REST & RELAXATION
RETREATS

Art of Living R&R retreats combine yoga, meditation, nutrition, and exercise to help you reconnect with your true self.

A Rest & Relaxation Retreat at the Art of Living Retreat Center is a customizable combination of meditation, yoga, outdoor activities, and so much more. Whether you come on a solo retreat or with a partner, you’ll discover our peaceful campus, nourishing food, Ayurveda treatments and therapies, and opportunities to reconnect with your true self—or do nothing at all.

Weekend getaways begin at just $581 per person; weekday getaways at $539—2-night minimum. 

Activities

Our R&R Retreats include access to a variety of life-enhancing workshops and activities that reduce stress, increase mental focus, revive your senses, and strengthen your overall well-being. Select the options that most resonate with you, or do them all and find out why our retreats are rated among the very best in the nation.

SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE

This schedule is subject to change based on the seasons, weather, guest participation, and availability.
Click on an activity for more information.

Not Just R&R: Enhance Your Experience

In addition to our daily R&R schedule, we have miles of hiking trails, a labyrinth, a Fitness Room, a Steam Room, and add-on activities such as Ayurvedic healing arts treatments and time in our Clay Studio.

Accommodations

Serenity and relaxation await you in our warm and inviting guest rooms. Choose a private or shared space and personalize your stay with a room type that meets your needs. All of our comfortable rooms are equipped with en-suite bathrooms. Options are below.

Hotel Rooms

Starting at
$250 + tax per night for single occupancy
$221 + tax per night/per person for double occupancy

Many of our premium rooms offer incredible vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along with expected hotel room amenities.

  • Full, Queen, or King Beds
  • Private Bathrooms
  • Fridge, Television, and Writing Desk
  • Free Wi-Fi

Retreat Rooms

Starting at
$223 + tax per night for single occupancy
$200 + tax per night/per person for double occupancy

Our standard rooms are an option for those looking for simplicity and more affordable accommodation.

  • Twin beds
  • Private bathrooms
  • Forest views
  • Free Wi-Fi

Premium Apartments

Premium 1-Bedroom Apartment
Fully Furnished 665 sq. ft. apartment (Max: 2 persons) | 1 Queen Bed
Starting at
$475 + tax per night for single occupancy
$337.50 + tax per night/per person for double occupancy
 
Premium 1-Bedroom Apartment with Loft
Fully Furnished 995 sq. ft. apartment (Max: 4 persons)
1 Queen bed and 2 twin beds or 1 Full Bed
Starting at
$545 + tax per night for single occupancy
$372.50 + tax per night/per person for double occupancy
 
Note furniture may vary; each apartment is different.
 
Apartments include
  • Kitchenette
  • Balcony
  • Washer & Dryer
  • Hair Dryer
  • Iron & Ironing Board
  • A desk, chairs, and nightstand
  • Flat-screen TV with Cable
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Refrigerator, stove range, & microwave

Food for Mind, Body, and Soul

Freshly prepared and served in our bright and spacious main dining hall—which boasts breathtaking views of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains—your R&R retreat includes three delicious and healthy vegetarian meals daily.

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.

Learn more about dining at the Center and our commitment to serving nourishing food which creates balance and harmony for the mind, body, spirit, and planet here.

Shankara Ayurveda Wellness

Shankara Ayurveda Wellness is a premier destination for holistic wellness and rated one of the best by many national publications, including Organic Spa, SpaFinder, and more. More than just a spa, this is Ayurvedic healing at its very best. Choose from the widest selection of award-winning Ayurvedic treatments in the US for whole-body nourishment and renewal. Whether you’re an Ayurveda aficionado or brand new to the practice and your soul is calling for detoxification, relaxation, rejuvenation or all of the above, the support and care you receive at Shankara Ayurvea Wellness is unparalleled.

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Ayurveda Wellness Escape

Upgrade your R&R experience to a Wellness Escape—all the amenities of our R&R retreats, plus a soothing Ayurvedic treatment. Packages are available for solo travelers, couples, girls weekends, mothers and daughters, and more!

Weekend of Creativity Wellness Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING

  • Plan your special day over a delicious whole-foods breakfast.
  • Walk our beautiful labyrinth or hike one of our scenic nature trails and reconnect with your inner self.
  • Express your creativity and have some fun playing with and shaping clay in your pottery class.

AFTERNOON

  • Mingle with like-minded visitors over lunch in the Dining Hall.
  • Cook up something new together in our Ayurveda cooking class or get clever on the canvas in a painting class.
  • Unwind with a relaxing spa treatment. Choose from a warm oil massage, energizing facial, or rejuvenating Netra Tarpana treatment and let our professional therapists pamper you. (Additional spa treatments available here.)
  • Recharge in the steam room.

