Six (different) health retreat benefits

Are you feeling stressed, overwhelmed or exhausted? 

 A visit to a health retreat could be the antidote you need.  Retreats provide space and time to hit the reset button without the daily distractions of our busy lives.

Like me, you may be lucky to find more than you were looking for.

Health or yoga retreats are beautiful places by design. Their sole purpose is to provide a luxurious environment to soothe, revive and restore you. 

The food is cooked lovingly and sourced locally to nourish you from the inside out.

Days revolve around going for bush walks, listening to mindfulness talks, indulging in massages, or simply having the luxury of time to read, think or catch up on sleep. 

The backdrop of nature entices us to step out of our minds and gently back into the world. City sounds are swapped for birds singing from tall treetops. 

Customised yoga classes loosen tense and tired muscles and realign stressed bodies.

The combination of these experiences leaves an imprint on your mind and body long after you have returned home. 

However, it can also be the unexpected encounters along the way that make for a magical and memorable stay. 

During my recent visit, I discovered a few “new” benefits of a retreat getaway. 

1. You can leave your baggage at home - packing for a health retreat is the easiest suitcase you will ever travel with.  Essentials include activewear and activewear. Tracksuit pants are suitable dinner attire, and comfort is the only look to go for.

2. It’s a decision-free zone - The biggest choice I had to contemplate was if I should drink green tea or chia tea - or befriend the neighbours who smuggled chocolate.

3. Chilling over chores – meals prepared by talented chefs appear miraculously three times a day. Dishes are cleared and cleaned for you and replaced with a selection of snacks for daytime grazing. 

4. Bestie sleepovers – As we get older, sleepovers in Pj’s with our besties don’t often happen…if at all. This was a chance to connect, laugh, and motivate each other to stick with our newly found Zen once we headed home.

5. New connections - I met wonderful people of different ages and life stages over the weekend. They shared their hearts and laughter, talking about motherhood, divorce, retirement, single life, careers and all the bits in between.  

   My new hero is the 76-year-old single woman who travelled to the retreat independently to meet new people and keep her body and mind young.

6.  Future-proofing powers.  A 2018 research report in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine shared that the positive effects of a health retreat have been shown to last up to five years. By taking home, some of the healthy habits learnt during the stay; we can experience the flow-on effect for years to come. 

The personal experiences of health retreats are many and varied. Often it comes down to what you need from the getaway at that specific life age or stage. 

That could be seeking silence and solace or disconnecting from devices and distractions. 

You could go to every class (like me) or leave the retreat for caffeine and countryside adventures (like my neighbours).

Whatever path you chose, one thing rang true for everyone I spoke to. We all felt like lighter, kinder, happier versions of ourselves, equipped with new skills for a soft landing back in reality. 

I stayed at Billabong Retreat in NSW. This is an unpaid post, based on personal experience only.

Content does not replace personalised health professional advice. This is not a medical opinion.