HAND-PICKED EXPERIENCES

Editor's Picks

Curated events selected by the BrightStar team — transformational gatherings worth your time.

31 events curated

wellness retreat

The Fundamentals of Longevity: The Art and Science of Breathwork, Cold Water Immersion, and Wellbeing

Human potential specialist Samuel Whiting leads a three-day residential retreat exploring how intentional stress and controlled exposure can enhance physiology and resilience. The program grounds its approach in hormesis, the principle that small, managed challenges strengthen the body's adaptive systems. Participants engage in guided breathing techniques, optional cold-water immersion in Kripalu's natural setting, and daily yoga classes. The retreat weaves together contemporary physiology with contemplative practice, asking participants to consider how breathwork and cold exposure might integrate into their everyday lives. Each day includes program sessions balanced with meals, movement, and time on the grounds. The teaching emphasizes individual variation, welcoming both newcomers and experienced practitioners.

Fri, Oct 2, 2026Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Stockbridge

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wellness retreat

Women's Health & Wellness Summit

A three-day summit gathering seven faculty members to examine women's health across the lifespan. The program integrates clinical medicine, herbal wisdom, psychological depth work, and creative practice. Participants encounter longevity science tailored to women's physiology, bioregulator peptides, grief and burnout navigation through a hospice physician's lens, plant medicine protocols, dream analysis, and embodied resilience work. The curriculum balances rigorous scientific content with traditional knowledge, pairing intellectual understanding with somatic integration. Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, the summit equips attendees with evidence-informed strategies and practical tools for vitality through distinct life stages. The three-day immersion aims to honor the full spectrum of women's experience while fostering peer connection and ongoing accountability.

Fri, Oct 2, 2026Omega Institute, Rhinebeck

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wellness retreat

Live Turned On & Lit Up

A weekend retreat for individuals and couples that weaves together science-based physical health, partner dynamics, and embodied spiritual practice. Led by health coach Hayley Foster and performance coach Brian Valenza, the program explores the relationship between self-awareness, hormonal vitality, and deep relational connection. Through group dialogue, movement practices, and somatic work, participants investigate how presence in the body relates to emotional intimacy, sexual energy, and long-term wellness. The retreat addresses masculine and feminine polarity, breathwork, journaling, and the integration of physical sensation with emotional and spiritual development. Attendees leave with practical frameworks for sustained vitality and a clearer sense of embodied presence. Solo participation is welcomed alongside couples.

Fri, Oct 2, 2026Omega Institute, Rhinebeck

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wellness retreat

4 Day 'Find Your Balance' Inner-Self Retreat, Ayvacık, Turkey

4 Day 'Find Your Balance' Inner-Self Retreat, Ayvacık, Turkey — Ayvacık

Thu, Oct 8, 2026Ayvacık

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wellness retreat

Unleash Your Calling: Creating the Work and Life You Love

This five-day intensive with success and career coach Tama Kieves offers a structured exploration of vocational purpose and meaningful living. Drawing on her background as a Harvard-trained attorney and her published works on professional transformation, Kieves guides participants through practical techniques for clarifying professional direction, building confidence in unconventional choices, and translating talent into sustainable work. The program combines didactic instruction, small-group exercises, and one-on-one mentoring within Kripalu's residential setting. Participants engage with self-inquiry tools designed to surface internal resistance, clarify values, and construct actionable pathways forward. The retreat emphasizes both the emotional and logistical dimensions of career change and creative contribution, with particular attention to financial viability and personal resilience during periods of uncertainty. An optional post-program support group is available for continued integration.

Mon, Oct 12, 2026Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Stockbridge

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wellness retreat

Fall Members Retreat

This weekend retreat at Omega Institute is reserved for members and designed around rest, renewal, and deepening connection within the Omega community. The program weaves together mindfulness, creative practice, breathwork, forest bathing, and movement across three nights on Omega's 250-acre Rhinebeck campus. Participants move at their own pace, choosing to engage with structured workshops or simply wander the gardens and trails as the season shifts. The retreat begins with a welcome celebration on Sunday evening, establishing community among members who share commitment to Omega's work. Eight experienced teachers—including mindfulness practitioners, breathwork facilitators, artists, and musicians—guide sessions throughout the stay. Morning and afternoon workshops offer structured exploration, while ample unstructured time allows for solitude, conversation, or spontaneous connection. Meals are shared, and the fall foliage provides a contemplative backdrop. This is an intimate gathering designed for those who sustain Omega's year-round mission to seek contemplative approaches to living.

