Seven Wellness Retreats for a Stressed Out World

Pandemic, Wall Street, Ukraine, oil price shocks at the pump — there is no shortage of quakes disrupting daily life and travel plans these days. But as the world crawls out of isolation caves and gets back on track, a serious retool may be in order for those who want to do some serious rethinking and retuning before it is, once again, show time. 

One top retreat – the Art of Living Retreat Center, in Boone, N.C. – is seeing such a demand for inner calmness they’ll soon start offering their “no tech allowed” Silent Retreat four times a month, versus one time a month.

Other resorts see their guests are looking for more of a “go big or go home” approach to wellness, like the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa that created an over-the-top $23,000 pampering package.

The following is just a glimpse of what resorts around the world are offering right now: everything from a Women’s Sexual Wellness retreat in Ibiza, Spain; and Aerial Yoga in Aruba, to Mindful Mayan Moments in the Mayan Riviera and exploring the crystal clear waters of St. Barths.

Art of Living Retreat Center, Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

The Art of Living Retreat Center is a meditation and Ayurvedic wellness getaway set in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The growing trend in Wellness Travel is truly being witnessed at this retreat center. To respond to the demand for more options the Center has:

• * Increased its offering of its Silent Retreats for the first time ever. Instead of offering it one time a month they’ll offer it three times a month this April and four times a month starting this summer. 
  
• * Created various new all-inclusive wellness escapes — focused on girlfriends, mothers & daughters, couples & solo travelers, These escapes offer guests more flexibility to enjoy their various R&R offerings, including walks through their labyrinth, clay handbuilding, yoga, and guided nature hikes. 
  
• * Tailored wellness getaways for companies looking to bring their employees there for a recharge.
   

The Center is known for its Happiness Retreat, which also includes silent time as part of its schedule. 

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Hawaii 

Wellness-minded travelers can embrace 40 acres of the serene beaches of Ka‘anapali on the island of Maui with the thoughtfully curated $23,000, over-the-top Recharge and Restore package at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Maui. The package includes:

• * Three nights in the resort’s gorgeous Presidential suite, which features a Peloton© and weights for in-room workouts
• * A variety of fitness activities, including a one-hour personal training class, and a yoga and meditation session
• * Private hula lessons & lei making lessons
• • An immersion in nature experience with an ahupua’a at Kipuka Olowalu (which involves removing invasive species and replanting native plants on the land), including transportation and lunch, and an exclusive VIP table for two at Drums of the Pacific Luau 
• * A  garden tour at Hua Momona Farms followed by outdoor cooking class with Chef with dinner for two on the suite’s secluded lanai
• * Authentic Lomilomi massage for two at the Marilyn Monroe Spa and a flower bath with Hawaiian salts to unwind 
• * Daily access to an oceanside hale on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. 
• * Learning how to mix the perfect cocktail at a mixology class
• * Two tickets to the NASA astronomer-led Tour of the stars where they will be able to see 80 of the 88 constellations
  
  
  

This experience can be booked by calling (808-667-4932) and starts at $23,000.

Hyatt Regency Resort Spa and Casino, Aruba

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino is home to the newly renovated ZoiA Spa, dedicated to helping guests to find balance through an emphasis on energy, purity, serenity and devotion. This further expands the resort’s extensive wellness offerings, which include:

• * A full-time Wellness and Wellbeing Ambassador who focuses on working with guests on three key areas: feel, fuel and function. The Ambassador creates and enhances experiences for guests related to wellness and mindfulness such as beach yoga and pool exercise classes
• * Aerial yoga, meditation and Tai Chi, which are all part of the “Rise and Shine” program consisting of various daily classes to help guests unwind & recharge
• * Moonlight yoga on the beach on each full moon to help guests restore energy and celebrate the beauty of the full moon
• * A spa treatment performed in the pool: the Massage den Awa is a gentle form of body therapy that creates deep relaxation by combining elements of massage, shiatsu, and muscle stretching
• * Outdoor treatments available at the resort’s new private poolside cabanas
• * Treatments utilizing local ingredients including Aruban aloe. These treatments include Aruba Sun Rescue and Aloe Devotion Facial
• * Learning how to make health(ier) cocktails with the Master Mixology class featuring Green Bar Distillery organic liquors.
  
