Wellness Retreats

The wellness rage couldn’t be advancing faster. Everyone wants to be well. Everyone wants to live well. Everyone frankly wants to live as long as possible. Who knows what the heck happens post-death? A good reason why we all want to stick around and not think about it. And wellness goes hand-in-hand.

Defined as an active process of becoming aware and making choices that lead to a healthy life, wellness is not limited to the physical. It is emotional as well. In fact, there are eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual. All eight require work. Don’t be fooled, wellness is not simply declaring I am content with my job, got some yoga in, breathe clean air because we moved to the coast and ran 3 miles, so all good. No, wellness takes work, and wellness retreats are where the rubber meets the road.

While the places we are going to detail here might sound like margarita-sipping havens, they are designed to get your body and soul aligned. Yes, you might be able to squeeze in a karaoke session or even put back a couple shots listening to some Ricky Martin at the bar, but the goal is not to tap into your inner 23-year-old, but rather your sage-like 52-year old self. Reflect, get your head straight, put on your wellness jeans, and oh, we forgot, bring your credit card. Getting well has a price.

First up is the Amanera. It already sounds expensive. Located in the picturesque Playa Grande, Dominican Republic, the Amanera is a year-round wellness paradise stretching 2,170 acres with 25 casas that overlook the ocean and situated between two quaint villages – Cabrera and Rio San Juan. Known as a “surf and sun” holistic getaway, the Amanera offers yoga, energy treatments, meditation and their signature Lunar Journeys. These consist of moon retreats and focus on purification and supporting creativity. One item not to miss is their skincare line that is sustainably sourced from the resort’s jasmine and palo santo.

Staying in the general region, next up we have Cala de Mar located in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo (say that eight times while standing on your head), Mexico. Another year-round banger, Cala comes even stronger with 59 rooms and a host of personalized retreats. Daily activities such as sunset yoga, therapies plus ancient cacao ceremonies spearheaded by a respected local shaman are all on the docket. One thing that should not be missed is a shamanic Aztec sweat lodge ceremony complete with watermelon and cantaloupe agua frescas. I feel well just reading this!

Lastly, we’ll head north to the States, specifically Austin, Texas, where the Miraval Austin Resort & Spa awaits. This is a new property, 220 acres with 117 rooms. Miraval initially opened a spa in Tucson, Arizona 20 years ago and this is their second property. Overlooking Lake Travis, Miraval markets their “Live in Balance” program which encourages imagination, stepping out of comfort zones and immersing yourself into a personalized journey (guided of course by a crack staff). The restaurant and overall eating experience at Miraval should not be missed where organic, natural ingredients farmed fresh from the surrounding farm arrives fresh to the table every morning.

Honestly, put aside some cash for a wellness retreat. If the goal is to stick around and be well, this is a must.