Don’t just live, choose to THRIVE: Wellness hacks to Unlock Longevity

WELLNESS is a must-have and a must-do for everyone today, especially with mental health becoming a key area of focus over these last several years for all of us. For the evolved wellness travellers, these wellness hacks have become an essential emerging trend. Some of these popular wellness experiences are listed below…

1. Rediscover and reset – Travel for not merely a break from life, but to realign and rediscover life’s purpose!

Wellness travel is no longer only seen as a simple, physically rejuvenating getaway and instead for many their wellness retreat also becomes a chance where they can prioritise themselves and re-discover purpose.

May it be a spiritual retreat or mindful programmes, the purpose for many has become to reconnect with the self, discover purpose and redefine or reevaluate the meanings and passions in their life.

Most of us live the younger years of our lives doing what we think we must and it is only after a few years that some of us wake up to the deeper meanings of life wherein we wish to pursue what we really want or what we feel we are best built for… the fact is that our busy day to day lives may not always give us the time and space for this exploration. Even at work, one may come to a standstill or stagnation of sorts and one may wish to explore options or re-strategise their corporate self.

To address this very need, one chooses to take a ‘rediscovering of purpose’ retreat for the self, wherein they can, in a most unhurried and mindful space and time zone, reconnect with themselves and look for the answers that may have eluded them. This is the place where one can learn to finally find their ‘flow’ and try living an Ikigai recommended life, in a slower pace.

Programmes that bring you in touch with your roots, and your uncomplicated self, yet open you up to newer possibilities and re-energise you to take on life with renewed vigour are most recommended for anyone who finds themselves lost at the crossroads of life. 

Ultimately like all wellness retreats, this rediscovering of purpose programme must also help better align your mental, physical and spiritual self as you take another leap at life as your best.

2. Menopause vacations… (Meno)Pause, not an end. Period.

The global wellness industry is increasingly recognising menopause as a significant life stage, with specialised programmes and retreats, offering tailored support and services for women navigating the menopause stage in life.

The thought of Menopause is not always a palatable one, especially when one is in their 40s, but considering we have managed to change how the world views menstruation, it is high time we and the world re-defines menopause as a turn of season and not a looming stage of life.

This is exactly what propels the need for menopause vacations or retreats. A holiday where women can…

– put themselves first, 

– take on mindful techniques to combat symptoms, 

– get personalised nutritional guidance (and prescribed nutraceuticals), 

– be guided on the right physical activity, and 

– meaningful peer and social support and

– Most importantly, allow women to come out of this vacation with life-altering techniques on coping with the symptoms of mood swings, hot flashes, and hormonal changes.  

Research proves what we already know, that these empowering retreats enable the much-needed social support from peers, as we women indulge in meaningful conversations with those experiencing life on our side of the clock. 

Studies also show that unfortunately 73% of women do not actively treat their menopause symptoms and that is something that needs to be addressed actively.

Since no two women have the exact menopausal journey, menopause retreats should thus be built to be highly personalised and address both the physical and the mental transitions that women between the ages of 45 and 55 go through, (and even those who are in the perimenopause stages).

While partaking in residential wellness retreats, one can avail of the powerful traditional techniques of Yoga, Pranayama, prescribed meal plans, laughter and dance sessions, detoxification therapies, improved sleep patterns and more, all of which make this menopausal vacation into a healing longevity retreat. Women leave these retreats looking and feeling their best, and leaving age behind as just a two digit number.

3. Disease centric retreats – Understand the why and how of your disease 

Amidst growing demand for holistic well-being, Disease centric Retreats that provide tailored support and healing experiences to individuals facing individual health challenges such as Diabetes, Hypothyroid, PCOD/S, Obesity, Hypertension, Insomnia etc. are becoming a significant need and thus wellness travel trend.

Retreats that enable healing from diseases as opposed to checking into hospitals is an obvious preference for any discerning wellness traveller. 

Since most lifestyle diseases (such as atherosclerosis with a cholesterol buildup, heart disease, obesity, type 2 Diabetes, auto-immune conditions or diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyle choices of smoking and alcohol and drug abuse) are usually stress, gut and affluency induced, and need a holistic approach when looking for disease management or reversal. 

While most of us know the what of our condition, we need Disease-Healing retreats to help us get to the how and the why of our ailment. This is the very reason the trend of choosing a disease reversing wellness retreat over a holiday of indulgence has begun and is the need of the hour. Over these longer residential retreats, one can get personalised Doctor guidance, root analysis diagnostics, prescribed meal plans, healing therapies and curative sleep habits, all of which successfully lowers the inflammation markers, improves immunity, resets gut health, improves stress parameters, anti-ages and improves physical and mental health!