  
  

Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, Mexico’s Mayan Riviera

Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, a resort located in a private complex along the Caribbean coastline in Riviera Maya, Mexico, puts a great emphasis on guests’ wellness. The resort recently launched a Mindful Mayan Moments package that immerses guests in a cultural wellness experience, stress-combating Mayan energy stimulation and soul-touching Mayan meditation led by a Mayan shaman. The experience includes:

• * Yoga or Mayan meditation
• * Mayan stone treatment at
• * Naum Wellness & Spa
• * Mayan Chaman Tzolkin reading
• * Special dinner, using ancient recipes and local ingredients.
  
  

The package is priced at $350 USD per person, inclusive of tax and service charge.

The on-site Naum Wellness & Spa also offers services inspired by the Mayans and focused on the balancing nature of the number three, offering a time of reflection at the start of each treatment and a time of celebration at the end.  Guests can also enjoy a variety of treatments including body wraps that utilize native ingredients from cacao to agave to jade and gold, all intended to help guests find balance in their quest for wellness.

Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf St. Barth, St. Barth’s

Opened in October 2020, the new 21-room five-star luxurious resort in the beautiful island of St. Barth is truly an oasis for those looking to relax and recharge. Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf St. Barth is the island’s only hotel boasting panoramic views of the port of Gustavia. In addition to the serene setting and soaking up St. Barth’s natural vitamin D sun rays, the resort’s wellness offerings include: 

* Spa Diane Barrière offering multi-sensory stimulation, bespoke holistic treatments and tailored massages. 

* Yoga class to the rhythm of the West Indies, 

* Electric bike rentals for a leisurely ride exploring the island 

* Aqua biking in the suites’ plunge pools

* Relax on the idyllic Shell Beach 

* Experience the natural sea pools of Grand Fond and Petit-Cul de Sac. 

* Dining at the resort’s superb Shellona restaurant

Guests can also enjoy the renowned Fouquet’s restaurant which has made the journey from Paris to offer guests the delicious and exciting cuisine created by 3-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Le Carl Gustaf offers guests a day on a catamaran where they can head to an island of their choice to enjoy the open sea and explore the crystal clear waters aboard a fast boat with unique design. The hotel’s Concierge Clefs d’Or works with several nautical service providers to guarantee a service that meets visitors’ expectations. Once aboard, guests can enjoy a picnic prepared by Chef Gil Dumoulin. Rates start at around $900 per night. 

Six Senses Ibiza, Spain

Set above Crystalline Cala Xarraca Bay, on the private northern tip of Ibiza, Spain, Six Senses Ibiza offers a gorgeous location for a wellness escape. Guests can choose from 116 guest accommodations, including townhouses, pool suites and beachfront caves, offering breathtaking views of the Bay.

The resort specializes in expert-led retreats, designed to provide much-needed space to reconnect with your inner peace and thrive when you’re back in the outer world. Some of this year’s retreats include:

* Pleasure Principles – Journey of Women’s Sexual Wellness with Dr. Nicola Finley (April 3 – 8, 2022)

* Triathlon of Senses Retreat (April 27, 2022 – May 1, 2022)

* Solving the Mystery of Your Sleep with Dr. Michael Breus (May 6 – 10, 2022)

Guests will also enjoy the 12,900-square-foot spa, housing the RoseBar longevity lounge, steam room, hammam and holistic anti-aging program with nutrition guidance and modern healing methods, along with a state-of-the-art fitness area, café and juice bar. Outdoors there’s everything from a boxing ring to a massage catacombs with direct access to the organic gardens, where ingredients for the spa botanicals and Alchemy Bar are grown.

Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal

Set in a glorious 19th-century Portuguese manor, the drive up through the vine-covered rolling hills of the Douro Valley to the Six Senses Douro Valley is possibly the best preparation for a retreat. The intimate 60-room Six Senses Douro Valley offers wellness retreats designed to reconnect with what matters, and reach new possibilities. With guests indicating how much they value precious time spent with family and friends, this spring the resort introduces the more spacious Vineyard Villas. Consider the following retreat: Journey to Vitality with Dr. Ana Moreira, May 19 – 22, 2022. Using Integrative Medicine, this retreat will help you restore your vitality, re-balance your energy levels and leave feeling a whole lot stronger.

The resort also features 60 accommodations with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beautiful woodland or vineyard. Guests can relax at the Six Senses Spa with the use of its steam room and fitness center, along with its weekly schedule of complimentary activities including yoga, meditation, fitness, sound healing, hiking, and additional extras according to the program. More details here.