The best August retreats to book ASAP

For when your PTO days are precious and your trip-planning time is limited, there are retreats: organized escapes that have the added bonus of helping you master the yoga headstand, learn to prepare raw food, make it a week without talking, or just generally feel chill af.

\While there’s sometimes “work” involved (hey, emotional breakthroughs don’t just happen), it’s a different kind of work than what you might usually deal with in the office and often happens far away from the stresses of everyday life. Best of all? You just need to show up at the retreat, and the rest is taken care of. (In case The Glassy’s ultra-curated city guides still require too much trip planning.)

Here are the top retreats around the globe this August—from long weekends to multi-day intensives—that are so worth the vacation days.

Wanderlust Festival in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When: August 2-5
What: The Coachella of yoga festivals, with the big-name acts (Seane Corne, Chelsey Korus…) along with the corporate sponsors. This iteration goes down at Whistler in British Columbia, so expect sweeping views of the surrounding alpine meadows (swoon).

Start Meditating Now retreat in Stockbridge, MA

When: August 3-5
What: A weekend-long workshop at Kripalu that will get you doing what that free version of Headspace you downloaded onto your phone hasn’t done yet: actually meditating.

5Rhythms Moon Lodge in Big Sur, CA

When: August 3-5
What: If you’ve been dreaming of taking a trip to Esalen, you might as well do the OG new-age destination right and schedule it for a rooted-in-the-’70s workshop—and this one from 5Rhythms (which they describe as a weekend of “tribal and ritual healing for women”) should probably do the trick. Expect everything from mediation and massage to ritual baths and dancing…lots of dancing.

Aquarian Women’s Leadership Society Experience in New Lebanon, NY

When: August 3-5
What: Kundalini queen Guru Jagat is leading this off-the-grid weekend of Kundalini yoga and meditation (no prior experience necessary, she promises, although you should be cool with super-early morning sessions).

Skylonda Lodge 4-day program in Woodside, CA

When: August 9-12
What: If you need a kick in the ass to implement some healthy habits—or just really, really like the idea of being in a super-focused, hyper-guided active retreat (it’s 20 minutes to Silicon Valley, so it’s def targeting a certain type). This redwood-surrounded center pairs one-on-one consultations—think stress assessments and body composition analysis—with boot-camp workouts and organic meals.

Past Life Regression For Healing and Transformation in Stockbridge, MA

When: August 10-12
What: The technique—in which hypnosis is used to help you dig into memories of your past lives to sort through, well, issues—is a powerful one. Like, the sort of thing you might not want to do in that block of time after work but before you meet up with friends for drinks. So commit to a weekend of breakthroughs at this Kripalu workshop.

Vinyasa Yoga with Jessamyn Stanley in Scotts Valley, CA

When: August 10-12
What: We heart Stanley for her body-positive approach to yoga—and her weekend workshop at 1440 Multiversity should be an IRL embodiment of that ethos.

Coast to Costa trip in Cusco, Peru

When: August 10-17
What: The local-obsessed, millennial-centric travel company works out the details (from hiking permits to homestays) so that you can arrive and…go! Expect hikes through Sacred Valley and shopping time with local artisans, all led by Bri Emery, founder of Design Love Fest. In other words: This trip can be as healthy—or pisco sour-fueled—as you make it.

Restival near Flagstaff, AZ

When: August 14-19
What: This glamping-ish wandering festival promotes digital detoxing and deep sleep in place of all-day drinking and late-night revelry (plus you’ll have opportunities to hike Grand Falls, learn Navajo horse communication, and even book a spot at a sweat lodge ceremony).

Yogascapes yoga retreat with Jessica Desiree in Costa Dulce, Nicaragua

When: August 19-25
What: Surf, yoga, eat, repeat. Sound good? You’ve got a week of it at this Yogascapes retreat on Nicaragua’s “gold coast.”

Soul Wellness Method retreat in Tannersville, NY

When: August 22-24
What: There are a lot of things to like about this retreat: organic farm tours, daily workouts, nightly fireside hangs. But our fave? The fact that they’ve chartered a bus from New York City to this upstate locale so that you truly don’t have to do a thing other than show up.

Wanderlust Festival in Mont Tremblant, Canada

When: August 23-26
What: The Coachella of yoga festivals, with the big-name acts (Annie Langlois, Chelsey Korus…) along with the corporate sponsors. This iteration goes down at Mont Tremblant, believed to be the oldest mountain range in the world—in other words: epic.

The MELT Method Self Care Immersion in Stocksbridge, MA

When: August 24-26
What: This self-care method for those dealing with chronic pain lives up to its name; your fascia will basically melt (in the best way possible). Here, you’ll get to feel that aaaah all weekend long—and then learn how to practice it on yourself once you’re back home.

Yogascapes yoga retreat with Crystal Dawn Froberg in Iceland

When: August 25-September 1
What: In a nutshell, daily yoga plus hot springs, glacier hikes, and the northern lights. Yes, please.

Yoga and Deep Relaxation retreat in Stockbridge, MA

When: August 26-31
What: Feel like you’re on the verge of burnout? This retreat is all about experiencing the deepest levels of relaxation possible with a little help of a technique dubbed Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra.

Big Sur Wilderness Experience in Big Sur, CA

When: August 26-31
What: With Esalen (yup, the place that changed Don Draper’s life) as your base, you’ll be going on daily hikes that take you from coastal beaches to redwood-lined forests. Don’t be surprised if you’re the youngest one there, FYI.

Broga Yoga Weekend in Scotts Valley, CA

When: August 31-September 2
What: Fact: Yoga’s for dudes too. Also fact: retreats are for dudes too. This long-weekend retreat is proof.

Yoga Awakening with Seane Corn in Stockbridge, MA

When: August 31-September 3
What: Obsessed with Seane Corne’s DVD The Yoga Awakening? Then you’ll want to spend Labor Day weekend at Kripalu with the big-wig yogi to experience it IRL.

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