Sun, Oct 18, 2026Omega Institute, Rhinebeck

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wellness retreat

The Resilient Leader

In a world designed to keep us perpetually switched on, this three-day retreat offers a counterbalance. With digital wellbeing expert Nina Hersher, participants explore evidence-based approaches to nervous system regulation and sustainable living. The program weaves together movement practices, restorative rituals, and seasonal guidance to help leaders and everyday practitioners alike reclaim their natural rhythms. Rather than escapism, attendees develop a practical toolkit of strategies they can integrate into their lives—methods drawn from contemporary neuroscience paired with contemplative practice. An optional guided digital detox runs throughout the weekend, offering participants the chance to step back from technology and return with clearer intention. The invitation is to restore clarity, reclaim creative capacity, and build the internal resilience needed to thrive in a high-speed world.

Thu, Oct 22, 2026Omega Institute, Rhinebeck

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wellness retreat

Designing The Life We Want: Self Renewal in the Fall

This five-day workshop at Esalen invites participants to step back from their daily lives and examine the trajectory they are on. Facilitated by executive coach Mark Nicolson and wilderness guide Caitlin Wild, the program uses experiential exercises, movement, and group dialogue to help attendees clarify what brings them joy and purpose. Rather than lecture-based instruction, the workshop emphasizes active participation through reflection, intuitive listening, and embodied practices. Participants explore behavioral patterns that either support or undermine their goals, and work to cultivate a vision for the year ahead and the next phase of life. The program is designed for those seeking to align their actions with their values, navigate major life transitions, and deepen their sense of authentic impact in the world. All participation remains voluntary, though attending all sessions, including the final morning, is encouraged.

Mon, Oct 26, 2026Esalen Institute, Big Sur

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wellness retreat

Building a Better Immune System for Lifelong Health and Vitality

This three-day residential program examines immunity through both ancient yogic wisdom and contemporary medical science. Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, a Kripalu faculty member and health coach, and Elizabeth Boham, a physician and nutritionist, guide participants through the biochemistry of stress and its impact on immune function. The curriculum integrates practical tools drawn from yoga, breathing practices, Ayurvedic self-care, and functional nutrition. Participants explore how the mind-body connection supports immunity, learn to select foods with natural immune-enhancing properties, and develop a daily practice combining yoga nidra, pranayama, and other techniques to manage stress and support the body's natural detoxification processes. The retreat is particularly suited for those seeking to build resilience and vitality through evidence-based natural methods.

Fri, Oct 30, 2026Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Stockbridge

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wellness retreat

Health Reset at the Big Island, Hawaii

Health Reset at the Big Island, Hawaii — Big Island

Sun, Nov 1, 2026Big Island

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wellness retreat

Wellness: Inner Circle Intensive

A four-day retreat held in Montana designed to facilitate deep personal reconnection. Rather than focusing on external business strategy or group problem-solving, this intensive directs participants inward, creating space for contemplation and self-inquiry. The program emphasizes authentic presence and the restoration of one's relationship with inner knowing.

Thu, Nov 5, 2026TBA

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wellness retreat

Primordial Qigong: Vibrant Health, Harmony with the Tao

Primordial Qigong, taught by world-renowned master Kenneth Cohen, offers a week-long immersion in meditation in motion grounded in Taoist philosophy. The practice centers on two foundational forms of meditation: the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbits, through which practitioners learn to circulate solar and lunar energies in balance. Participants study all twelve movements of Hunyuan Qigong, designed to build resilient qi and strengthen the body's three primary energy centers, or dan tians. The workshop bridges classical Taoist practice with contemporary scientific understanding of qigong's physiological benefits. Cohen carries the lineage of Madame Gao Fu, a central figure in modern China's medical qigong movement. The course welcomes newcomers and experienced practitioners alike, emphasizing accessible technique and sustainable energy cultivation as a buffer against stress and depletion. Throughout the week, structured practice is paired with discussion of the somatic and biomechanical principles underlying qigong, creating space for both embodied learning and intellectual inquiry.

Mon, Nov 9, 2026Esalen Institute, Big Sur

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