Escape the mundane, surrender to nature, and unwind atop North Carolina’s stunning and serene Blue Ridge Mountains. The relaxing and peaceful sanctuary that is our award-winning Shankara Ayurveda Wellness awaits you with natural and holistic experiences that deliver you to pure bliss. Whether you want to de-stress alone, or reconnect and rejuvenate with a family member, friend, or group, our wellness getaways are designed to soothe the body, mind, and spirit so that every guest emerges vitalized and refreshed.
“2024 Travel Awards: Best Detox Program”
2016 Winner: Best Hidden Gem, Best for Yoga, Best for Mind, Body, Spirit
“A 380-acre sanctuary… a balancing act of rest and activities”
“2023 Reader’s Choice Awards: Best Wellness Retreat”
As a guest of our nationally-acclaimed Shankara Ayurveda Wellness, the personalized care and attention you receive is unparalleled.
Your body will be nourished daily with whole-foods meals, your mind calmed by the profound serenity and wisdom of nature, your spirit renewed with uplifting guided meditation and yoga classes, and your whole being refreshed and revitalized with nurturing Ayurveda treatments and amenities.
Whether you’re coming from near or far, a visit with us will transport you to a world away.
Our all-inclusive Wellness Retreats include
- 2-night stay in a welcoming and peaceful Retreat Room/Hotel Room
- 1 60-minute revitalizing Ayurvedic massage or treatment per person, unless otherwise noted*
- Additional R&R workshops such as Ayurvedic cooking to awaken creativity and stimulate the senses
- Access to campus activities like our labyrinth, nature trails, bonfires, daily kirtan, and more
- Daily delicious and healthy meals that promote whole-body health and balance
- Guided meditation and yoga classes to connect you with your innermost spirit
- Amenities such as our fitness room, steam room, etc.
- Free Wi-Fi
Please note, Ayurveda Wellness Escapes are open to participants 18 years of age and older. Additional classes, treatment enhancements, and services are available for extra costs. View the treatments and consultations menu here.
*PLEASE NOTE Booking your wellness escape online doesn’t confirm treatment availability during your stay. After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments. This is important, if you miss this step, you may be booking a package stay without treatment availability.
If you make a Wellness Escape reservation and arrive to the Center without booking your treatments ahead of time, your reservation will be changed from a Wellness Escape to our R&R Program. We look forward to your call.
Shankara Ayurveda Wellness Hours
Wednesday 11:00 am–8:00 pm
Thursday–Saturday 9:00 am–6:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am–2:00 pm
Couples Wellness Escape
Research shows that vacationing as a couple boosts happiness, increases relationship satisfaction, deepens the bond, reduces heart disease in men, and improves mental health for women. Aren’t these enough reasons to escape together?!
Whether you are rekindling a spark or deepening your connection, our all-inclusive package has something for both of you. Through our fresh mountain air, beautiful landscape, nourishing food, Ayurvedic treatments that reset, and classes that promote well-being, this Couples Wellness Escape strengthens your bond while reinvigorating your body, mind, and soul.
based on double occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Girlfriends Wellness Escape
Gather your best girls and break away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy some catching up and well-being.
Studies have shown that time with friends not only improves mood but also produces stress-reducing hormones. Ayurvedic therapies, yoga, meditation, nature trails, and workshops give everyone a chance to celebrate time together. Whether you want to slow down and tune in or move and groove, there’s something for everyone to enjoy—the way they need it. Nourish your friendships and your whole being!
based on double occupancy.
(For groups of five or more, please call us to book.)
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Mother–Daughter Wellness Escape
Create new memories and reflect on the past while nurturing your connection with yourself and each other. Harvard Medical School says that mother-daughter trips help relieve stress, improve immune responses, decrease the chances of heart disease, and even help you live longer. This package is designed to bring balance and harmony to you individually and your relationship as a whole. Stimulate your senses and spark creativity with fun and inspiring workshops, Ayurvedic treatments, and our beautiful natural setting. Quiet your mind and nourish yourself through meditation, yoga, and nutritious food. Or, do it all!
based on double occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Discover Ayurveda Solo Escape
Enjoy deep rest and rejuvenation with three 60-minute Ayurveda treatments that support relaxation, clearing, and restoration on the physical, mental, and emotional levels. This purifying experience immerses you in an ancient time-tested Ayurveda cleansing process known for bringing your personal health back into balance and rhythm with nature. Paired with a designated Ayurveda expert who will offer key insights on your body and mind in a personalized lifestyle consultation, your retreat is specially formulated to address your specific wellness needs—emerge feeling lighter, energized, and more healthy overall!
based on single occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Men's Wellness Escape
Ready for a complete mind-body rest, relaxation, and reset? Whether you come alone or bring your buddies to make it a guys’ weekend, an Ayurveda Wellness Escape is perfect for those seeking to get away, experience nature, and disconnect from the mental chatter and busyness of daily life.
