SIGNATURE DETOX RETREAT AT HOTEL POST BEZAU

Bregenz Forest, Austria

‘Set in an intimate chalet-style hotel in the Austrian Alps, where cowbells chime and deep cleansing comes with a pillow menu, this is a detox that’s chicer than most – and more sustainable. Rooms are a minimalist’s dream of cream furnishings and parquet floors, with almost everything in them made by local artisans, and no unnecessary plastics. My three-day retreat had traditional Chinese medicine at its core, aimed at balancing body and mind (and in my case, nervous energy) via a protocol of restorative sleep, easy movement, cleansing spa treatments and vegan cuisine. Each meal has the perfect ratio of fats, proteins and complex carbs to promote digestion and stabilise blood sugar, and the hotel’s farm-to-table approach ensures ultimate freshness; if it is not brought in from the 4,000 sq m garden, it’s probably preserved in Mason jars from previous harvests. I ate flavoursome soups, smoothies and stews and never went to bed hungry, though I did develop a splitting headache – according to head detox chef Jan, it was because simple carbs had been removed from my diet. Massages and a herb-infused bath helped by transporting me to a calmer headspace, and a Pranayama yoga class brought a mental clarity that left me determined to make time for proper meditative breathing back home; when was the last time you truly felt your ribcage rise as you inhale? I swam slow laps in the pool, tried every setting in the sauna (Detox, Wellness and Regeneration) and discovered that starting the morning with a sugar-free breakfast helps curb the rest of the day’s cravings. Long may it continue, though I may or may not have stashed a giant pretzel in my handbag for the flight home.’ Medina Azaldin