As many retreats and hotels across the world remain closed, the demand for home wellness initiatives remains high. Compare Retreats spoke to wellness retreat founders on how they are retreating at home and nurturing their physical and mental health. Disconnecting, nature immersion and reading are a few of our favourites, read on to discover more.
Antonio Sersale, Manager at Le Sirenuse
Perched on the picturesque Amalfi Coast, Le Sirenuse commands breathtaking views of the sea and mountain, offering fitness and detox retreats like Dolce Vitality. Owner Antonio Sersale puts hospitality and charm at the forefront and explains his time in isolation. “Living in self-isolation is about learning to love the people, places, and objects that surround us. In our fast-moving life we are always looking ahead forgetting to look at either side of us. Eat healthy, exercise mind and body.”
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David Melladew, Wellness Immersion Manager at Amanyara
Luxury hospitality and wellness go hand-in-hand at AMAN’s resorts scattered across the world. The hotelier has been promoting complimentary wellness initiatives, from online recipes to yoga videos, to encourage people at home to maintain their wellbeing. Amanyara’s Wellness Immersion Manager David Melladew talks about how he continues to integrate a healthy regime into his home isolation.
“If there is anything that the current situation has provided us with, it is time. For many of us, time is the biggest restriction we have to follow in the healthy itineraries we provide during our wellness retreats in our day to day life. Not only do many of us now have the time to do these healthy things, but it is also an essential time to do them in order to strengthen our immune systems and maintain our mental and physical wellbeing.
I am using this opportunity of free time to engage in my daily meditation and breathing exercises (with the side bonus of strengthening the respiratory system and mitigating stress), incorporating an hour of daily exercise into my schedule, and taking the time to cook the healthy meals I normally don’t have time to do. Not to mention, get a solid 8 hours of sleep every night. Wellness is typically not that complicated, it normally comes down to consistency. This is a perfect time to build and develop that consistency.”
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Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
See also: 9 Wellness Retreat Experts on Their Favourite Apps
Laurie Mias, Founder at REVĪVŌ Wellness Resort
Bali’s REVĪVŌ Wellness Resorts is a wellness hub for yoga, meditation and detox. The retreat’s founder, Laurie Mias, talks about how to slow down the clock and realign priorities during time indoors. “The way I am retreating is mostly by SLOWING DOWN and taking some time is necessary to put things into perspective. I am reading as much as possible about post-COVID customers’ sentiments and trying to anticipate and redefine what the new customer experience will look like.
The needs for customers at the moment has shifted dramatically towards more essential concerns such as safety, security, and everyday convenience. In the past 2 months we have worked in a very creative and coercive way with my team to come up with actions that speak louder than words – REVĪVŌ at Home Challenge – sort of free virtual retreat; giving back to the medical corps and applying a very flexible cancellation policy “Book now stay later and cancel anytime for free” kind of actions, to advertise a message of “we are here for you.” By consciously providing empathy and care during this crisis, we hope to build a foundation of goodwill and long-lasting emotional connections to our audience. A quote I go by: Lets accept to be changed by what’s happen; but refuse to be reduced by it.”
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Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
See also: Laurie Mias On REVĪVŌ’s New Retreats & Wellness Trends For 2019
Binod K. Chaudhary, Chairman at The Farm at San Benito
Popular for its detox retreat, The Farm at San Benito’s core focus on wellbeing is pronounced by its comprehensive, holistic programmes. The owner, Binod K. Chaudhary is also a philanthropist and talks to us on how he retreats by using spiritual connectivity.
“The human race is locked down, traditional ways cannot exist in the new tomorrow, the way we dealt with everyone has changed in the new normal. This pandemic has taught us to think differently, behave and act resiliently. Being humans, we still need to connect spiritually, emotionally, and functionally, with new adaptive ways such as touchless, contactless, and bringing in digital technology to communicate and express our feelings. Also given the social distancing, we appreciate the environment around us. This has given us a chance to slow down, become more aware, and to live in the moment.”
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Mary Tilson, Wellness Ambassador at Rascal Voyages
Putting a temporary halt to sailing the Indonesian Seas, Rascal Voyages’ Mary Tilson spoke to us on how she has been retreating at home. “Every morning begins with a 20 min meditation. There’s a window of silence right at sunrise when all you can hear is the birds chirping that sets up my whole day. This global pause has required all of us in the wellness/travel industry to quickly adapt, which has been a challenge and a great source of inspiration. We recently held a virtual Rascal Wellness Retreat reunion and I’ve also been working on a few digital initiatives to inform people on the role of the travel industry in supporting conservation efforts and the livelihood of local communities. My favorite wellness rituals during his time have been disconnecting in nature through long walks in the rice fields here in Bali, cooking Asian curries with my husband, a rare occasion since we both travel almost full-time, and completing several online courses.”
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Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Sue and Alex Glasscock, Co-Founders at The Ranch Malibu
A pioneer in health, wellness, and fitness retreats, The Ranch Malibu hosts regular hiking wellness trips (temporarily postponed due to the current situation). Sue and Alex Glasscock—husband and wife founders of the retreat—explain their ways of retreating during this time. “This current way of life has given us the opportunity to slow down, reflect and show gratitude to those that are supporting us – checking in with family, friends and our staff. We are caring for our minds and bodies, enriching our meditation practice, spending time in nature and keeping our bodies active. We have also been cooking our way through our new Ranch cookbook—FOOD, FOOD FOOD, while catching up on our reading list, which currently includes Sapiens, Educated, A Thousand Hills to Heaven, The Art of Stillness and A Short History of Everything.”
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Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
Karina Stewart, Co-Founder & Chief Wellness Director at Kamalaya
Renowned for its Comprehensive Detox retreat, wellness resort Kamalaya’s Chief Wellness Director Karina Stewart, speaks to us on the importance of sleep during this time. “Trying to get a good solid sleep of eight hours as often as possible is my number one. The earlier we go to bed—before ten—the better the quality of sleep is and the more restorative it is. I also commune with nature, and I love taking wonderful mineral salt baths with essential oils. My favorite way to start the day is to get up early in the morning, have quiet time with a cup of tea and then do some pranayama and meditation.”
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Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
See also: Wheatgrass, Coconuts and Colonics: Kamalaya’s Comprehensive Detox
John Reed, Chief Operating Officer at Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute
In Shanghai, Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute invites guests to seek self-clarity and harmony with its wellness offerings. “For many this period has been a time of reflection and an opportunity to reconnect with our family spending meaningful moments together; this has been the case for myself and my wife.
We have focused on staying healthy through fitness and a nutritious diet with no sugar and alcohol and mindful reading; in essence using this time for a full mind, body and soul reset. We also took the opportunity to exercise (yoga, stretching, breathwork, meditation) and discover new practitioners who have helped us with mindfulness, opening ourselves up to higher levels of consciousness. And of course just being outside, getting sun on our skin for a good dose of Vitamin D and enjoying the fresh air.
What is so encouraging is that here in Suzhou, life is by all intents and purposes, back to normal, with regular office hours with full days of meetings. Using all the practices adopted during the earlier lockdown and our quarantine period is helping me to keep my work/personal life balanced!”
Follow @sangharetreatbyoctaveinstitute on Instagram
Contact bookings@compareretreats.com to book your luxury wellness retreat