EVENING

  • Browse our shop for crystals, jewelry, scarves, and more.
  • Nourish your body with a healthy dinner.
  • Take in the spectacular sunset or join the fireside concert.

Discover Ayurveda Solo Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING

  • Energize your mind, body, and spirit with morning yoga or meditation class.
  • Savor a delicious and nutritious breakfast.
  • Self-reflect as you leisurely walk our beautiful labyrinth.
  • Rest, replenish and rejuvenate with Abhyanga therapy—a detoxifying warm oil Ayurveda massage that incorporates warm, aromatic oils, rhythmically massaged into your body, cleansing, relaxing, and re-energizing the body and mind.

AFTERNOON

  • Grab some delicious chai and relax in our cafe or take in the majestic views on our deck.
  • Plan your afternoon over a nourishing lunch.
  • Connect with nature while hiking or walking one of our many breathtaking mountain trails.
  • Return to the spa for a Basti session to rejuvenate your joints! Stiff joints are bathed in warm medicated oil and massaged to deepen the therapeutic effects that increase lubrication and promote smooth flexibility and mobility.

EVENING

  • Get creative and have fun in our painting studio or kitchen.
  • Refuel your body with a tasty and healthy dinner.

Rejuvenating Bliss Solo Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING

  • Gaze at the sunrise while filling your lungs with fresh mountain air and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.
  • Sow a new level of calm and balance into your life with a Yoga or meditation class.
  • Enjoy a delicious whole-foods breakfast.
  • Cleanse your soul with a leisurely walk on one of our beautiful nature trails.

AFTERNOON

  • Nourish your body with a healthy and nutritious lunch.
  • Make a new memory with a cooking, painting, or pottery* class (*additional cost).
  • Choose from the widest selection of Ayurvedic therapies in the US for whole-body nourishment and renewal and let our professional therapists do all the work while you relax and rejuvenate.
  • Unwind in the steam room.

EVENING

  • Stop by our bookstore and explore our collection of new and classic self-care and spiritual resources.
  • Grab a fresh, calming herbal tea and curl up with a good book in your cozy room.

Mother-Daughter Wellness Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING

  • Plan your special day over a delicious whole-foods breakfast.
  • Retreat into relaxation with a mother-daughter spa treatment. Choose from a warm oil massage, energizing facial, or rejuvenating Netra Tarpana treatment and let our professional therapists pamper you. (Additional spa treatments available here.)
  • Recharge in the steam room.

AFTERNOON

  • Enjoy a decadent Mexican hot chocolate and reminisce in our cozy cafe.
  • Browse our shop for crystals, jewelry, scarves, and more.
  • Mingle with like-minded visitors over lunch in the Dining Hall.
  • Explore our captivating campus or head out on one of our guided mountain trail hikes.
  • Cook up something new together in our Ayurveda cooking class.
  • Self-reflect as you leisurely walk our beautiful labyrinth.

EVENING

  • Feed your body with a healthy dinner.
  • Take in the spectacular sunset or join the fireside concert.

Girlfriends Wellness Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING
  • Energize your mind, body, and spirit together with morning yoga or meditation class.
  • Catch up over a delicious and nutritious breakfast.
  • Connect with nature and reminisce while hiking one of our many mountain trails.
AFTERNOON
  • Plan your afternoon over a nourishing lunch.
  • De-stress with a girlfriends spa treatment, like our relaxing signature massage, hydrating facial, or energizing Marma session, and let our therapists work their magic. (Additional spa treatments available here.)
  • Get creative and have fun in our painting studio or Ayurveda food kitchen.
  • Grab some delicious chai and relax in our cafe or take in the majestic views on our deck.
EVENING
  • Plenty of time for bonding during a dinner.
  • Visit our shop and grab some souvenirs, rejuvenating herbal supplements, and restorative health products from Shankara’s all-natural beauty line.
  • Dance and sing at Kirtan.

Couples Wellness Escape

(Sample Schedule)

MORNING

  • Gaze at the sunrise while filling your lungs with fresh mountain air and reminisce on the moments that connected you.
  • Bring a new level of calm and balance to your relationship with a Yoga or Meditation class.
  • Enjoy a delicious whole-foods breakfast together.
  • Walk or hike one of our beautiful nature trails and reconnect with each other, nature, and oneself.

AFTERNOON

  • Share a healthy and nutritious lunch.
  • Make a new memory by taking a workshop or educational class, or create a new experience together with a pottery*, watercolor painting, or cooking class (*additional cost).
  • Reduce tension and stress with a couple’s or individual Ayurveda spa treatment. Choose from the widest selection of Ayurvedic therapies in the US for whole-body nourishment and renewal.
  • Unwind in the steam room together.

EVENING

  • Stop by our bookstore and explore our collection of self-care and spiritual resources or spend time reading in the cafe.