Travel has ground to a halt as the world scrambles to get the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic under control. While it’s frustrating to press pause on life, social distancing and staying home presents a unique opportunity for us to slow down and refocus on our priorities—exactly as you would on a retreat programme. Some of our favourite luxury wellness retreats are helping bring their retreat programmes to your living room with amazing online content, tutorials and live-stream workshops to help you make the most of your time at home. Check out the wellness retreats offering virtual retreats and online content you can do from the comfort of your own home, as well as the wellness business going digital.
Editor’s note: We’ll be adding to this list as more brands go online, so keep checking back for updates.
Escape Haven: Virtual Retreat
Luxury women-only retreat Escape Haven is bringing Bali to you with an at-home VIP Coaching retreat. The online programme delivers some of the resort’s best-loved signature activities to you, at home.
The programme includes fitness activities like yoga flow and energising workouts, as well as nutritional sessions like healthy recipe tutorials, available via high-quality videos and downloadable worksheets. Additionally, retreat participants will have access to in-depth talks and interviews with Escape Haven’s wellness experts on topics like mental health and how to combat stress. The Escape Haven team will support virtual retreat goers in staying motivated, goal setting, and continuing to commit to their health.
“Our aim is to provide women all over the world with wisdom, tools and support to empower them on their own personal health journey, in the unique climate that we currently face and far beyond this time,” says retreat founder Janine Hall. “Supporting and fostering a radiant global community of women is a crucial pillar of Escape Haven. We feel lucky that the magic of technology allows us to invite our ‘virtual guests’ into a very special wellness hub where they have the chance to connect, share, inspire, motivate and be supported by a community of like-minded women.”
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Six Senses at Home
Luxury wellness brand Six Senses has adapted its content and programming to create a digital ‘Six Senses at Home’ guide to support guests unable to travel as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds. Providing expert-backed tips, videos and tutorials for mindfulness, food, sleep, exercise, social, and sustainability, the content takes a solutions-orientated approach of practical ways to integrate wellness into life at home. Included in the guide are wellness activities like yoga for kids, home gardening guides, and complimentary Ayurvedic dosha consultations.
“The health and well-being of our hosts and guests are our main priority,” says Guy Heywood, Chief Operating Officer, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. “During this time, we have the opportunity to place even more emphasis on our well-being, and we have adapted our in-resort wellness experiences to online content to support hosts, guests and communities around the world. The aim is to remain solution-oriented and support their resilience and physical and mental well-being.”
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
REVĪVŌ at Home
Luxury Balinese wellness resort REVĪVŌ are bringing wellness travellers a taste of its signature retreats at home. Daily digital sessions, led by its on-site wellness experts, will cover the brand’s three pillars: movement, nutrition, and spa. Using Facebook live, the first five sessions will cover general wellness, like sustainable facemask workshops or talks on effective intermittent fasting, and after that each week will have a theme: the second week after will focus on detox and weight loss, covering topics such as how to make jamu tonics, pranayama breathing workshops, and tutorials on raw body scrubs.
REVĪVŌ has organised its programme into a 30-day challenge, inviting those at home to join in daily for the opportunity to win prizes like a wellness retreat, a DNA test, and personal wellness classes in person or online.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Anantara Escapism
While many of Anantara’s resorts have closed their doors to safeguard staff and guests alike, and others are offering flexible booking policies, the luxury wellness brand is taking the opportunity to bring the Anantara journey to your home.
Offering wellness insights from in-house wellness experts and recipes on its online blog, ranging from natural immune-boosting tips to wellness tonics, Anantara brings elements of its signature experience to your living room through #AnantaraEscapism. Watch this space as it continues to update its offerings.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Velas Resorts Wellnessing Online
Having postponed the Wellnessing Getaway 2020, Velas Resorts Mexico are taking the retreat online on Friday, May 1st. The virtual retreat will feature wellness workshops from industry leaders, with yoga, meditation, fitness and nutritional meal ideas all on the cards.
Additionally, Velas Resorts has rolled out its Better Together online content. In a press statement, the president of Velas Resorts Eduardo Vela said, “My entire team and I at all six Velas Resorts wanted to do something special to help out. So, we thought, let’s share some of the best of our offerings and expertise that you can take advantage of in your own home.”
