A one- day wellness retreat at sea
A new style of wellness retreat has set sail in Auckland. Stephanie gets on board
After six years in London, New Zealander Rebekah Railton was ready for a change. Life had been good on the other side of the world — she successfully launched her business SailFit, providing multiday wellness retreats aboard traditional gulets along Turkey’s stunning Turquoise Coast. But something was missing.
“It was one of the most fun, rewarding and lifechanging experiences of my life,” Railton says. “But I was starting to feel claustrophobic.”
She missed New Zealand’s natural beauty — “the endless supply of ocean and islands” — so she made the timely decision to come home . . . and brought SailFit with her.
Railton launched SailFit New Zealand at the end of February, luckily squeezing in the first retreat the day before Auckland went back into alert level 3. It couldn’t have been better timing — those of us on board ended the day well setup to face the challenges of another lockdown thanks to a day of fresh air, salt water, workouts, yoga, meditation, good food, and coaching.
“Our focus for the New Zealand market is about creating a space for guests to re-energise, re-vitalise and reset,” Railton says.
If the first retreat is anything to go by, she’s going to see great success. The mix of energetic activities and time to relax and connect with others was the perfect balance.
On a wonderfully sunny late-summer day, we cruised across the Hauraki Gulf on board luxury super yacht Tawaki, while wellness and fitness coach Micha Swallow led us in a resiliency workshop. She takes a holistic view of wellbeing and encouraged us to focus on enriching our minds as well as our bodies.
She taught us some really useful tools to manage stress — from a greater awareness of breathing, to the power of positive thinking and random acts of kindness — and we all ended the session feeling inspired to carry these practices into our daily life.
After a truly taxing HIIT workout, followed by a calming yoga session on the sands of Rotoroa Island, some guests enjoyed full-body massages in a secluded cove.
Others made good use of Tawaki’s toys — stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and a giant inflatable slide, which I can 100 per cent recommend as the most fun you’ll have at sea.
Sailing back to the city, all far more relaxed than when we’d boarded that morning, we shared stories of our lives and experiences of the past 12 months — none of us having any idea we’d be back in lockdown in just over 12 hours’ time.
“If guests implement some of the tools that we empower them with on our retreats, it has the power to seriously transform their wellbeing and ultimately, their happiness,” Railton says.
It worked for me — the week in lockdown was made that little bit easier, thanks to positive thinking and gratitude for my day at sea.
I certainly hope future guests don’t end up in lockdown the day after their retreats. But if they do, they’ll be set up to sail right through it.