The Healing Power of Retreat
Why Stepping Away Restores Health and Well-being
In today’s fast-paced world, the notion of stepping away from our responsibilities to attend a retreat can seem indulgent — even impractical. Yet mounting evidence suggests that intentional retreats are not just luxuries, but essential practices for restoring physical, mental, and emotional health. In a culture that glorifies productivity and constant hustle, making space for deep rest and self-reflection can be a radical — and necessary — act of healing.
During my years supporting retreats at the Chopra Center, I witnessed first-hand the incredible healing that can occur in just a few days when anchoring a retreat in healthy practices such as meditation and yoga. Including massage and healthy, nourishing, plant-based meals can reset the gut and nervous system, while journaling and time in nature allows us to release what is interfering with our self-healing mechanisms.
In a study I co-authored, published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine (2019), we evaluated the effects of attending holistic, Ayurveda-based wellness programs compared to simply taking a vacation. Participants who engaged in structured programs that integrated meditation, yoga, Ayurveda, and self-reflection showed significant improvements in key markers of well-being, including:
Greater spirituality and a deeper sense of meaning
Higher mindfulness and improved present-moment awareness
Reduction in depressed mood and emotional heaviness
Lower anxiety and enhanced emotional stability
In contrast, participants who simply vacationed — without the guided practices — experienced fewer and less significant benefits. These findings suggest that while rest alone is valuable, intentional practices rooted in ancient healing traditions can amplify well-being and create more lasting transformation.
Traditional cultures around the world recognized the importance of retreat, weaving periods of withdrawal, pilgrimage, and contemplation into the fabric of life. In India, seasonal retreats encouraged individuals in the second half of life to shift their focus inward through spiritual practice. Native cultures often engaged in vision quests — periods of solitary reflection in nature — to mark transitions or seek guidance. Monastic traditions across Asia and Europe provided structured rhythms of work, prayer, and rest. In these societies, taking time for retreat was not seen as an exception, but as an essential, expected part of living a balanced and meaningful life.
Other research supports the idea that true rest and slowing down can regulate the stress response, improve immune function, and enhance emotional resilience. Studies show that meditation and mindfulness practices, often central components of retreats, can:
Lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and inflammation
Strengthen brain regions tied to memory, learning, and emotional balance
Activate the parasympathetic nervous system, supporting digestion, sleep, and cellular repair
Unfortunately, modern culture often views slowing down as weakness or laziness. "Hustle culture" pressures individuals to prioritize constant output over inner replenishment, leading to widespread burnout, anxiety, and disconnection. By choosing retreat, we create a countercultural space to heal — not by doing more, but by allowing ourselves to simply be. In Ayurveda, this principle is called shamana — the calming and soothing of mind and body, creating the conditions necessary for deep-rooted vitality to emerge.
Retreats, whether for a weekend or a week, offer more than just temporary relief. They reconnect us to our deeper selves, realign us with what truly matters, and provide tangible health benefits that linger long after we return. In giving ourselves permission to pause, we not only restore our individual well-being but begin to heal the cultural narrative that equates self-worth with productivity. True health requires rhythm — moments of action balanced by moments of rest. A retreat is not escape; it is essential medicine for the soul.
This month, I’m honored to be leading my first-ever in-person retreat in collaboration with CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa, a beautiful space I’ve returned to for many years while teaching with Chopra Global.
Now, I’m bringing the teachings from our Health Mastery Mentorship into a live, immersive experience:
Restore & Rejuvenate: Health Mastery Retreat
CIVANA Wellness Resort, Carefree, AZ
May 29 – June 1, 2025
Link to Register
I would love to see you there and deepen our exploration of health and self-mastery in person. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—I look forward to connecting with you.
Warmly,
Dr. Sheila Patel