HOLIDAYS THAT HEAL

Say hello to a new you on a wellness break

INTO THE LIGHT

Surrounded by lemon groves on the Peloponnese peninsula, Euphoria has a Zen-like feel. Its owner, Marina Efraimoglou, underwent a spiritual transformation to get here, overcoming cancer and career burnout to train in Chinese medicine, then teaching at retreats around the world. There are detoxes and nutritional analysis, yoga and personal development workshops… I’m all for healing but after the fallout of breast cancer and the death of my dad, it’s going to take something special to help me catch my emotional breath.

The four floors of Euphoria’s tranquil spa are connected by a spiral staircase. As suggested by Marina, I imagine climbing towards relaxation and letting go of feelings that no longer serve me on the way down – although there are no negative emotions, she adds, just different frequencies: low, medium and high. It’s not hard to feel lighter here, surrounded by church-like arches and a palette of dusky rose, soft grey and azure blue.

I take yoga and visualisation classes, learn mantras (‘The universe is friendly’ resonated) and have a massage to soothe my often-nervous tummy. But the showstopper is diving towards the light at the centre of the hydrotherapy pool, hearing the piped sounds of whales and dolphins. I feel an overwhelming sense of peace. After acupuncture, I join my fellow guests at lunch. ‘Your face looks different,’ says one. ‘Something has shifted.’ If not quite euphoria, I recognise a quiet sense of happiness. It’s a good start.’

JULIE POWELL