The fact is that many lifestyle disease are reversible and almost all of the diseases are manageable; may it be Diabetes, Morbid Obesity, Hypothyroidism, PCOD/S, High Blood Pressure, Auto-immune conditions and other chronic ailments, they all tend to engulf us amid our deteriorating lifestyles.

Individuals who wish to get well from the inside out, rather than having a short-term quick fix, are the ones who choose to submit themselves to these incredible life-altering wellness retreats. Disease Healing Retreats that are planned as highly personalised and curative programmes integrating the science of functional medicine, with nutritional therapy, naturopathic treatments, and supplements is thus the best way to combat a lifestyle disease sooner than later. These retreats help arrest the condition, not allowing the health to deteriorate further, and enable an individual to embrace the much needed healthy lifestyle at the earliest.

4. Make time… find your respite to Grieve and Heal 

When looking to deal and heal from prolonged grief (from recent challenging times), nurturing grief-focused retreats worldwide have taken the spotlight. With diverse healing approaches—from meditation and yoga to nature immersion and surfing— these retreats are being considered an extension to the traditional talk therapy approach for healing and recovery.

This is a pertinent wellness goal; wherein one chooses to come on retreats that enable individuals to express, navigate and re-align their emotions in a healthy way. These grief-related wellness getaways also become a safe place for one as they start to heal.

While grieving, it is especially crucial to prioritise self-care. We know that unaddressed grief can lead to various complications, both physically and mentally; As loved ones step in and help, supplementing this with expert care and healing will create the much needed support to take life on.

The strain from a significant loss or a loss of a relationship, can rapidly compromise both the physical and emotional self and these personalised grief-healing retreats address exactly this. Most of these begin with getting close to nature and letting the universe’s goodness do its magic, whether in the form of earthing, meditation in the outdoors, connecting back to the simple joys of life in the chirping of the birds, the swaying of the wind etc. along with nurturing social support. The programme would also include counselling, ancient healing therapies of detoxification, meditation, energy healing along with alternative healing modalities, nurturing cuisine, personalised care and unconditional support work, such that the healing begins. 

After all, taking on a proper healing break in the real world where one can make a bubble of time and space to self-heal is not always possible in the real world and this is exactly the gap that ‘grief-related’ wellness fills. Grief-healing retreats thus offer a haven for self-care, as one explores the inner emotions, and renews their relationship with their physical, mental and spiritual self. 

5. Tap into the Wellness around you 

• Star bathing: This trend has gained traction in the past year and is expected to grow in 2024. As the name suggests, it means to meditate as one engages in star bathing sessions at a pre-chosen place that has access to clear skies and majestic night skies.

It began as a wellness technique to help insomniacs, allowing people to immerse themselves in the night sky in pursuit of a better headspace. The clear air and minimal artificial light found within the remote spaces make for an ideal healing and mindful indulgence of stargazing and star-bathing locations.

This as a wellness technique holds immense merit wherein indulging in this evokes a sense of calm within us, allowing us to be mindful, alleviating our stress levels, and instantly uplifting the mood, as one spends this time with the universe and the inner self. Even as a ‘slow living practice’, star bathing is highly recommended in our fast paced life.

Embracing this is also enabling us a connection with nature, enhanced creativity, and inspiration of awe!  Watching stars and celestial objects in the night sky can boost creativity in your subconscious mind, has brilliant sleep benefits (regulating the melatonin synthesis) and lowers inflammation and stress parameters.

Could one ask for more? This incredibly effective yet simple and low-cost technique only needs for us to give it our valuable time; Why not then for the sake of our personal wellness, clear out those work schedules and partake in this starting tonight! 

• Sound healing: An increasingly popular form of treatment, it combines different healing sounds and music to trigger a relaxation response, reduce chronic stress, and balance the whole being.

Sound as a medium of healing has been used since ancient times by both the affluent and the commoners. Today, we are simply reintroducing a tried and tested healing modality back into our wellness menu and high time at that!

This form of healing can be taken via healing sounds, music or through certain instruments that create meditative vibrations. Sound healing is also a form of guided meditation and includes techniques of Om Chanting, Tibetan Bowls, Gong Baths, Tuning Forks, Classical Music sessions, Humming session, Kirtans and more. Even scientifically these healings enable reduction in blood pressure, reduces stress parameters (lowers cortisol levels), improves inflammation markers, improves sleep and creates a sense of well-being.

The vibrations are key in the technique of sound healing and is successfully being employed for treatment of chronic ailments; Even as a tool for sleep enhancement,  sounds of white, pink, green noise, water sounds, guided meditations, relaxing music and even ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) that used popularly on social media are all at your disposal.

Never a better time to embrace sound healing as a wellness tool that can borrow from both the traditional instruments as well as AI where soundscapes can be used to help sharpen the mind, bringing to you the various advantages of meditation with it!