From mindful walking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the world. The chef cooked up filling, comforting veggie food and gorgeous chai and hot chocolate. Laura King. Staying at a shukubo Buddhist temple guesthouse in Koyasan, Japan, was calming yet insightful. Here we observed monastic life in beautiful, tranquil surroundings. We were served shojin ryori , traditional Japanese Buddhist meals that were vegetarian β dishes that were not only tasty but eye-catching, too.
We meditated, learned origami and participated in a Goma fire ceremony. This early morning ritual is believed to have a powerful cleansing effect spiritually and psychologically. The ceremony was very emotive.
We slept in a traditional Japanese room, simple but very comfortable. Overall, a great retreat in which to switch off and experience spiritual enlightenment as well as a new culture.
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The Sharpham Trust , sitting above the beautiful River Dart in south Devon, is a mindfulness charity which holds retreats to promote the belief that we could all be showing more compassion towards each other, the planet and ourselves. Sharpham was a much-needed MOT on my zest for life after years of burnout. Saying no to people had felt impossible, and it had worn me down to exhaustion. Sharpham marked a dramatic shift to finding an inner peace that had hitherto eluded me.
