Are Wellness Retreats Worth It?
First of all, let’s start out by saying you probably don’t realize just how many different types of wellness retreats are available. Before we answer the question, ‘are wellness retreats worth it,’ we need to look at the very divergent forms of retreats that are available. This will open your book of wellness resources to see if one of these trips is tailormade to where you are in your life today.
When we look at the wellness lifestyle, it’s not just about yoga, in fact, there are many different focuses that can be invigorating, fun, life-changing, inspiring, and just plain relaxing. Maybe you think of a retreat and think about healthy meals and frequent gatherings to stretch on a beach but let’s look deeper and then evaluate with a more informed perspective.
Types of Wellness Retreats You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Celebrate being single and find how to have fun on your own at a singles’ retreat. While some might not consider this ‘wellness,’ we beg to differ, because emotional health and a strong sense of self are top on the list when it comes to well being. There are many types of relationship-themed retreats such as single parents, divorce, gay, or abuse. Then you have a slew of therapeutic retreats that include topics of major life transition or challenges such as death, cancer, addiction, depression, aging, or grief which are available through retreat finder.
There are cooking retreats, nature retreats, women’s retreats, dance retreats, social justice and activism retreats, sacred sexuality retreats, circus retreats, adventure retreats, writing retreats, all different types of learning and arts retreats like painting, theatre and music.
Are you starting to see that there is a retreat for everything?
Literally, from mountain biking to quilting, there’s a retreat for that! A lot of people don’t know this and that’s why they don’t like the idea of a retreat or want to spend money on one.
Common Types of Wellness Retreats
Many people have an idea of what a retreat is based on pictures they see on Instagram of people at silent retreats, meditation retreats, yoga retreats, Ayurvedic retreats or your more generic rest and relaxation retreats. Another popular type of retreat is couples retreats.
Retreats can include self-guided or group adventures. If we had to define a wellness retreat, it would mean breaking out of your routine with a certain focus to increase happiness and find inspiration. Many people use retreats to get back in touch with their inner self and figure out what they want to do next in their life. They may use it to quiet their mental chatter or they may use it to socialize.
If you want to build confidence or overcome ego, there’s a way a wellness retreat can help. If you don’t know what type of retreat might be good for you, brainstorm on what you’re searching for, dreaming about, or wanting in life. Or just browse the many varieties and see if something pops out and piques your interest. Sometimes we don’t know why our intuition pulls us to something until we actually experience it.
Read this next: Should You Try a Silent Retreat?
Are Wellness Retreats Worth It?
A wellness retreat can be something you create in your own backyard or something you plan at a fun destination. You can charter your own retreat without a group and be just as satisfied if you tend to want to go at your own speed. However, if you don’t do well with planning out the details and tend to just eat whatever is in front of you, joining a planned out wellness retreat can really recharge your batteries and help your health.
Retreats can help lower blood pressure, improve weight loss, reduce stress, provide inspiration and techniques for creativity or positivity. Retreats can open your mind to a new hobby, new spiritual practice, or a deeper sense of passion for life. They can help you learn nutrition, help you re-learn how to have fun, and help you address deeper issues in your life like communication, emotional health, and healing.
They can even help you start a new chapter, meet someone new, or finally let go of someone. They can help you find a new career or decide to get rid of putting too much pressure on yourself. When a group gets together with a common goal, there is enthusiasm, intention, and power in it.
They have done some scientific studies that have confirmed significant mental and physical health benefits directly after and long term from wellness retreats that can help catapult a new lifestyle of wellness living. Sometimes you just need to change up the routine, get some new ideas about how to care for yourself and break away from everything you’ve been doing! Now as we address the question we started out with, we can certainly conclude that this booming wellness tourism business is successful because people are getting a serious bang for their buck!
Give Yourself the Gift of Wellness
Have you been burnt out at work or feeling like you want to escape? Listen to those feelings and consider taking a time out and going away even if it’s just for a weekend to a local AirBnB or camping in your backyard watching football in a tent. How much is happiness worth and how much is lasting positive change going to help you feel strong, make better decisions, and feel excited about tomorrow? The people who lead retreats have a unique perspective on life that they are passionate about sharing with you to awaken your fire for life and bring that spark home with you.
Not all retreats are made equal, so do some digging and read about other people’s experiences. You want to know what you’re signing up for so you know that the type of food and activities, as well as the people that are likely drawn to the retreat, will have a similar goal so you feel you can be in your own skin. Some might want a fancy retreat with lots of downtime while others may want a rugged outdoor adventure!
Related Article: Exploring Alternative Relaxation Techniques
