Luxury wellness holidays

The term ‘luxury’ can often be in the eye of the beholder. For some, it’s silk sheets, five stars and champagne. For others it’s finding those precious five minutes of peace and quiet for ‘me time’. A luxury is something out of the ordinary; it can be slightly indulgent; it’s that certain something that makes us feel special or ever so slightly spoilt. It’s definitely not something that we’d do every day – unless we’re on holiday, of course.

Luxury wellness holidays let you give your body the space, respect and personal attention that it deserves. They can place you in a yoga and mindfulness retreat in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains or an alkaline detox and wellness retreat close to the Spanish coast. You might find yourself somewhere even more exotic: Sri Lanka, Bali or the Maldives, for example. Wellbeing activities, healthy meals, learning, listening, relaxing, exercising, socialising, meditating; these are all indulgences that can be sorely missing from our day to day lives at home. On a luxury wellness holiday, these things are the norm, not the exception.

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your luxury retreat for a welcome meeting. Here you’ll meet other guests, your hosts and maybe some of the activity instructors. You’ll find out more about daily exercise and wellbeing classes. Yoga, Pilates and meditation are usually amongst the activities on offer; mixed ability classes are the norm, so beginners are welcome.

Morning and evening classes allow your body to get used to positions and postures that it might never have encountered before; slow and steady is definitely the mindset. Instructors ensure that everyone from beginners to experienced practitioners get the most from each session. It’s entirely up to you how much or how little you wish to do. Staying in child’s pose for an entire 90min yoga class is always an option, as is having a lie in or watching the sunrise from the comfort of your private balcony. Yoga mats, Pilates equipment and meditation pillows are provided.

In addition to daily classes you’ll also be invited to take part in guided walks in surrounding mountains or along the coast. Breathing in clean alpine air or salty sea breezes will energise tired minds and soothe a stressed out soul.