You know you need a break: you’re burning out and never get enough time for yourself. You haven’t made room in your schedule for self-care, exercise, nutrition, or other things that bring you joy. Your friends and family mean well, but they still get in the way of the choices and moments you need to feel whole. Use those vacation days for some YOU time. Here are five types of wellness retreats that can help you get recentered and take control of your health.
1. Mental Health Reset
While not technically a “wellness retreat” in the traditional sense, rehab for depression and other mental illnesses is an absolute holistic necessity. You can’t effectively seek healing or spiritual alignment if your mental (or physical) health is all out of whack. Before you head off on any other type of wellness vacation, devote some real time to your psychological well being. When you’re at your best, you’re better equipped to reap the benefits of other types of healing retreats.
You might still be thinking, “OK, but a grippy sock vacation isn’t exactly a trip to the spa,” and you’re not wrong. However, mental health rehab centers aren’t the scary, dingy places we often see in movies and the media. Many modern mental health facilities are beautiful, comfortable, resort-like spaces, offering nutritious food and a host of activities. Besides group and individual therapy, you’ll likely also get plenty of time to socialize, exercise, and spend time in nature.
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2. Writing Retreats
Writing retreats are another category that might have you thinking “wait, I thought you said ‘wellness.’” For many people, though, getting their thoughts out on paper is the surest path to emotional healing and wellbeing. Yes, some writing retreats are for career writers who simply need a quiet place to focus on their novels or poetry. However, many others are designed to help participants uncover new truths about themselves and what they need to heal.
For example, many women flock to the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala to attend a transformational writers’ retreat. The organizer engages participants in a series of prompts that help them uncover their deepest values and desires. By the end of your 7 to 10 day stay, you’ll have filled an entire journal with wishes you didn’t know you had. Many women leave with a profound sense of clarity and insight, pursuing new goals and dreams upon their return.
3. Yoga Retreats
Getting a little more traditional, a yoga retreat is one of the most popular types of wellness retreats to attend. Levels range from simple resort stays that include daily yoga to intensive daily practice and even teacher training retreats. There’s also a lot of variety at yoga retreats when it comes to the type of facility you stay in. Some yoga retreats feature luxurious hotel rooms and spas, while others have you sleep in dorm bunks or even a treehouse (bathrooms not included).
Yoga is an especially healing practice because it allows you to treat both your mind and body simultaneously. It takes both physical and mental discipline to build up the stamina for complex yoga sequences. While holding poses, you grow and strengthen your muscles, increase your flexibility, and relax your breathing and nervous system. You also learn to slow your thoughts, clear your mind, and recenter your mental energy.
4. Meditation Retreats
Meditation retreats, including mindfulness and silent retreats, can require deeper levels of discipline and commitment to the practice. Before going on a meditation retreat, it can be especially important to make sure you’re properly managing any ongoing mental health issues. The hours spent in stillness or silence can be upsetting if you’re still processing any difficult events or emotions. They can, however, be especially healing and grounding experiences.
In the most extreme version, called a dark retreat, participants isolate themselves completely in a dark room for several days. No light is allowed to enter, and they have no little or no contact with other humans for the duration of the retreat. They eat, sleep, meditate, and relieve themselves in a single room, where food is dropped off or passed in daily through a double-doored window. More typical retreats consist of mindfulness exercises, silent group meditations, and the like.
5. Culinary and Detox Retreats
Many people wish to heal their bodies with dietary changes, like adopting a vegan or anti-inflammatory eating pattern. However, the challenges of modern life, like busy schedules and poor fresh-food access, make it hard to do this properly at home. At a culinary or detox retreat, participants get to spend several days or weeks eating in whatever way they find healing. They can choose to do a juice cleanse, an all-organic retreat, or whatever else they please.
At one retreat in Costa Rica, participants spend 7 to 10 days eating mainly fresh fruits and vegetables grown organically, on the property. They can watch as chefs prepare signature gluten-free, dairy free dishes, like fresh juices and soups, in the open kitchen. Another retreat, in Greece, offers plant-based versions of traditional Greek dishes like spanakopita and Greek salad. Participants spend their days hiking, meditating, doing yoga, and relaxing on the beach.
The Right Retreat for You
At any given point in your life, it might be time to focus on a different aspect of wellness, whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. Your wellness needs will fluctuate throughout the years, and you’re the only person who knows exactly what’s right for you in each moment. Only you can decide if what you need is movement or stillness, mountains or the ocean, solo time or a group adventure. Listen to your intuition — not advice from friends, loved ones, or influencers.
Just one caution: while a retreat can be an amazing escape, it can’t save you from yourself or the life you live. If you have serious physical or mental health concerns, always treat those before embarking on a retreat. Yes, a retreat can kickstart a healthy lifestyle change or give you deeper insight into a problem you’ve been meaning to solve. However, it’s not a replacement for making small, manageable changes that move you toward a life you don’t want to escape from.
