Whether you’re looking for a short wellness break or an extended fitness vacation, alone or in a group, here are six of the best options.
1.DowntoFlow escapes, worldwide locations. From £ 160 / night
Down to Flow Escapes offer mind and body retreats around the world
Down to flow
DowntoFlow Escapes are a range of luxury fitness retreats offered in unique global locations including the UK, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Bali and Sri Lanka. While the retreats are ideal for both novice and experienced yogis, these retreats provide serious instruction and advice; They are not leisurely spa breaks. The founders Molly Robinson and Dylan Salamon are highly qualified yoga teachers. Molly brings her nutritional expertise to the company as a qualified chef who has worked for Australia’s leading nutritionist and author Lee Holmes. Dylan, a retired rugby player and powerlifter, previously developed yoga and anatomy training for organizations like GymBox, Broga, and The Royal Airforce. Down to Flow Retreats aim to bring the guests more self-confidence and mental clarity, which are described as “a state of flow”, through yoga, Pilates, hiking and other forms of exercise, breath work and journaling.
Upcoming retreats are:
Rise & Release (April 5-11, 2022 / Portugal). This spring retreat combines movement, adventure and abstract art.
Running Wild (May 7th – 13th, 2022 / Italy) Six nights in a traditional Tuscan farmhouse include daily movement and running exercises to develop strength and speed, as well as mobility and yoga sessions to support regeneration and flexibility to improve.
Playing with Motion (May 14-20, 2022 / UK). With cold water therapy, backyard fitness with tree trunks to lift and tire of the tractors to turn, and running through the expansive landscape, this sounds like it is suitable for anyone looking for tough athletic challenges.
2.Breath Guru retreats, Lanzarote, Spain. Four night retreat £ 1140
The Breath Guru shows a customer the breathtaking landscape of Lanzarote
Christine DeLeon
Is it possible to improve our mental and physical health simply by changing our breathing? According to Alan Dolan, the breath guru, this is certainly the case. Most of us only use 20-25% of our breathing capacity because we breathe from our chest. Since our normal breathing pattern does not involve the entire lungs, we do not get the full physical and mental benefits that we could obtain from “consciously connected breathing”. An advocate of this simple, effective practice, Alan Dolan, teaches the technique in an idyllic villa in the mountain village of Oasis de Nazaret on Lanzarote, one of the Spanish Canary Islands. Alan Dolan, founder of Breathguru® and breath coach, has spent 17 years transforming people’s lives (not least his own) with the simple power of breathing. Conscious connected breathing involves inhaling through your mouth and exhaling through your nose (the opposite of normal breathing). The noticeable benefits of breathing work can range from relieving anxiety, depression, and stress to increasing energy levels. A retreat with the Breath Guru includes breathing sessions twice a day, one session is an individual session with Alan, the other is a group session. Accommodation, airport transfers, all meals, breathing exercises, and an arrival massage are included in the retreats.
3.The body camp, Mallorca, Spain. From £ 1170 / three nights
Body camp in Mallorca, Spain
Sofia Gomez Fonzo
The motto of the Body Camp is “get fitter, feel younger and have fun”. A professionally programmed holistic fitness and activity program for body, mind and soul, in the calm hills of Mallorca, is offered. It’s a tough boot camp where the morning follows a strict regime but the afternoon is for relaxing. Freshly prepared, nutritious meals and proteins are on the menu, which was created for optimal health, fat loss and retraining of portioning habits. Bookings can be made via Fish & Pips and are based on shared occupancy.
4thWild fitness, Menorca, Spain. From £ 1850 / six nights
Wildfitness, Menorca
Wild fitness
Wildfitness is located in an attractive 18th century farmhouse. There is also one interactive educational workshop per day on a range of topics including wild exercise, life, food and mindset. Invigorating meditation and massage sessions and a herbal program in the paleo style as well as regular hikes through the island and refreshing sea baths make the wildlife fitness experience something special.
5.Arrigo group retreats, Worldwide. From £ 1870 / four nights
Breathing exercise outdoors
Arrigo
One of the UK’s leading providers of transformational retreats, Fiona Arrigo of the Arrigo program, offers special group retreats. The psychotherapist Fiona Arrigo as well as guest teachers and specialist practitioners offer a multifaceted program of therapeutic treatments, body and breath work, exploratory talks, nutritious food and the opportunity to reflect, recharge and refresh. Themed retreats deal with grief, self-discovery, transformation and revitalization.
6thDolce vitality in Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy. £ 5100 / six nights
Positano, Italy
it
Dolce Vitality takes place in the renowned Positano Resort Le Sirenuse only twice a year in spring and autumn. Dolce Vitality’s “open-air fitness studio” stretches across a network of ancient mule tracks, from famous routes such as the Path of the Gods to relatively pristine trails. The paths, tended by volunteers, traverse lemon and olive groves, pass old chapels and shrines, climb winding stairs to tiny high-lying villages with wide sea views. The fitness retreat offers morning and evening yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises, while the afternoons are dedicated to stretching, gentle strength training, and relaxing massages and spa treatments. The meals are vegan and are prepared by the hotel’s chef in close consultation with the local nutritionist and health coach. Under the guidance of an accredited yoga and meditation teacher and supported by leading wellness experts, the participants conquer mountains, sweat out toxins, discover flexibility and resilience and refocus body and mind. Massages are included and you can attend any number of the HIIT, Pilates and yoga classes on offer.