By Ray Rogers
You need not travel around the globe for a top-tier wellness reset. A mere 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge you’ll find Valley Rock Inn, a sublime country retreat where mindfulness guides every step of the journey. Set in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains, with 70,000 acres of wild parkland surrounding the property, the brainchild of 1stDibs founder Michael Bruno offers a calming haven for overworked, overstressed New Yorkers and beyond.
Bruno, whose vision for the luxury design space resulted in a multimillion-dollar disruptor business, has now trained his sights on the wellness world with Valley Rock Inn. That same passion he brought to the retail world he now channels into helping people reach their own full potential at this Shangri-la near the village of Sloatsburg, New York, just down the road from Tuxedo Park.
A lifetime of leaning into his intuition has led Bruno to one success after the next. Valley Rock Inn’s inception was no different. “Three summers ago, I was on the ferry crossing to our summer house in Maine,” he says. “My mom and I often meditate together, and we decided to meditate as we crossed. I went upstairs to be in the open air. As we meditated, I heard a voice say, ‘Now is the time.’ This made it clear to me that it was the moment to continue a spiritual journey I had started many years earlier.”
Find your own spiritual path on the many trails and lakes in every direction, just a little ways off the property. On the premises, there’s a state-of-the-art fitness center, a 75-foot lap pool, a fleet of bikes, two restaurants, 21 bohemian-luxe guest rooms designed by Lisa Bowles, and 14 historic buildings that once made up a portion of the village and now create a walled garden. Delight your senses with an art gallery, an organic market, and an herb and edible flower garden.
At the retreat center, the signature two-night, three-day Exploring Consciousness seminar is offered by the Monroe Institute. But you’ll also find retreats and workshops ranging from $50 to $2,000, centered around mindful journaling, breath work, numerology, energy and yoga. “All of the retreats we offer are about self-discovery,” notes Bruno. “Through taking time to explore my consciousness, my beliefs have opened up and allowed me to see and experience a world I had no idea was there. I hope people who come to a retreat here will experience a new perspective for themselves.” valleyrockinn.com