Everyone loves a midnight toast with bubbly. But there are, in fact, other ways to celebrate the coming of the New Year.
This year, amazing yogis and master meditation teachers from New York and across the country are using the holiday to help spiritual seekers reflect on the past year, set intentions for 2013, and make resolutions stick.
And in many cases, surfing in paradise or beach badakanasanas are included. Here are six yoga and meditation retreats to ring in your New Year… —Lisa Elaine Held
Photo: Pura Vida Adventures
New Year’s Yoga and Meditation Retreat: Real Happiness—Discovering the Nature of RealityMenla Mountain Retreat, Phoenicia, NYDecember 28–January 1
Say hello to a happier 2013. This sprawling Buddhist retreat in the Catskills hosts an annual New Year’s retreat to jump-start inner life resolutions. This year, master meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman will co-teach and explore how mindfulness helps us to understand where happiness actually comes from. Plus, Iyengar yoga classes will be led by Carolyn Christie and Brooke Myers. www.tibethouse.us
Kula Yoga New Year’s Jungle PartyBoca Sombrero, Costa RicaDecember 28–January 4
You’ll seriously unplug at this rustic, secluded retreat in the Costa Rican rainforest where, instead of Times Square crowds and blaring car horns, the sounds of crashing waves and bird calls will bookend your New Year’s Eve revelry. The retreat includes two daily vinyasa classes led by both smart-and-tough Kula instructors Nikki Vilella and Oceana Baity, and lots of lounging barefoot in bathing suits. www.kulayoga.com
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Urban Yoga and Meditation to Bring in the New Year with Jill SatterfieldUtrecht, The NetherlandsDecember 28–January 1
Vajra Yoga and Meditation founder Jill Satterfield teaches a five-day series of workshops in the Netherlands on topics that will help you solidify resolutions and create a calm, focused plan for 2013—from moving meditation and energy flow to cultivating compassion and kindness. www.yogamoves.nl
Pura Vida Surf and Yoga RetreatMalpais, Costa RicaDecember 29–January 5
Pack a week’s worth of bathing suits. This eight-day surf-and-yoga vacation includes surfing lessons for every level, daily yoga classes, beachfront accommodations and dining, and waterfall jumping. Not to mention a New Year’s bash around a bonfire on the beach, complete with midnight fireworks. www.puravidaadventures.com
New Year Adventure 2012 with Kathryn BudigTulum, MexicoDecember 29–January 5
Relaxing on white-sand beaches, exploring Mayan ruins, and three vegetarian meals a day are included in this week-long adventure. As are twice-daily yoga classes with celeb instructor Kathryn Budig, whose playful yet difficult style is grounded in Ashtanga. www.thetravelyogi.com
Finding Peace: A New Year’s Meditation RetreatKripalu, Stockbridge, MassachusettsDecember 30–January 1
Could 2013 be the year you actually start meditating? This affordable, two-night retreat with psychotherapist, yogi, and educator Dean Hudson is a solid introduction to developing a daily meditation practice, and to all of the amazing things it can do for your life. www.kripalu.org
More Reading
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