Living with a disability is not always easy. But that does not mean you cannot live a fulfilled and enjoyable life. One of the best ways to overcome challenges is by cultivating a meditation practice.
What is meditation?
Most people think of meditation as sitting barefoot, legs crossed and chanting ‘ohm’ for hours. Well, this is far from what meditation actually is.
Meditation is about paying attention and notice to your emotions without taking action. It’s about refocusing away from the self-indulgent patterns in your mind and taking back control of your thoughts.
Contrary to a common misconception, meditation is not about beliefs. No one will be asking you to leave some coins at the foot of some unknown deity. It’s about strengthening your concentration and focus.
The good thing about meditation is, you don’t have to take a journey to Tibet or India to visit the Buddhist or Hindu temples or join a monastery far away from the madding crowds for a life-changing meditation session. There are places in right here in the US that can offer you an incredible meditation retreat and help you decompress, reenergize and reconnect with yourself.
With these in mind, we have prepared a list of some amazing meditation retreat centers you can visit in the US.
Meditation retreat centers for persons living with a disability
1. Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.
Nestled on the high rocky peaks of a 600-acre valley, Shambhala Mountain Center offers a safe and serene environment for meditation. The center teaches paths of deepened awareness, transformation, and personal health.
At Shambhala, you can choose to have a personal retreat package or register for any of the 100 different programs offered. The programs are taught by accomplished practitioners and combine the natural beauty, blue skies, unspoiled wilderness and comfort in this modern campus retreat. Offering a warm, hospitable and inspiring place to learn and understand the nature of deep awareness and transformation, you will be feeling zen in no time.
The center is easily accessible to people living with disabilities. There is a handicap parking space for wheelchair users and the building doors have paving tiles, 3 foot wide, to make building to building access easier while using a wheelchair. For programs requiring specific sensory needs, individual inductive loop and headset systems are provided to those with hearing disabilities. Service animals are also welcome.
You don’t have to worry about accommodation at the Shambhala Mountain Center since there is a wide range of rooms available. You can book, any of the fine lodge rooms, same-gender dormitories or even the budget-friendly tents on the hillside. Meals are provided with vegetarian options included.
2. Miraval Resort and Spa, Tucson, Arizona.
Miraval Resort and Spa offers a peaceful, energizing place to reconnect with yourself, break your barriers and leap forward to an open balanced future.
The Miraval body mindfulness center takes care of all your meditation, spiritual practice and even yoga endeavors. Activities at the resort include outdoor adventures- hiking, climbing, and even zip lining- this will move you out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
‘Enjoy living in the now’
Make sure to adhere to the Miraval mode when you get to the resort. The Miraval mode encourages you to unplug from your digital devices and enjoy living and being mindful of the present. With the mode, you will be required to leave your cell phone, tablets and any other digital device in designated areas where their usage is permitted.
Miraval is handicap accessible and also allows you to bring a service dog if necessary.
3. Brooklyn Zen, Brooklyn, New York.
Unwind and meditate at the Brooklyn Zen Center for a unique healing experience. At Brooklyn Zen, you get a chance to join an open community and interact with people from different walks of life. There are plenty of programs to join and the place is accessible all week long. As part of the programs, you get an opportunity to join peer groups, for practice and discussions.
Zendo is the most common meditation hall in Brooklyn Zen. Here, you get round cushions (Zafu), meditation benches and chairs. Meditation sessions are usually 30 to 40 minutes long and staff members are always around to help when needed.
Brooklyn Zen ensures that all areas are available and accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities and chronic health issues. Most of the doorways are wheelchair accessible and there are elevators leading to different floors.
4. The Axis Project, New York.
Tailored to suit people living with a disability, the axis Project is one of the best places that allow wheelchair users to practice meditation and mindfulness. It’s a multidisciplinary center devoted to offering high-quality services for people living with disabilities. The center empowers those with disabilities to pursue and live a healthy lifestyle.
The Axis Project motivates and pushes individuals living with physical disabilities beyond the perceived barriers and limitations they face. Their mindfulness and yoga programs offer a great chance for wheelchair users to learn the best meditation techniques.
Other than the meditation programs, you also get a wide range of programs to choose from, from Spin classes to social activities, hand cycling to Boxing and therapeutic yoga.
5. Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Massachusetts.
Learn meditation techniques and get help in reducing stress, increase mindfulness, relax your body and mind. Canyon Ranch offers beyond the typical meditation experience,at this quiet and luxurious grand estate located in Berkshire hills.
Canyon Ranch has programs designed to boost your health and wellbeing all in an inclusive package. The programs available are meditation, spiritual guidance, yoga and full-service spa treatments among other services.
You also get a chance to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, biking, and skiing; a great chance to relieve stress and reconnect with nature.
Canyon Ranch is accessible to wheelchair users and has facilities for disabled guests.
Before you hop in your car,
Ensure you carry with you important supplies like your medicine, travel passport and health insurance cards.
Don’t also forget to carry your sunscreen. It helps a lot with sunburns. Alternatively, if on a holiday on your car you can apply window tints to reduce your skin’s exposure to sunlight.
Conclusion; Let the inner you roam free
You don’t always have to climb daunting mountains and cross formidable jungles for the best meditation locations. Choose any of the above locations (or any other of your liking) that will help you spend quality time with your own feelings, thoughts, and desires.
Author’s Bio
Steve Much is a freelance writer, content creator and an all-rounded tech guy. He works closely with https://scorpionwindowfilm.com as a content specialist helping them build their online presence through friendly, engaging and shareable web content. When not hunched over his computer thinking loudly, you can find him playing pop music with his band, reading horror novels or traveling.