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Luxury Wellness Festivals

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Latest.

By Amira Hashish

Keen to kickstart your wellbeing regime? Or maybe you are mapping out your travel itinerary for the year…Why not combine both? Wellness festivals with a healthy dose of luxury are popping up at some of the world’s leading hotels. Picturesque holiday villas are also hosting immersive retreats that are geared towards the mind and body. From a soulful getaway in The Maldives to mixing business and pleasure in Mexico, these are the global wellness festivals to have on your radar…

Envision Festival, Costa Rica

Envision Festival Costa Rica

When: February 27 – March 6

What to expect: Nestled between the jungle and the beach, Envision Festival encompasses spirituality, music, art, health, sustainability and education. Set in the rainforest, festival-goers can bring their own tents or rent a tent that is set up for you. Merging concerts and performance with yoga and workshops, this is a truly immersive experience. It may not offer the luxury of a hotel but if you are seeking an adventure this could be just the ticket.

Book: Tickets are not on sale yet but you can register here to be granted a ticket as soon as they are released. Expect to pay upwards of £500 for admission with separate fees for camping, envisionfestival.com.

MIND. BODY. RESET, Mallorca

Mind Body Reset Festival Mallorca

When: May 5 – 11

What to expect: A six-night wellness retreat with the goal of inspiring more conscious choices that will nourish the body and nurture the mind. Course leaders Donna and Gemma will weave their magic with workshops, meditations, conscious breath and movement along with dips in the crystal clear ocean. Grace Berrow of Patiki Beach, Port de Soller is on board as the private chef and Lily Sielaff joins as the Jivamukti Yoga teacher. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yogi​, all levels are welcome. The backdrop to the retreat is the magnificent Son Rullan, a 14th-century Templar Monastery on a hill overlooking the ocean, surrounded by 500-year-old olive trees over four hectares of terraces. The house and rooms have been renovated, each simply decorated with antique furniture. The surrounding gardens are filled with corners in which to relax whilst the swimming pool mixes its waters with those of the Mediterranean Sea. Blissful in every sense.


Book: Prices start from £2,000 per person. A master suite with king bed, private bathroom, terrace and sea views. Plus, a living room with extra futon bed for 1-2 people costs £2,800 per person if sharing (takes 2-4 people). This includes workshops, meals, and activities, mindbody-reset.com.

PACE,  Zakynthos

PACE Festival Zakynthos

When: May 22 – 26

What to expect: A firm favourite with families in Greece, the Peligoni Club has diversified its offerings whilst remaining true to its barefoot beach club ethos. PACE is a laidback week that balances fitness and mindfulness with feasts, creative workshops and social gatherings. Designed to leave you feeling nourished physically, mentally and emotionally, it is a holiday that can be taken at its own pace, ideal for parents or groups of friends seeking to reconnect and kickstart the summer. Whether you are up for a dose of cold water exposure, breathwork, yoga, gong baths or meditation you can dip in and out as much as you would like. There will be healthy amounts of sumptuous food and Rosé too.

Book: For £400 guests will receive a week’s membership to the club, a full paddlesports upgrade along with all the fitness and yoga classes, meditation and wellness workshops. Accommodation is booked separately, peligoni.com. 

SOUL, The Maldives

Soul Festival Maldives

When: September 29 – October 8

What to expect: Luxury hospitality group Soneva is launching an immersive wellness festival called SOUL on the shores of Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll. Over ten days, the intimate retreat invites guests from across the world to explore wellness in all its forms, from personal to planetary. A global line-up of thought leaders and wellness pioneers will be at hand. Proceeds from the sale of festival tickets will go to the Soneva Foundation along with the ORGANIC INDIA Foundation to support the development of projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.  

Book: Prices start from £5,600 for two guests for a minimum three-night stay. This includes two festival tickets and full access to the entire program during the stay, with private villa accommodation alongside daily full board at selected dining destinations and complimentary round–trip wheeled plane domestic transfers, soneva.com/soul.

Synergy, Mexico

Synergy Festival Mexico

When: October 24-27

What to expect: Following its debut in Ibiza last year, Synergy – The Retreat Show sets up camp at the Palmaïa The House of AIA in Mexico for 2023. This is a wellness escape with a side of networking. It is designed to unite everyone from luxury properties and industry experts to practitioners including yoga instructors and fitness coaches – as well as luxury travel designers looking for the next experiential wellness escape. With an eye on sustainability and slow hospitality, Synergy prides itself on creating a well-balanced platform for inspirational conversation, meetings, talks, creativity, and experiences. Set on the lush natural surroundings and sandy shores of Mexico, this year’s show will not only spark ideas centred around responsible wellbeing, wellness trends and slow travel, but also build long-lasting relationships that will nourish businesses and individuals.

Book: Applications are required to attend. Registrations are now open. Early birds receive 10% off if they book before January 31. Visit theretreatshow.com to apply.

