About Us

A Sanctuary for Transformation and Renewal

For over a decade, the Art of Living Retreat Center has been a sanctuary for meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we seek to restore balance, vitality, and peace through timeless practices and modern wellness.

Our Vision

We strive to be a place to relax, revive, and dive deep within. A place to be with nature, and delight in the silence.

Our Mission

The Art of Living Retreat Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is dedicated to rekindling human values like compassion, love, joy, and harmony, to foster a global family united in wisdom, celebration, and service.

Our Founder

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living, is a global spiritual leader promoting a stress-free, violence-free society. His programs have transformed 500 million lives across 180 countries, empowering individuals to address challenges worldwide.

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Blog

Get new recipes based in Ayurveda, learn a new yoga pose, learn what to expect from our retreats, and more on our blog.

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Volunteer

Seva is a core practice at the Art of Living Retreat Center, fostering humility, compassion, and joy through giving. Contribute to a meaningful mission, nurture inner kindness, and experience the fulfillment of making a difference—all while having fun in a supportive community.

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Gift Certificates

Gift someone you know with health, clarity, self-care, and a deeper connection with nature. This gift allows them to choose from a variety of transformative experiences—ranging from on-campus events and Ayurveda treatments to unique treasures from our shop.

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Donate

The power of Ayurveda and meditation to get us—and the world—through difficult times cannot be overstated. Your gift allows us to continue sharing our gifts with those in need of support, guidance, empowerment, and peace.

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Contact Us

For general questions regarding the Art of Living Retreat Center, your stay, or hosting a group event, call 800.392.6870, email info@aolrc.org, or fill out the appropriate form.

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What Our Guests Say

Discover what guests have to say about their time at the Art of Living Retreat Center—from meaningful retreat experiences to the simple joy of a mountain getaway.

jean bellucci
jean bellucci
21:17 21 Oct 26
Such a beautiful place! Wonderful views, friendly staff, and delicious food!
Matthew Schwartz
Matthew Schwartz
20:38 21 Oct 26
Beautiful scenery, great food, and wonderful staff! Highly recommend!
Atieno Bird
Atieno Bird
20:34 21 Oct 26
Incredible location with stellar views, delicious vegetarian food, lovely people, an Ayurvedic spa, right next to Blue Ridge Parkway hikes... I couldn't have had a better place to retreat.
Gary Rogers
Gary Rogers
19:46 21 Oct 26
Exceptionally beautiful location in North Carolina. The room I had was very nice. Got a fabulous massage even though it was pricey. Soaked in the floatation tank -- my first experience doing so -- and it, too, was great. Shuttles were frequent to get about the place.

The only things that could be better: the bed was very narrow and the fitted sheet kept coming off. The vegetarian food served in the dining hall was not to my liking, but I'm not a vegetarian, so biased in that regard. Staff was very helpful.
Margaret Jones
Margaret Jones
17:23 21 Oct 26
I don’t identify as an athletic person and I felt very welcomed and accepted in Katy’s class. The students shared openly about problems we were experiencing in menopause. Katy provided her grounded perspective and movement experience. Throughout the class we came up with ways to incorporate ‘uphill decisions’ into our own ecosystem.

I personally now incorporate the resistance band exercises she showed us into my day whenever I feel tense with life stress. Having a place for that tension to go, really helps bring more calm to my day.

Thank you Katy.
Christy Hughes
Christy Hughes
12:13 21 Oct 26
My weekend at Art of Living was pure magic. The food was delicious and well organized so lines didn’t back up. The shuttle service was helpful (especially when I got lost)! And there was something about the serene energy of the campus that calmed me to my core. I enjoyed it so much that I’m heading back in December!
Chris McDonald
Chris McDonald
18:31 18 Oct 26
Beautiful location, wonderful staff and delicious food. Highly reccomend for a relaxing getaway
Amy Lyons
Amy Lyons
17:01 18 Oct 26
I loved my experience at AOLRC. The welcome was wonderful; I was even asked if I had eaten. I had, and I thought it sweet that I was asked. The one thing I would have changed was the requirement to remove shoes. The room I was in was not carpeted (so easy to clean), and with the severe rain, I constantly had wet socks when getting tea in the foyer from other people's wet shoe drips. The whole experience overall was wonderful, and I am sure I will return! The property is next-level gorgeous!
Maryanne Harbit
Maryanne Harbit
16:02 17 Oct 26
This is a wonderful place to get away from it all and relax. The surroundings are beautiful, the lodging is fantastic, the ease of getting around campus is wonderful, and the classes I attended were spectacular. It rained the entire weekend I was there, but it didn't matter at all. I enjoyed my time immensely.
Maggie Kuhn
Maggie Kuhn
15:13 16 Oct 26
Mu husband and I experienced the Art of Living Retreat Center when we attended a 5-day retreat held there. The location is spectacular, the rooms are large, clean and comfortable, the food was terrific and the grounds so beautiful. We also each enjoyed a massage in the spa and the therapist was excellent. AOLRC is a fantastic place for retreat.
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Art of Living Retreat Center
Based on 687 reviews
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Venture41186953435
Venture41186953435
03:28 29 Sep 26
The retreat was uplifting and potentially life changing. The instructors were very knowledgeable, encouraging and inspiring. There was a variety of additional activities to take part in during our breaks and they were interesting and very well done. The location is outstanding - very mountainous, woodsy and beautiful. I stayed in a simple retreat room and it was clean and comfortable. The food was outstanding - very nourishing and flavorful - we were wishing they had a cookbook so we could prepare the meals at home.
Go50218816861
Go50218816861
02:13 29 Sep 26
Amazingly beautiful, peaceful, welcoming!
cynthiaeP7825BF
cynthiaeP7825BF
16:13 14 Sep 26
It was a great location and enjoyed the calming environment. I was looking for a way to stop and breath because I was drowning in life.
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News & Press

Find the latest stories, features, and media highlights showcasing our mission to inspire wellness, transformation, and connection. From our award-winning Shankara Ayurveda Wellness Spa to our renowned retreats and programs, explore how we’re making an impact in the world of holistic living.

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miles of beautiful hiking trails

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