Need a break? Slowing down for a few days will not only help you find balance but also restore your energy levels and even give your creativity a boost. At these luxury retreats, the days begin with sun salutations, meditations, and healthy haute cuisine served at the table. A temazcal ceremony or getting lost in the Peloponnese will turn regeneration into a memorable experience. These are the must-visit destinations to reset in 2021.
EUPHORIA RETREAT (MYSTRAS, GREECE)
In ancient Greek, Euphoria means to live in happiness, balance, and wellbeing. This is their philosophy, which bears this term by name. Located in Mystras (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important Byzantine landmark), this wellness temple uses a blend of traditional Greek and Chinese healing therapies. As they say, their philosophy of wellness provides the antidote needed to renew world-weary spirits. They do this by personalizing each guest's diet through nutrigenomics. In addition, yoga and mindfulness, detox, relaxation, and fitness programs are some of their schedules to raise their visitors' energy levels and happiness.
YAAN WELLNESS (TULUM, MEXICO)
During the sixties, Bobby Klein was a photographer for the Stones and the Doors. However, he later became a clinical psychologist and studied the healing techniques of Native American tribes and Tibetan Buddhists. Years later, he decided to create a contemporary sanctuary located in Tulum, through which nature could flow in time and space. Their forte is energy treatments to help release blockages, deep level healing, harmonizing the chakras, restoring balance and overall wellbeing for the mind, body, and spirit. But they are known for the temazcal ceremony (performed every month with the new and full moon), a pre-Hispanic steam bath that represents the return to the womb to be reborn purified in Mayan symbolism. The sensation is said to be one of rebirth, clarity, and inner peace.
WE CARE SPA (PALM SPRING, USA)
Surrounded by cactus and desert is this small resort, where models and all kinds of celebrities come to cleanse their bodies and spirit. Susana Belen, its founder, is now 83 years old and has more energy than some people much younger than her. Her program is based on fasting, liquid diets, colon hydrotherapy, and daily massages that promise an anti-aging experience. The resort is simple but has meditation areas, a swimming pool, and hammocks where you can let yourself go in the moment and recalibrate your system.
SANTANI WELLNESS RESORT (KANDI, SRI LANKA)
This five-star retreat is a far cry from the boutique hotels found in Sri Lanka. Santani rises amidst tea plantations and fruit trees through what they call holistic architecture based on respect for the flows of nature. Where their mantra Ayubowan! (a Sanskrit word meaning "in harmony with") makes sense. So does her philosophy, based on the belief that wellbeing is only possible through balance with nature, oneself, and others. Another of its healing pillars is silence, not only sound but also visual. The meditation caves of Buddhist monks inspire its 16 elevated rooms. The gastronomic proposal is healthy haute cuisine, in which Ayurvedic principles are applied. Saunas, yoga sessions, massages, and talks with their Ayurvedic doctors bring a sense of the clamor to change the sign of the lifestyle back home.