Getting away from it all to recharge the batteries and center the mind has never been more important. Unfortunately, getting away from it all has never been more difficult, thanks to the coronavirus. The good news is that, despite a lack of ability to physically travel to many wellness retreats and spas (although things are looking good for the lifting of travel restrictions), wellness centers have been able to come up with alternatives to allow individuals to “travel” to their locations while staying at home. Enter the new market of virtual wellness retreats.
The Evening Standard out of the U.K. highlights several of the creative wellness alternatives, and they seem to be proving to be highly popular. One option is the Triyoga virtual yoga retreat, led by Yogi Anna Ashby, who is offering a “restorative practice to replenish the body and soul” in a two-hour mini-retreat this Saturday. The workshop includes “slow, mindful stretches to release tension through yoga postures to shift the nervous system back into balance and unblock stagnant energy using breathing techniques.” Anyone wanting to participate only needs to have a yoga mat, foam blocks, a chair and the $25 fee.
There’s also the Summer Solstice Online Retreat, a half- or full-day experience offered this Saturday by As We Live And Breathe. According to the event’s description, “Our seasonal cookery talks will explore foraging and what’s in season locally at this time, and in our live cookery workshop the wonderful Gabbi will guide you through a beautiful seasonal plant-based meal of courgette spaghetti with pesto, rocket, smoked tofu, cashew cheese and sun dried tomatoes. We’ll then sit down to eat together and share stories, learning more about the mysteries of Litha and the ancient celebrations of Solstice tied with our lands.”
A wellness center out of Ibiza, Spain has the perfect option for those who can’t pin down a day and time to experience a retreat. Soul Adventures is offering different virtual kundalini retreats, and allows people to set their own schedule. The center also has a longer course that will appeal to some, the 40-Day Journey To Joy At Home Retreat. It “fuses the technology of QR codes with ancient Kundalini Yoga techniques to give readers the ultimate, empowering, self-care experience that can be accessed from anywhere.”
There is also the one-day self-care virtual retreat offered by Adventure Yogi, which will take place on June 27. It includes yoga classes, cooking workshops, self-massage and “slumber-inducing yoga nidra.” With all the stress that people are experiencing these days, and the need for pleasant distractions, the $45 price tag is more than reasonable.
