Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation
People from around the world visit Boulder to hike in the Flatirons, wander the Pearl Street Mall, enjoy an eclectic culinary scene and set off on epic cycling adventures exploring both prairie and mountain landscapes.
But the idyllic small city, nearly always referenced as one of the top places in the United States to live for quality of life, also attracts spiritual seekers. Buddhist temples dot the city and its environs. Yoga studios command a healthy quotient of Boulder real estate. Tai chi practitioners gather in parks, the city’s Naropa University stands as the only Buddhist-supported college in the United States and Tibetan prayer flags seem to embellish every other home.
And then there’s the meditation retreats—places that offer people opportunities get away for a few hours, or a few days, to silently meditate in groups. Few places in the country come close to even approximating Boulder’s wealth of meditation resources.
Tea and meditation
Practicing meditation doesn’t require much—really, all you need is a place to sit. But people who take it seriously tend to at least own a meditation cushion; sitting on one helps keep the spine straight during long sessions. And historically, meditation often involved a simple beverage—tea. Ever since people in China first began steeping leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in water and sipping the brew, they have been combining it with contemplative pursuits. The reasonable quotient of caffeine in the plant, along with other botanicals, helps promote clear thinking. It also encourages wakefulness, an important quality when sitting still for hours.
Before we dig deep into the Boulder area’s meditation retreats—read on for a bounty of details—we want to identify teas that we find especially conducive for meditation. While all traditional teas bring meditation benefits, along with many herbals, these area stand outs.
Enjoy your time on the cusion—with a cup of tea beside you!
Best Teas for Meditation: Balance Tea
Keen to boost your dosha pitta? Of course you are! That’s the Ayurvedic principle governing digestion and metabolism—important during meditation. This warm, soothing blend combines cinnamon, cardamom, licorice root, coriander, fennel, ginger root and rose for a balanced boost, packed with both spicy and floral notes. The blend offers plenty of dosha pitta assistance, along with enlivening flavors and aromas that help keep meditators fixed on the all-important present. You can find this wonder in Ku Cha House of Tea’s new Wellness Box, a curated collection of teas geared toward both health and flavor.
Best Teas for Meditation: An Ji White
All traditional tea contains at least some theanine, an amino acid that ripens a sense of calm and serenity among sippers. But An Ji White, which is only harvested in early spring from China’s coastal Zhejiang Province—specifically, from Mt. Tian Mu—offers the most theanine, due to the youth of the leaves that comprise the tea. Combined with the tea’s gentle caffeine zing, this makes for an ideal meditation partner.
Best Teas for Meditation: Meditation Herbal Blend
Botanicals are what give tea its meditation advantages. The caffeine in traditional tea is important, but in our Meditation Herbal Blend the caffeine comes from another source—the popular South American plant yerba mate. To this earthy, herbal (and delicious) plant we add a variety of botanicals, including one revered for its ability to improve mental focus and health: leaves from the ancient tree ginkgo, which is native to China. To further boost flavor and overall sipping experience, to this blend we also add cinnamon, black pepper, lavender, marshmallow and rose. Sip this tea as a meditation complement, and drift away into a higher state of consciousness.
Best Teas for Meditation: Premium Matcha
Theanine to the rescue again! Just as with An Ji White, matcha contains a juicy boost of the calming amino acid theanine. On top of that, it also possesses a jolt of caffeine. The tango between the botanicals yields a perfect brew for long meditation journeys. Buddhists, shogun warriors, scholars and others in Japan that follow contemplative practices have long turned to matcha for help. One of many matcha health advantages revolves around its form. Where nearly all other tea results from leaves or herbs getting brewed in hot water—and getting strained away from the brew before drinking—matcha is ground tea leaves. So when people consume matcha, they’re ingesting the entire plant, including its fiber and all of its health properties. It’s a classic meditation companion, one we heartily endorse for all spiritual seekers considering long, quiet sits.
Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation
Drala Mountain Center
Spiritual seekers have flocked to Drala Mountain Center (formerly known as Shambhala) for more than 50 years, making this gorgeous spot one of the original meditation retreats in Colorado. The grand facility covers 600 acres in a mountain valley surrounded by native forests, gentle meadows and dramatic peaks. Although the center is rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, Drala offers more than 100 offerings touching on everything from indigenous wisdom traditions to body awareness practices and meditation. Some programs run for weekends, and even for entire weeks. The Center is also home to the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, one of the most significant examples of sacred architecture in the world.
Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation:
ShambhavAnanda Yoga began in Boulder in 1975, an approach toward yoga and spirituality that grew out of traditions across India. In 1988 the group opened its first Shoshoni Yoga center, and now the Front Range supports two: one in Eldorado Springs (adjacent to Boulder) and the other in the mountain town of Rollinsville, just 20 miles up Boulder Canyon from the city of Boulder. Both centers host myriad events, retreats and more—with plenty of opportunities to sink deep into meditation for extended periods of time. Shoshoni stands as one of many Boulder treasures.
Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation:
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
This relatively new addition to the Boulder spiritual fabric is extremely welcome—a retreat center at 8,500 feet surrounded by alpine meadows, spruce forests, birds, bugling Elk, moose and much more. It’s a gem. The RMERC invites Buddhism and Dharma back into the natural world, offering guests a variety of retreats. Silent meditation retreats? Yes. Events tied to current events? Yep. Retreats exploring things like nature, love and things like Buddhist philosophy and practices? Absolutely. Welcome to Boulder, RMERC.
Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation:
The Great Dharma Chan Monastery sits on a manicured 35-acre site in Boulder, with sweeping views of mountains and surrounded by nature. It’s another newbie to the Boulder meditation scene—an architecturally arresting center that conveys Buddhist art and culture through its design. The monastery, which supports a community of monastics, offers constant classes and retreats revolving around meditation. It is rooted in the Chan school of Chinese Buddhism.
Top 5 Meditation Retreats in Boulder for Relaxation:
Looking for an urban meditation center? You’ve just found it. The Boulder Zen Center has been leading meditation classes and retreats since its founding in 1978. The Center, which holds many classes and retreats in a historic B&B in downtown Boulder, offers everything from weekly meditation gatherings to weekend-long meditation events.