Enjoy the serenity of our 380-acre campus, hike in the pristine forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains, unwind with yoga and meditation, and experience the healing power of Ayurveda with a treatment in our award-winning Shankara Ayurveda Wellness. You’ll leave completely refreshed, with tools to manage stress, improve sleep, and increase energy. It’s nature and nurture for whole-being wellness.
based on single occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Rejuvenating Bliss Solo Escape
Press pause on life’s demands and slip away to tranquil mountain views, pampering Ayurveda treatments, and amenities that promote relaxation, rejuvenation, and renewal from the inside-out. Worries will lift as you set foot onto our campus, tensions will fade as you unwind in the steam room, and stress will simply melt away as you are pampered and soothed with body treatments and experiences derived from ancient science and healing practices. From arrival to departure, your body, mind, and spirit will be nurtured back to a deep sense of peace and well-being that carries you throughout your days.
based on single occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Weekend of Creativity Escape
Let the breathtaking beauty of our campus inspire you artistically! Creative activities are scientifically proven to produce feel-good hormones in the body—improving memory and emotional well-being, reducing physical pain, and relieving depression and anxiety symptoms. While decompressing and replenishing away from your day-to-day, experience our therapeutic pottery and clay building experience, or find your inner Bobby Flay in an Ayurvedic cooking class. Satisfy your need for “me time” in all the best ways! No experience is required.
based on single occupancy.
Prices include a service charge of 18% for staff; taxes not included.
After booking your Wellness Escape online, please call 828.264.8382 during spa hours to confirm availability for your treatments.; see the important note above.
Shankara Ayurveda Wellness
Shankara Ayurveda Wellness is rated one of the best by many nationwide publications, including InStyle, USA Today, The Washington Post, Organic Spa, SpaFinder. We combine ancient Ayurveda with contemporary wellness to bring you the care you deserve.
As a getaway guest, our experts will show you Ayurveda’s proven power to bring the mind, body, and soul into an open, blissful, and restored state. Our amenities—including our fitness room, steam room, and lounge—are designed to relax, refresh, recharge, and enhance your overall well-being.
Whether you’re a seasoned Ayurveda therapy practitioner or just curious about alternative therapies and approaches to well-being, if your soul is calling for detoxification, relaxation, rejuvenation—or all of the above—the indulgence and care you will experience at Shankara Ayurveda Wellness will be something you talk about for years to come.
Food for Mind, Body, and Soul
Drawing on influences from the local harvest in Boone to Bombay and even the Caribbean, our chefs aim to please the palate with vegetarian nourishment made from fresh, seasonal ingredients designed to energize and nourish all body types. We offer many meat-free and vegan options, however, some portions of our meals do contain dairy. We cater to any gluten, dairy, soy, and nut-related allergies and list allergens and ingredients on our menus.
Find out more about our food philosophy and dining at the Center here.
We grow a variety of our very own fresh and delicious fruits, vegetables, and flowers on-site. Our garden is as much a place for the nourishment of the soul as it is a place of nourishment for the body. Many staff, volunteers, and journeyers regularly walk the paths.
Amenities & Activities
Your getaway includes many soul-feeding amenities, workshops, and activities. Visit the R&R Retreats page to view the most up-to-date schedule.
Yoga
Sri Sri Yoga is a holistic and energizing practice, integrating mind, body, and spirit. The techniques of Hatha yoga are taught in a light and joyful, but thorough manner – useful and suitable for everyone from beginner to advanced practitioners.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Rejuvenate from within! Meditation offers deep rest for mind and body. We also teach complementary breathing exercises to still the mind. Here, you can participate in guided meditation, accompanied by time questions and discussion.
Majestic sights and clean mountain air await! Expand or restart your fitness routine with personally guided classes and nature walks with an onsite fitness expert. With more than 380 acres of pristine mountaintop, vast open skies, and magnificent panoramic views, you’ll find a myriad of reasons to get outdoors and connect with nature.
Dawn–Sunset
Other Options
Guided Labyrinth Walks
Healing Arts Presentations
Evening Bonfire
Kirtan
Fitness Room
Steam Rooms
Mindful Painting
Watercolor is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution. Each class begins with a tutorial on the techniques of watercolor painting. Your instructor will help you to connect your emotions to the art of watercolor painting as a tool for art therapy. Students are encouraged to take their beautiful masterpiece(s) home as memorabilia of this course and their stay here at the Art of Living Retreat Center.
ncluded with R&R Retreat and Spa Getaway packages; additional fee for all other guests.
Hours
Sunday Only; 1 hour class $25
Introduction to Ayurveda’s Lifestyle of Health
One of the oldest systems of healing in the world, Ayurveda teaches practical tips to balance mind and body throughout the changing seasons of life.
Ayurveda Cooking Classes
Explore Ayurveda cooking—Ayurveda is the oldest natural health care system on the planet—with our talented Ayurveda cooking experts. These fun and interactive classes are themed with the seasons, keeping us in touch with the rhythm of nature for optimal health and well-being. Save some room, as we will sample what we’re cooking.
Included with R&R Retreat and Spa Getaway packages; additional fee for all other guests.
Pottery Studio
In the Clay Studio, you are free to learn and create. Gain experience in hand-building, where you learn how to slab build and decorate pots.
Saturday
10:00 am–7:00 pm
Clay Hand-building $55 (1 hour)
*Class schedules are subject to change; glazing and shipping included.
Book Your Getaway
*IMPORTANT Booking your wellness escape online doesn’t confirm treatment availability during your stay. After booking your Wellness Escape online, please contact us immediately at 828.264.8382 to confirm availability for your package treatments. This is important, if you miss this step, you may be booking a package stay without treatment availability. We look forward to your call.
