ll decide to sleep in.

#4 – Cleanse Your Body and Your Mind with the Total Body Detox Yoga Retreat

So many of the health issues in our lives are impacted by the foods we eat. If you’re looking for a fresh start, you’ll be interested in the 15 Day Total Body Detox Retreat at the Zen Den Yoga School in beachside Boca Raton, Florida.

While you take a much-needed break from the stressors of your everyday life, you will also cleanse your body and your soul through a combination of detox, meditation, and yoga. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed to your accommodations with a refreshment and a detailed schedule of your stay.

Each meal you receive is specifically designed by a team of certified health coaches to help your body detox and heal. You may notice that you’re feeling less stressed and more energized on day one after your first breakfast: a detox beverage designed to kill parasites living rent-free in your gut.

Between liquid meals, you’re welcome to join in on the activities offered each day. There are many kinds of yoga classes, such as Vinyasa, Yin, and Chakra Flow. Daily meditations are led by experts to keep you grounded during your stay.

They even offer Tai Chi classes, acupuncture sessions, and all-inclusive accommodations!

If you need a little rest while you adjust to the detox diet, you can always opt out of the scheduled activity and instead stroll through the zen library, take a soak in the hot tub, or go for a swim in the pool.

#5 – Get Back on Your Feet in the Lap of Luxury

This luxurious retreat will surely rejuvenate your body and soul. If you’re looking for ultimate relaxation and want to be treated like royalty, you need to head out to this tranquil mountainside retreat with 5-star accommodations. It’s located in Park City, Utah, away from busy streets and in the heart of nature.

This truly is the place to completely unwind and let yourself relax and heal. This four-night personal development retreat is the definition of a perfect escape.

Every day, you have access to calming meditation classes, energizing yoga sessions, and an endless supply of coffee, tea, and water!

On the first day of your stay, maybe you’ll want to book your private yoga class. On Saturday, you can de-stress in the float center. High levels of magnesium in the water of your private float tank will make you feel weightless! It reduces sensory stimulation and joint pain, and helps manage your high-stress levels.

On Sunday, you can go to the spa to enjoy your all-inclusive package of facials, massages, and access to a private couple’s lounge. When you aren’t taking advantage of all the activities offered to you, you can always take a stroll at the foot of the surrounding mountains, go for a swim in the outstanding indoor/outdoor pool, or work out in the gym.

#6 – Experience In-Depth Healing at the Riosbo Ayahuasca Retreat and Research Center

Ayahuasca, a brew of psychoactive plants containing DMT, is traditionally used by hundreds of indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest for deep healing practices.

As scientific research and global awareness of the traditional brew and its spiritual rituals spreads, more and more people are able to take part in this incredibly spiritual and internal healing.

For a westerner to get involved, the best way to experience ayahuasca is by traveling to the Amazon to attend a retreat led by indigenous healers called ayahuasqueros.

The Riosbo Ayahuasca Retreat and Research Center provides a few different self-help retreat options that help you discover your true self and gain consciousness.

The shortest retreat is eight days long, with four ayahuasca ceremonies. For advanced ayahuasca users, or those who want a longer, more immersive experience, you’ll want to sign up for the four-week Ayahuasca Healing Empowerment course.

On each personal development retreat, you can attend consciousness-building activities like guided meditations, Iyengar yoga, and life coaching sessions. You’ll stay at the gorgeous and remote retreat center in comfortable rooms with electricity, private bathrooms, and a shared patio with stunning views of the river.

If you’re just looking for a relaxing vacation, this retreat isn’t for you. Exploring your deepest insecurities and weaknesses takes a lot of hard work, so don’t travel all the way to the middle of the Amazon just to have a wacky trip on DMT.

Ayahuasca rituals are demanding and draining, but if you are dedicated to healing, you will leave the retreat feeling like a whole new person.

#7 – Find Peace in Silence at this Intensive Meditation Retreat

Silent retreats are currently trending, and for good reason. Sometimes when we’re looking to heal and reconnect with our inner selves, we need a little less relaxation and a little more structure and discipline.

When you sign up for the Eight Day Intensive Meditation Course at the Muni Center in Tulum, Mexico, you’re committing to silent meditation for at least six hours a day for the duration of your stay.

You’ll be completely disconnected from social media so that you aren’t distracted by external stressors, and you can deeply connect with yourself. This is a solo retreat, so everything is structured around you and your needs.

Every day, you’ll wake up in your cozy king-size bed at dawn for the first meditation of the day. Then, you’ll be served a hot cup of tea, followed by another hour of meditation. You’ll eat a nutritious vegan or vegetarian breakfast before heading to your optional yoga theory or asana class.

In the afternoon you’ll eat lunch, enjoy some free time, and meditate some more, of course! After dinner, you can get some much-needed rest in your room or the rooftop garden, or you could take a leisurely stroll through the retreat’s serene sculpture park.

Your Memories Will Last a Lifetime

Embarking on a personal growth or self-help retreat can be daunting, especially for beginners. It’s a big step to accept that your life could use some improvement, or you aren’t the person that you want to be yet.

Be kind to yourself! It takes courage to consider a big leap towards self-fulfillment and personal growth.

Making huge changes in your life is extremely hard, but personal development is important. It helps you feel connected to your true self, pursue your greatest passions, and strive to make the world a better place.

Personal growth retreats are a great way to get started on this journey. With the help of trained professionals, safely facilitated self-searching, and a lot of hard work, self-improvement retreats are one of the best ways to start learning how to be your own life coach.