Many times I’ve searched the Internet for 12th Step vacation destinations as well as just plain recovery oriented places to chill.  By the time I finished my research, I was too stressed and frustrated to take any actions and closed my lap top and headed for a nap.

In Well-Being Caribbean Style, we have taken the broad search for you and give you some sound suggestions.  Take a look.

Also, there can be a lot of confusion about the different kinds of yoga that are offered in many spas and retreats. Chanting Sanskrit may not be up your street, but interestingly, with time the chants may remain in your head, like a song, and keep the beta-type busy thoughts at bay.

Some of the major forms of yoga:

·         Anusara (www.anusara.com). Applies a tantric spin to the asanas (poses) with particular attention to correct form and recognition of the energy flow produced in the body.

·         Ashtanga (www.ashtanga.com). Physically demanding, the series of asanas are done in a flowing sequence (commonly known as vinyasa). You will sweat and feel the kind of purifying heat that other intense exercise produces.

·         Bikram (www.bikramyoga.com). Famous for heating the studio to 105F, Bikram yoga is a set of 26 asanas, done twice in a row, so you can see the improvement in the second one. It is detoxifying, but the strict sequence excludes the possibility of learning the wide variety of asanas in yoga. Extremely efficient for helping what ails you, but not too heavy on spiritual aspects.

·         Integral (www.iyiny.org). This is a great way for beginners to start. It is gentle and relaxing, and moreover links the spiritual aspects of yoga with the practice. The goal of Integral is union with a higher power.

·         Iyengar (www.bksiyengar.com). BKS Iyengar wrote “Light on Yoga,” a thick book with photos of Iyengar in some pretty amazing asanas. He was classically trained, but emphasizes the physical healing power of a steady and precise attention to each posture.

·         Jivamukti (www.jivamuktiyoga.com). Jivamukti has a large and devoted following. Although the flow practice can be demanding physically, there is equal emphasis on spiritual philosophy in classic yoga.

·         Kundalini (www.3ho.org). “Kundalini” is traditionally where all the power springs from, likened to a coiled snake residing at the base of the spine. It’s energetic, and emphasizes awakening the kundalini through breath work as well as non-traditional movement.

·         Sivananda (www.sivananda.org). This is a spiritual practice that incorporates meditation, breathwork, chanting and asanas, as developed by the great Indian guru Sivananda, some of whose students were responsible for bringing yoga to the West.

·         Viniyoga (www.viniyoga.com). This is a great start for beginners and people with physical problems. Attention is paid to each student’s needs and emphasis is placed on the therapeutic value of yoga, spiritually and physically.

·         Then there are the American innovations of yoga: Power (www.poweryoga.com), a vigorous and extremely physically challenging practice, with advanced asanas, held for a long time. Vinyasa yoga (www.whitelotus.org) is a form of ashtanga, with breath-coordinated postures in a flow sequence.

Namaste and happy travels.