אל על | אטמוספירה

I Check-in I Wellness

5 wellness retreats that aren't just about yoga and meditation / By Shiri Brook-Sagie Retreat and Reset

these retreats are first and foremost yoga centered, the addition of art workshops significantly enriches the experience. practicing yoga, in others, participants create their own mandalas, paint watercolors alfresco, or create a scrapbook. Great for: letting creative juices flow while improving yoga skills – and no need to be the reincarnation of Picasso or Frida Kahlo to join these retreats; art here In some workshops paint in used while

Challenge your resilience levels

Forget about yoga and meditation – this retreat is a journey towards physical and mental resilience. No piña coladas and sunbathing sessions by the pool here, but rather plenty of sports activities and extreme physical challenges in the outdoors, such as hikes at dawn, mountain climbing, extreme mountain biking and a myriad more activities designed to toughen you up and awake the Spartan warrior in you. Great for: celebrating your inner resilience and getting you out of your comfort zone to improve your ability to cope with physical and mental challenges. Enlightenment through darkness Darkness retreats aren’t your typical wellness retreat. They fully embrace the Tao Te Ching quote about how “the path into the light seems dark” and involve remaining in total darkness for days. Such euphoriaretreat.com, runwildretreats.com

world, notably Guatemala, Italy, etc., and though the concept might at first sound gimmicky, it is based on spiritual practices that have been part of many different cultures in various parts of the world, from the Ancient Egyptians to Tibetan monks, and 15 th century French mystics. Great for: facilitating mindset shifts – indeed research has shown that meditating in the dark is biochemically beneficial to the brain. thehermitageretreats.com, darkretreats.com Animal therapy More and more hotels and retreat centers are adding animal therapy to their wellness programs. Many

therapeutic experiences, such as dog-assisted therapy, birdwatching, horse riding, and even horse painting meditation, have been noted to do wonders for aching souls. Great for: improving emotional wellbeing, as it has been shown that being around animals can have a positive effect by reducing levels of negativity, stress, and anxiety. Just giving a dog a little pat can increase the production

is merely a vehicle to increase fun and joy. hydradirect.com, bookyogaretreats.com

Surf the soul

Yet another retreat that combines meditation with sports activities. But this time, the sports activities in question are all practiced in the water. Surfing, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, etc. are all enjoyed in the spirit of wellness and wellbeing. Great for: improving both surfing skills and wellbeing levels. Indeed, research has shown that water has a calming effect on the soul. rawsurandfitness.com

of dopamine, aka the happiness hormone.

Art retreats

In recent years, retreats combining yoga with art have been gaining momentum in the wellness world. Though

retreats exist in many countries around the

14 ATMOSPHERE MAY 2023