ALMA, Ibiza

Alma Festival Ibiza

When: November 2 – 5

What to expect: Already firmly established as one of the White Isle’s most luxurious retreats, Six Senses Ibiza hosts its very own three-day wellness festival. Nestled in the tranquil northern tip of Ibiza on crystalline Xarraca bay, the setting lends itself to a relaxing retreat. Experiences are deemed deeply spiritual with a line-up of gurus from the music, wellness, and creative community. Full details of this year’s festival are yet to be released but you can register your interest to secure your spot.

Book: Register at almafrequency.com for announcements and booking details.

If a trip abroad isn’t feasible, there are some great UK options too. Here are the British festivals to add to your calendar: 

Balance Festival, May 19 – 21, London balance-festival.com

The Big Retreat Festival, June 1 – 4, Pembrokeshire thebigretreatfestival.com 

LoveFit, July 14 – 16, Sevenoaks, lovefitfestival.com

Happy Place Festival, July 15 & 16, Chiswick + September 2 & 3, Tatton Park, happyplaceofficial.co.uk

World Yoga Festival, August 3 – 6, Henley, yogafestival.world

Verve Wellness Festival, September 16 – 17, Wiltshire feeltheverve.com

WellFest, date tbc, London, wellfestuk.com 

How to Achieve a Healthy WFH Lifestyle

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Latest, Lifestyle, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

Falling into a less-than-ideal routine while working from home is unsurprisingly easy, especially over the winter. Long, dark mornings do very little to inspire early rising, pre-work jogging or green smoothie breakfasts while cool afternoons call for pantry raids and frothy coffees. The eradication of our commutes keeps us at our desks longer, eroding quality family time and racking up our Zoom time.

Cultivating a healthy lifestyle when you work from home is incredibly rewarding and by setting achievable goals, you can bring more fulfilment and productivity to each day. The key is to make and keep promises to yourself that helps to build self-trust, thus self-respect and a sense of pride in your day. 

Here are a few tips for elevating your WFH schedule, prioritising a holistic attitude to your health and your productivity.

Keep Tabs on Your Overtime

It’s easy to work longer hours when there’s no rush to get home. Before the pandemic, leaving the office in the evening signalled the beginning of the race to hit that gym class, get back home, prepare dinner, squeeze in some wind-down time and get a full 8 hours of sleep. These days, we’re working smarter and using the time we save from our sofa-to-desk commute to tackle some life admin, get our endorphin fixes and pre-heat the oven. However, try not to fall into the trap of working overtime just because you can. If, like me, your dining table doubles as your desk, it’s important to keep tabs on the hours you spend there. If your choice of evening activities is a toss-up between binging a new series on Netflix or clearing your work inbox, why not try something new? Removing yourself from these patterns can help to curb the urge to burn the midnight oil. 

Commit to Your Commute Time

Once you’ve put healthy boundaries in place around the time you spend at your desk, it’s time to look at how to enrich your spare time. Using your usual morning commute time to read, learn a new skill or language or get in a yoga session will set you up for a productive and happy day. Knowing that you’ve accomplished something before work, even if it’s just some time taken for yourself to think, provides a sense of ownership of your day. It’s easy to let work take over, so reclaiming some time before the workday starts is crucial.

Keep Moving

Moving your body throughout the day will improve your concentration, keep you physically healthy and will contribute to a more positive mindset. You don’t have to join a running club or go to a spin class to feel the benefits. A lunchtime walk or a mid-morning stroll to the local cafe for a coffee will blow away the cobwebs. If your work diary is fit to burst with unending calls and Zoom meetings, why not take one or two of those calls outside in the garden or while you walk in the local park?

Stay Hydrated

Coffee doesn’t count here! Make sure you have a glass of water on your desk at all times while you work from home. Not only does keeping hydrated help to keep organs functioning properly, but it also improves our cognition, our sleep quality and our moods. If you feel you need a reminder to drink more water throughout the day, why not invest in a beautiful glass carafe for a deskside visual cue?

Create an Inspiring Home Office Space

Finding inspiration and motivation in a plain, under-loved home office is next to impossible. Make sure your workspace, be it an entire study or a corner of the dining room table, makes you feel creative and confident. Houseplants make great deskfellows, as do framed family photographs, special stationery and a really lovely paperweight. Bring art, soft furnishings and good lighting into the mix and you have yourself a haven for the working hours that will keep stress levels low and cheerful industriousness at an all-time high. 

Give Yourself Some Closure

At the end of the working day, it’s important to create physical distance between yourself and your laptop and other accoutrements of your employment. If your living room has taken on more of a multifunctional role since the beginning of the pandemic, ensure all signs of work are packed away neatly, ready for the morning. Dedicate a drawer to store your laptop, pens and notebooks to keep work out of sight and out of mind, allowing you to truly switch off in the evening. If you work from a dedicated study or office space, clear the space of clutter and close the door. You’ll thank yourself come the morning when you have fully decompressed and feel refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge…