Silent Meditation Retreat in the North Texas Countryside

A typical day at Siddhayatan is built around silence and sitting. Mornings begin early with meditation in one of the temples, followed by breakfast. The middle of the day is largely unstructured: you can walk the meditation park, sit by Mansarover or Rakshastal, read, or join a guided session with a monk. Afternoon and evening programmes vary by retreat but usually include breathwork, concentration practice, chanting or a teaching session. Lights go out early.

The retreats on the calendar each have their own focus. Awakening the Soul runs across a weekend and works on clearing emotional blockages. Deep Soul Meditation introduces ancient breathing techniques, concentration methods and relaxation practice. Trauma and Stress Reduction uses breathwork to work through stored stress. Chakra + Energy Activation moves through each energy centre with the monks. Discover Your Purpose is about working out what you actually want to do with your life. Yoga Spiritual Intensive goes past the physical postures into the eight limbs of yoga, Purnam Yoga, breathwork and meditation, taught by a monk.

What separates this place from a spa or a yoga resort is who runs it. Siddhayatan was founded and is led by the monks of the Siddha Sangha Order, a modern extension of the ancient Jain system, and the teaching comes from that lineage rather than from a visiting instructor. The monks have taken lifelong vows of service and run programmes on subjects as varied as human trafficking, animal abuse and perimenopause.

The founder, Acharya Shree Yogeesh, has taught for more than fifty years. His system is built on non-violence, love, compassion and soul awakening, and he still teaches in person. Guests regularly mention meeting him as the part of the trip they remember.

The setting does a lot of the work. The property is 250 acres of North Texas countryside with two ponds, a walking path and a meditation park laid out as a miniature version of the ancient pilgrimage sites of India. There are no crowds and no traffic noise. Most guests say the same thing in different words: they arrived tired and left quieter.

What's included

- Accommodation on site in a private or half-private room - Vegetarian meals cooked fresh at the retreat - Guided sessions with monks of the Siddha Sangha Order - Daily meditation in the temples - Access to the meditation park, walking paths and ponds - Access to the temples and meditation centre - Access to the cow sanctuary (goshala) - Structured silence for the duration of the retreat

What's not included

- Travel to and from Windom, Texas - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional personal retreat customisation - Any treatments or services not listed in the programme