Each year, we take time off from our crazy hectic lifestyles to relax and recharge. Contrary to the regular vacation, simply a time off from daily routine, retreats are enriching getaways that provide a safe sanctuary to allow a deeper physical and emotional withdrawal from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
From delicious healthy meals, healing therapies, counselling, meditation, yoga and much more, retreats offer a healthy alternative to a regular holiday break.
They are unique as they allow you to unplug, harmonise your body and mental well-being, and get your natural rhythms back on track. Not completely convinced?
While the reasons to go to a retreat are endless, here are six reasons to consider taking a wellness retreat in Thailand this year and… you will thank yourself for it on the long run.
Reasons to Try a Wellness Retreat:
1.Time to reflect, renew and restore
A retreat can be life-changing, as it provides you with time to reconnect, bring back the zest and joy of life, and gain clarity to make more meaningful decisions in life. According to a research study published in Translational Psychiatry (Nature), regular holidays only bring about short-term improvements in well-being, whereas going on a week’s yoga and meditation retreat can improve long-term metabolism.
Jiddu Krishnamurti, a famous spiritual leader and philosopher, explains it clearly: “I think it is essential sometimes to go into retreat, to stop everything that you have been doing, to stop your beliefs and experiences completely and look at them anew, not keep on repeating like machines whether you believe or don’t believe. You would let fresh air into your minds.”
2. Away from your home and daily routine
Wellness retreats are usually situated in serene locations close to nature, offering the perfect setting and space to forget about life’s hustles and unwind. At the same time, excursions are also provided in the program if you are curious to explore the surroundings and new cultures.
3. A shift to a healthier and more conscious way of life
A holistic approach to retreats, combining healing therapies, yoga, meditation, healthy meals and a soothing environment, tends to shift people towards a more conscious and beneficial life approach. After a Retreat, participants tend to return to their busy, demanding lives with a sense of renewal, empowerment and clarity. They learn to participate in healthy practices without feeling guilty about taking time out. The experience gained helps them make more conscious decisions in life.
4. Nature allows you to unwind
Natural environments affect human health and well-being both directly and indirectly. Humans are part of natural ecosystems and depend on them for survival. According to a recent study, this dependence is challenged in a rapidly changing environment and increasing urbanisation. Nature provides opportunities for stress recovery and physical activity. One of the significant advantages of going on a retreat is that it offers proximity to nature, allowing you to reconnect with its healing elements.
5. Access to expert advice
Retreats include yoga, meditation, healing treatments, or counselling sessions by professionals who support you in finding balance and a sense of well-being. These sessions are personalised based on your needs and condition helping you improve, and also provide simple tools and practices to take home with you to integrate into your daily routine.
6. Unplug for improved decision-making
Did you know that multitasking and digital stimulation addiction lead to poor decision-making? In an era of email, text messages, and social media, we often do several things simultaneously. However, this continuous multitasking can hurt us. According to Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT, constant external stimulation and multitasking have been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol and the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which can overstimulate your brain and cause mental fog or scrambled thinking. Mindfulness and meditation are precisely the opposite; it’s dedicating conscious time to your actions so you make good decisions.
A retreat allows you to unplug; in addition to practising mindfulness through meditation and yoga, your decision-making skills are enhanced. So, for your next holiday, how about a retreat to allow you to unwind and reclaim the joy of life?
View a range of wellness retreats in Phuket and wellness retreats in Hua Hin, offered at Aleenta Resorts.
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