Cover Silent retreats provide the perfect opportunity to practice meditation away from the hustle and bustle of city life (Photo: Getty Images)
Silent retreats provide the perfect opportunity to practice meditation away from the hustle and bustle of city life (Photo: Getty Images)
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What do Oprah Winfrey, Jack Dorsey and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common? They have all gone on silent retreats; and you can too—without even flying to a faraway country. Tatler presents 5 wellness retreats right here in Hong Kong, where you can recharge and rejuvenate in a mindful manner
Modern city life seems to be all about hustling and keeping ourselves busy. Add to that the constant distraction of social media and other forms of attention-diverting entertainment, and it’s really hard to truly focus on ourselves and enjoy real me-time. As we robotically rinse and repeat the inescapable urban routine, a part of us sometimes longs for a holiday—a little quiet peace-of-mind place to recompose ourselves and recharge.
To shut off the noise, many turn to meditation—the practice of quietly focusing your attention on your breath to achieve an emotionally stable state of mind. Practised by many religions—particularly Buddhism in Asia—training our attention and awareness through meditation can have tremendous mental health benefits. Sure, you could use a wellness app to guide you through the practice or even take a course at a meditation centre, but nothing compares to booking a silent retreat to maximise the experience. Under strict conditions such as restricting communications, prohibiting phones and other distractions, silent retreats offer a unique way to deepen your meditation practice in a different setting—and yes, there are a few options within Hong Kong. Here are five of them.
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1. Vipassana Hong Kong
What do Oprah Winfrey, Jack Dorsey and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common? They have all done the ten-day Vipassana silent retreat—the Holy Grail of silent retreats. Vipassana is a Buddhist meditation technique, the most well-known tradition of which is the one taught by Indian guru Satya Narayan Goenka. Appealing to many for its non-religious approach, Vipassana emphasises focusing on the breath and nurturing a subtle awareness of bodily sensations to clear our minds. Going on a ten-day immersive retreat—with meals and lodging taken care of—is the best way to learn the technique or to deepen it for repeat goers. Luckily, the Hong Kong centre—located on South Lantau Island—offers them regularly throughout the year. This is one of the more intense silent retreats though—expect a strict policy of no cell phone, no communication, no reading or writing, on top of a packed schedule of meditation sessions starting from 4am to 9:30pm.
Vipassana Hong Kong
Address: Dhamma Muttā, Tung Wan, Lantau Trail Section 9, 6W92+GF Lantau Island, Hong Kong
2. Bliss Body Journeys
If you’re looking for something less intense and a tad luxurious, the Mauna Silent Retreat, a three-day package by Bliss Body Journeys, may be the right fit. Set in the mountainous greenery of Hong Kong’s New Territories, within two private villas on a 100,000sq ft organic farm, the Mauna retreat offers the comforts of a boutique-style bedroom, vegan meals for your detoxing needs and restorative yoga sessions on top of guided meditation classes and spiritual talks. There are five unique bedrooms complete with en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning to choose from. Gluten, alcohol and caffeine are removed from meals to allow detoxing, and digital communication is discouraged (as opposed to strictly prohibited).
Bliss Body Journeys
Address: Private organic farm, Lam Tsuen, New Territories, Hong Kong
3. Plum Village Hong Kong
Founded by Vietnamese Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh during his exile, the Plum Village Tradition of Buddhism grew from one monastery—established in 1982 in Bordeaux, France—to nine worldwide. One of them is right here in Hong Kong, at the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism in Lantau Island. The Plum Village Tradition incorporates sitting and walking meditation, and physical practices such as mindful movement. The seasonal five-day silent retreat includes all these exercises, and silence is observed all throughout but one is allowed to discuss Dharma or Buddhist scriptures. Plum Village Hong Kong also organises weekly activities, meditation sessions and temple stays.
Plum Village Hong Kong
Address: Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, Lotus Pond Temple, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
4. Hong Kong Insight Meditation Society
Similar to Plum Village but verging more towards Vipassana techniques, the Hong Kong Insights Meditation Society (HKIMS) organises weekly meditation sessions and monthly silent retreats at the Fa Hong Monastery located on Lantau Island. Though the retreats are generally one-to-three-days long, the schedule is filled with meditation sessions—both sitting and walking—as well as the occasional yoga practice, starting at 5am and finishing at 9:30am. Silence is to be observed at all times outside of the daily discussion session. Meditators are also required to surrender their phones and contribute to housekeeping and cleaning for one hour daily. Some retreats are self-led for the more experienced while others are led by resident and visiting teachers.
Hong Kong Insight Meditation Society
Address: Fa Hong Monastery, Tei Long Tsai Country Trail, 7W5G+64, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
5. Kadampa Meditation Centre Hong Kong
The Kadampa Meditation Centre Hong Kong offers introductory and advanced meditation classes inspired by Tibetan Buddhist traditions. The movement started in the 1990s by the late Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk and scholar based in the UK, and spread to more than 40 countries. The Hong Kong centre welcomes Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, and organises silent retreats throughout the year, ranging from one-day to multiple-day retreats. Basic lodging and vegan meals are provided as well as the opportunity to take a break from cell phones in the serenity of mutually observed silence. These retreats—typically from 8am to 9:30pm—provide an immersive experience for those willing to deepen their meditation practice as well as their understanding of Tibetan Buddhism. Recommended for those willing to invest a bit more time in studying Buddhism.
Kadampa Meditation Centre Hong Kong
Address: 1/F, Harbour Commercial Building, 122-124 Connaught Rd Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Khoa Tran is Social Impact Editor at Tatler Hong Kong. He covers stories touching on sustainability, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and diversity. Trained as a lawyer, Khoa’s work as a writer had previously touched up topics such as regulatory compliance, ESG, and banking. Outside of the office, he enjoys rock climbing and relaxing in jazz clubs.
