Various Retreats in the U.S.

If you feel the need to wind down before or after the holidays but can't afford a pricey spa, there are places where you can go for some quiet contemplation , religious or otherwise. At the Benedictine Center of Spirituality overlooking Lake Superior in Duluth MN you can spend time with the nuns in a private room with meals included. Best of all, the price is what you can afford, a very generous policy. For more information, check www.duluthbenedictines.org.
Another retreat place with a Christian emphasis is Bethany Spring in New Haven, KY south of Louisville. The Merton Institute, named for the well-known Catholic writer Thomas Merton, provides accommodation starting at $70 a night.
If Buddhism is more your style, consider Kadampa Meditation Center in Glen Spey, NY. It is only 80 miles from Manhattan but is quite a different world, with 82 acres of wilderness.  Rates for a stay start at only $35 a night, and you can learn more at www.kadampanewyork.org.)
In the Southwest, Ghost Ranch (www.GhostRanch.org) is a larger and more eclectic place north of Albuquerque, NM where a stay of six nights starts at $390.
I am indebted to The Magazine of AARP (www.aarp.org) for the above listings.