A WORLD OF CHANGE

It’s all about you, writes Linda Meads, in a roundup of wellness retreats

New year, new opportunities for selfimprovement. There’s no better way to start 2020 than by making a commitment to a better you. Wellness is the new cool when it comes to travel and is the industry’s fastest growing sector, with more options than ever for combining your time off with a little self-love. Want to jump on the bandwagon? Here are a few life-changing wellness holidays to consider for the year ahead.

Sleep and repeat

These days, a good night’s sleep is a valuable commodity in our time-poor, always-connected lives, and finding techniques to combat stress is more important than ever. At Amatara Wellness Resort in Phuket, Thailand, you can book in for an eight-day Sleep Retreat to reset your body clock to a natural sleep-wake cycle. Here, a polysomnography (overnight sleep test) is combined with healthy food, zero screen time after sunset, and relaxation and breathing techniques to help you develop better sleep behaviours. In northern Italy, Lago do Garda, Lefay Resort & Spa’s Sweet Dreams programme works to combat insomnia by stimulating your body’s energy lines. Over six days you’ll experience the likes of acupuncture sessions, energy massages and reflexology, alongside learning practices such as qigong for rebalance.

The proliferation of devices in our busy lives is increasingly an issue. One way to restore some work-life balance is with a circuit-breaking digital detox. UK company Reclaim Yourself offers a device-free yoga retreat at a luxurious private manor just north of London over a weekend each November. Jivamukti yoga sessions are paired with a plant-based menu, massage, relaxing beds, deep bathtubs, and pretty gardens and woodlands to provide the perfect environment to forget about your Instagram account — well, for three days, at least. You can always post about your amazing experience once you get home.