The campaign includes activities and crafts to entertain kids while families self-isolating at home, meditation tutorials, self-care ideas like coconut scrubs, and healthy, nutritious recipes from its global collection of expert chefs. “Please feel free to share the ingredients you actually have in your pantry, and they [the chefs] will craft special recipes for you to replicate at home,” Vela added in the statement.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
38 Degrees North
Marbella- and Ibiza-based 38 Degrees North are on hold for physical stays, but the retreat has just launched its free five-day Prep & Protect virtual retreat, via an app that contains workouts, coaching, motivation and more.
The programme has already had hundreds of people joining, and there’s no limit on how many times you participate in the retreats. Stay fit at home with HIIT workouts, guided meditation, daily coaching with worksheets and journaling, and exclusive access to retreat founders Claire and James to enjoy mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. You’ll be part of the exclusive 38 Degrees North community, which means you’ll get daily support emails and motivation to inspire your home workouts.
Another initiative launched by 38 Degrees North is the Academy platform features a library of over one hundred real-time HIIT workout videos, video workshops on nutrition and mindset, hundreds of recipes with nutrition information, results tracking and all supported by an active Facebook community that streams live workouts each week. The first online retreat was a great success, so join on May 8th and 9th for another virtual retreat featuring a full schedule through the two days of live workouts, workshops with experts and yoga teachers.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
SEN Wellness Sanctuary
Social media platforms are being put to good use for retreats and businesses, to promote wellness, and SEN Wellness is on board. The Sri Lankan retreat just announced its online initiatives, accessible by just sharing your email address to receive daily emails with retreat programme information, including pre-recorded classes and healing sessions.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Aman
Luxury wellness experts Aman Hotels & Resorts have launched a few online wellness initiatives to keep a healthy mind and body. Virtually welcoming you into their “homes”, the group’s general managers and their teams are hosting several quick escape sessions—which include a yoga session, recipe, and healing advice—to be enjoyed alone, or with friends.
From the Turks and Caicos, Amanyara’s in-house yoga teacher has shared online sun salutations videos, accessible anytime in the day. For a meal fix, indulge in a little self-love with Amangiri’s Cast Iron Pancakes by the resort’s Executive Chef Anthony Marazita. And of course, enjoy a little inspiration from Aman’s social media feed to get through the days indoors. Over in Amankora, Bhutan, Director of Spa Sonia Banyuls frequently uploads videos with incredible backdrops—think temples, forests and valleys—with wellness tips and mantras.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Ananda in the Himalayas
On behalf of the doctors at Ananda in the Himalayas, the retreat has shared its wellness exercises and advice on boosting immunity. Dr Raghubansh Singh, the Ayurveda Physician at Ananda Spa suggests doing daily Pranayama breathing exercises to help lung capacity and boost body immunity. Ananda offers online videos which can be watched at any time, any place—and at your own pace:
Meditation:
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Samahita Retreat
Samahita may be closed for the moment, but has started hosting live Facebook events every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Samahita, which focuses on meditations, talks and classes. The events are also shared on Instagram. Keep up with the regular sessions via their social media channels, as well as signing up for their weekly newsletters which feature articles, videos and blogs to keep up with tips and happenings of the wellness world.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Vana
Indian luxury wellness retreat Vana has started sharing immunity-boosting tips via its Instagram profile, including several short videos of yoga for followers to integrate into their daily routines. The resort is also accepting wellness queries via its online consultation form, where online users can connect with the wellness team.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Chiva-Som is now offering online wellness services available via video call, where you can interact with wellness, advisors, practitioners and experts in some of the resort’s most popular sessions. These include Naturopathic Consultations, Natural Fertility Consultations, One-on-One Fitness Training, Yoga, Meditation and more. For further details and how to book these complimentary services, visit Chiva-Som’s website to find out more.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
BONUS: Online wellness classes
While they might not be fully-fledged retreats, these wellness businesses around the globe are making their wellness offerings available online to help you continue your wellness journey your way.
Corc Yoga
Partnered with the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA), Corc Yoga is bringing its signature yoga retreat sessions to you daily while we all social distance. Hosted by the brand’s ambassadors and expert instructors, Corc is offering yoga classes via its YouTube channel, in addition to special, one-off live-streamed classes on social media. Keep checking back as they add more classes to the platform.
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Enhale Meditation
Hong Kong meditation studio Enhale is now offering most of its classes online for those unable to make it to the studio, from meditations to sound baths. Participants just have to download Zoom, and purchase classes on Enhales site. “The majority of us who are not regular mediators may find it difficult to guide ourselves through a meditation on our own, so there is the benefit of following a coach,” says Caz Kading of Enhale. “There are advantages of joining a group class due to the collective energy, even if you are not there physically in the studio.”
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
