Travelling for spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing has grown into a £350 billion industry worldwide. And, it’s a practice that reaches all the way back to biblical times as people would travel to the Dead Sea for its therapeutic properties. Instead of coming back from a holiday feeling stressed and exhausted, consider the following tips and ideas for taking wellness breaks.
What Are Wellness Holidays?
Short or longer breaks that you take to improve your spiritual wellbeing can take a variety of forms. There are wellness tours, destination wellness and spa resorts, fitness and exercise packages, spiritual retreats, and more. The best way to get an idea of what to expect on these excursions is to look at a few examples.
Wellness tours generally feature cultural involvement, food education, stress reduction, spiritual connection, and physical activity. One example of this is the yoga and meditation retreats put on in Ecuador by Amazon-Andes Sky. Their retreats feature guide meditation, learning medicinal uses of local plants, visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, and horseback riding.
Fitness and exercise breaks seek to improve your overall health and promote weight loss. For instance, from their two locations in Baja California and British Columbia, Mountain Trek takes small groups of guests on backcountry hikes. Other activities include stress management, yoga, detox, and healthy eating.
The Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center is a great location for a spiritual retreat. Situated in northcentral New Mexico, it sits amidst 21,000 acres of red rocks. They provide more than 200 workshops, including memoir writing and palaeontology. You can also walk a labyrinth, kayak, hike, or just relax.
What to Look for when Planning a Trip
With the growing popularity of wellness holidays, there are plenty of businesses trying to get in on the game with gimmicky offerings that do not offer the experience that most wellness tourists are after. Therefore, you need to do a little research before setting your heart on a particular adventure. Here are some questions you should ask:
- Will the property address my dietary preferences?
- Will the holiday meet my wellness goals?
- Are the programs provided a good match for my activity and health goals?
- Is the staff experienced, trained, and educated in the services they offer?
- Are there any extra fees associated with the package?
- What additional activities are offered?
- What is the quality of the amenities, meals, and accommodations?
Based on the answers to these questions, you should get a pretty good idea of which wellness holidays will serve you best. Enjoy your rejuvenating experience.
Credit: Jenni Lockley