This is a new trend with old roots. In its purest form, quiet travel is associated with a quiet meditative retreat. They are derived from the Buddhist practice of Vipassana, which translates to “seeing things as they really are,” or insight. On a Vipassana retreat, you spend a certain amount of time in “noble silence” and spend most of the day in meditation and reflection. Ranging from long weekends to his 10-day experiences, they are offered all over the world in varying intensities.
Like other spiritual practices employed in the wellness field, silent retreats run the risk of appropriating the culture from which they are inspired. “Silent meditation retreats can fall into cultural appropriation when Buddhist and Hindu practices such as Vipassana meditation and mindfulness meditation are packaged as mere health tools and disconnected from their spiritual and ethical roots. ” says Pravi Joshi, a meditation and yoga practitioner. “Privileging these practices in this way trivializes these deeply spiritual practices and commercializes them as a trendy, one-size-fits-all approach to historically rich and diverse cultural practices. There is a risk of
Therefore, silent withdrawal can bring great benefits, but it is not a simple force for good. It’s worth doing your research beforehand and making sure you know what you’re signing up for before you go.
Are there other benefits to silent travel?
Silent travel is not only good for our health, but also for the planet and represents a more sustainable form of travel. “Natural tranquility is an essential quality that both humans and wildlife need,” says Gordon Hempton, co-founder of Quiet Parks International. Quiet Parks is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve quiet spaces for the benefit of all life. They campaign for a quieter world through research, education and the Quiet Park Certification Scheme, promoting quiet travel experiences around the world, from forest bathing and tea ceremonies to multi-day quiet retreats. doing. A tranquil travel experience not only provides rejuvenating peace and quiet, but also the peace of mind that you are investing your money in something worthwhile. “Every dollar spent traveling to tranquil destinations helps preserve places that have been shown to be some of the healthiest and most ecologically stable on Earth,” Gordon says. “They harness our carbon, produce our oxygen, and impose rare sanctions on endangered and endangered wildlife species.”
Peaceful and Quiet Hotel Yasin in Swedish Lapland
How can I experience silent travel?
There are many places you can try silent travel to see if it’s for you. In the UK, Gaia House runs meditation retreats throughout the year in the hills of South Devon. This retreat will take place in complete silence (including non-verbal and written communication). Further afield in southern Portugal, Cave of the Heart operates a tranquil retreat, and Mandari, a boutique retreat center in the Italian Alps, offers a tranquil retreat in a beautiful setting. If you want a more intensive experience, you can travel to India and visit one of his many Vipassana meditation centers across the country that offer 10-day residential courses. One of the biggest of them is Dhanmagiri in Maharastra (his 3 hours drive from Mumbai). The course is donation-based and requires an application process.
