Many westerners are intimidated by the idea of meditation because they think it requires stillness and silence. “For most of us, accumulated stress in our body-mind makes that difficult,” says Irinia Ionina, owner of Ganesha Spa in Peekskill, NY. “Before we can hope to access our inner powerhouse of consciousness, we need to let go of our tensions. Most of the meditations we do at Ganesha Spa are specifically designed for a western mind by enlightened master Osho. They are active, moving meditations guided with music.”

Ionina, who has been a meditator for more than 20 years, says the practice is a path to personal fulfillment. “If you want to live a more fulfilled life, first you will want to know your potential, who you really are,” she says. “Meditation is the route to that knowing. It is the methodology of the science of awareness.”

Along with a weekly meditation class, Ganesha Spa offers full-day retreats to allow for a deeper, more intense meditative process. “It doesn’t matter where you start or how advanced you are, meditation is the inner process, and the best meditation is the one you are doing,” Ionina says. The spa’s next two retreats, called “Opening the Heart,” are on December 5 and January 10. “The program will include Sufi and Zen meditations, yoga, dance, chakra healing treatments and a delicious vegetarian breakfast and lunch,” she says. “It will be a perfect way to end this year and have a good start for another.”

For more info, visit GaneshaSpa.com or call 914.906.7238.