The wellness trend is showing no signs of slowing down, so why not kick your doubts and cynicism to the curb and finally get on board? Even if you weren’t able to stick it out for Dry January and you haven’t fully recovered from all your holiday indulgences, it’s still the beginning of the year. And you don’t have to be Gwyneth to reset and recharge with a little extravagant R&R—soothing retreats are springing up all over, making them available to the rest of us who want to let our hair—and inhibitions—down.
Below, the most lavish wellness experiences around the world, from singing bowl therapy in Phuket to body constitution diagnoses in Aravalis to ancient Chinese medicine in the German Alps.
Rosewood Phuket Ideal Balance
As part of Rosewood Hotels integrated Asaya concept, wellness professionals at this Thailand hotel create individual programs for its seven-day Ideal Balance retreat, with treatments like aromatic massages and watsu (basically, warm water) therapy. There’s also singing bowl therapy, in which the “bowls” vibrate and produce a tone believed to help with relaxation and healing by balancing the energy system. Oh, and there’s healthy food. From $4,043, Rosewoodhotels.com.
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Breezes Bahamas Wellness Week
The all-inclusive Bahamas resort is partnering with Crunch Fitness this year for a seven-day wellness retreat running from April 4 to 11. The program includes daily exercise classes that range from beach yoga, Caribbean rhythms dancing and Zumba to the more adventurous flying Pilates and trapeze conditioning. There are also culinary workshops, cooking demonstrations and discussions that focus on helping guests make healthier life choices. Don’t worry, it’s still a vacation—you can enjoy the smoothie station, chilled eucalyptus towels and massages. From $1,295, Breezes.com.
ITC Grand Bharat Tranquil Sojourn
This Indian resort in Aravalis is about an hour outside New Delhi, so you’ll truly be disconnected from the world (however, there is wi-fi). The three-night Tranquil Sojourn retreat begins with an Ayurvedic wellness consultation (Ayurveda is an ancient Indian practice that entails healing the body with the mind) in which your body constitution (“dosha”) is diagnosed, and then you’re given a personalized detox program based on your diet and lifestyle. You can attend private yoga sessions and guided meditations and take advantage of the sea salt body scrubs. Also on offer: Kaya Kalp relaxing therapy, which is a holistic, full-body essential oil and pressure-point massage treatment to relax muscle tension and reduce water retention. And don’t forget about the Mukalepa Ayurvedic facial, which uses a specific herbal lepa to bring out inner beauty. From $1,650, Itchotels.in.
Schloss Elmau Tajiquan Retreat
The luxe German spa resort in the Bavarian Alps will host a four-day Tajiquan retreat from April 7 to April 12. Attendees will join qigong exercises, which is a holistic system on the meditative aspects of movement, and learn about principles of opening and closing yin and yang and the healing methods of ancient traditional Chinese medicine. The schedule is definitely stricter, with lessons from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and again from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., but you can also go for a swim in the rooftop infinity pool or check out the hotel’s concert hall or bookstore, the largest of any hotel in Germany. From $1,260, Schloss-elmau.com.
Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay Wild Precious Life by the Firestone Sisters
This three-night workshop in Half Moon Bay (a little less than an hour from San Francisco) from April 11 to 14 is led by wellness gurus Lucy and Mary Firestone. The retreat includes dream analysis workshops, regenerating spa treatments, movement medicine alignment and manifestation setting. For the grand finale, you can create your life-purpose map and planner. From $3,000, Ritzcarlton.com.
Madinat Jumeirah Rejuvenate Retreat
The new wellness program at Jumeirah Al Qasr’s Talise Spa in Dubai uses a Smart Wellness Screening at DNA Clinic to test your current health status pre-treatment, and then an individual plan is created from there. Guests can select activities like private yoga classes and nutritional consultations. There are also supplement kits, infra-red sauna sessions and spa treatments that focus on lymphatic drainage and detoxing. You can opt for retreats ranging from three to 10 days. From $1,360, Jumeirah.com.
One&Only Palmilla Wanderwall Retreats
The luxe Cabo resort is offering scheduled three-night wellness retreats in March, May, June, September and November. The getaways include daily meditation and yoga, fitness classes, massages, wellness dinners and a self-discovery workshop. There’s also a Temazcal session, which is a therapeutic ritual with a steam bath heated by local volcanic rocks and infused with blended herbs. Natural healing ingredients are added to help with detoxification and healing. From $616 a night, Oneandonlyresorts.com.
Mission Point Island Reset
The Mackinac Island resort overlooking Lake Huron in Michigan is hosting its first wellness weekend from May 31 to June 3. The women-only Island Reset includes sunrise yoga, morning hikes, pilates and meditation classes, as well as presentations that focus on personal goal-setting, nutritional power and organic beauty. There are no motor vehicles on the island (you can walk, bike or take a horse and buggy). Honestly, we might be most interested in the designated afternoon nap time. From $1,185 for a single-occupancy room, Missionpoint.com.
Gurney’s Montauk Wellness Retreat
Gurney’s just launched a new monthly fitness program with three-day retreats filled with perfectly Goop-y activities like intention setting, mindfulness, meditation and Ayurveda. Each weekend features a fitness instructor from Victoria’s Secret–approved gyms and studios like Dogpound and modelFIT. From $995, Gurneysresorts.com.
The Ranch Dolomites
Malibu wellness favorite The Ranch is heading to the Dolomites in Italy, where it will host eight weekly retreat sessions from August 25 through October 19. Guests stay at the five-star Leading Hotels of the World member Hotel Rosa Alpina and can take part in a combination of intense fitness programs and a meticulously selected plant-based diet plan. Each morning starts with a hike with local guides, followed by strength training, yoga, meditation and daily massages. Also, there’s cauliflower pizza. From $8,700, Theranchmalibu.com.
