The Healing Power Of Ether: Meditation Retreats & Sacred Spaces

Finding somewhere to simply be is increasingly difficult – but there are still places that exist to cultivate a meditative state of mind. For this instalment of our Elemental Wellbeing Guide, we look up towards the fifth element: ether, the invisible space that holds everything else. From destination spas perched high above Italian lakes to Himalayan foothills and the ancient citadels of the Peruvian Andes, these are the retreats using silence, sound and space to reconnect us to something greater.

Our Favourite Ether Wellness Retreats

Mandali Retreat Centre

Stillness & Space

Perched high above Italy’s Lake Orta, Mandali Retreat Centre has become one of Europe’s most respected centres for meditation, contemplation and conscious living. Founded in 2017 as a not-for-profit sanctuary in the Piemonte mountains, retreats offer a thoughtful mix of yoga, self-inquiry, breathwork, sound healing and silence. Special hosts offer the likes of qigong, Sufism and energy work. Meditation spaces are flooded with natural light; there are mindful forest walks, vegetarian feasts (fresh-from-the-garden salads, roasted chicory), and vast views stretching towards the Alps with clouds that look like dragons. mandali.org

Science Meets Spirit

A new arrival in Kerala, Tulåh Clinical Wellness welcomes Indian wellbeing into the 21st century with an unexpected mix of Ayurveda, MRI scans, genome mapping, longevity diagnostics and sports science, all overseen by teams of both allopathic and Ayurvedic doctors. Set against the hazy backdrop of the Western Ghats, this futuristic retreat is gaining a reputation for balancing cutting-edge technology with experiences that feel far more intangible: sound healing inside the Sonorium dome (the world’s largest, where two therapists play dream-sounding instruments), meditation beneath 80-year-old rain trees, and yoga overlooking the ancient mountains. Expect blissed-out, almost out-of-body states and sound frequencies so pure they seem to dissolve thoughts entirely. tulah.life

Amantica Lodge

Guided By The Stars

Long before telescopes, the ancient citadels of the Peruvian Andes were mapping the sky. Through Kind Human’s immersive journeys, researcher Andres Adasme guides travellers through sites such as Machu Picchu, Písac and Sacsayhuamán, reading their solar and stellar alignments like a language. In the isolated village of Choquecancha, perched above the Sacred Valley, Indigenous communities still live by Ayni – the Quechuan principle of reciprocity – and share astronomical knowledge that has never been written down. Beneath wide-open, sparkling skies, feel the freedom of nothing but space. kindhumantravel.com

Release Into Peace

We spend so much time in our minds, while the emotions hidden behind our smiles quietly accumulate in our bodies. Tucked into the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Divine Door is about simplicity, sincerity and daily practice. Don’t expect luxury: to stay here is to get back in touch with what is real and unadorned, in a place that will touch you deeply. Guests stay in private rooms or shared dormitories, drawn by the in-house and visiting retreats as well the fresh vegan food. There are at least three different meditations daily, with minimal sitting. For example, Osho’s one-hour dynamic meditation takes you through a series of huffs, then catharsis (think shouting it out and punching a pillow), then a repeated verbalised mantra of ‘hu, hu, hu’ while you stamp and raise your arms, before a finale of free-flow dancing – all with an eye mask on. Radically effective for soul liberation. divinedoornepal.com