Whenever I'm going through a rough patch, my wandering mind always seems to land on the idea that some time spent somewhere lovely will help me reset.
Generally, I'm imagining sunning myself by a pool, or blissed out in some far-flung spa, expecting that I'll return a new woman, resilient with a clear head and ready to take on the world. And while it likely takes more than a week spent on the beach to reset and reframe, there is something in the notion that travel can help us with our personal growth.
Enter the travel trend of transformation retreats, which takes the concept of a wellness break to new heights.
"Travel is evolving beyond leisure and relaxation to encompass personal growth," explains wellness PR Tori Porter, who told me: "The rise of transformation retreats responds to the need for authentic and enriching experiences.
"Transformation retreats go beyond relaxation and focus more on personal growth, learnings and the big picture of our life," Tori adds, continuing: "Transformation retreats attract the soul searchers, those who would like guidance, people who have been through life-changing events and those with a keen yearning to learn more about themselves and the world."
Transformation retreats are only going to become more popular in the coming years, with travel shifting towards an aim of personal betterment, with holidaymakers looking to enhance their overall well-being, rather than just returning home relaxed and bronzed.
What is a transformation retreat?
Transformation retreats provide more than just spa treatments; they facilitate profound shifts through various therapies and activities that focus on holistic development, Tori explains. And it's not just for backpackers looking to "find themselves." Luxury hotels and resorts are innovating their wellness offerings to cater to this growing demand for transformational experiences.
Transformation retreats are set to become a popular tool to help people achieve their full potential, according to Tori. "No longer does a wellness retreat simply mean yoga, a spa and soak: luxury hotels and resorts are upping the ante in their wellbeing offerings and wellness-seekers are ever more open to trying new therapies," she says. "Many retreats are offering life-changing experiences and therapies, for example, retreats for grief, trauma and heartbreak."
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Why are transformation retreats becoming more popular?
"Transformational retreats are rising in popularity because people are now seeking more than just a yoga retreat," says Manon Sel, CEO of Harvest Series. "In today's world, individuals crave holistic experiences that encompass not only physical well-being but also mental and emotional growth as we recognise more and more that the same care is needed for our minds as is necessary for our bodies.
"Transformational retreats can offer a journey of self-discovery, pushing boundaries and connecting with a broader sense of purpose. They often provide the perfect blend of rejuvenation, introspection, and the opportunity to redefine one's life. They can also provide valuable time, space and guidance to allow individuals to stop and ask themselves the important questions about their lifestyle and life choices."
"We are seeing a significant shift from leisure travel to more meaningful, holistic and experiential travel," agrees Niki Smirni, founder of Travelgems, the company behind the curation of personal trainer Amoila Cesar's physical and emotional health retreat in Santorini in May. "People are seeking transformative experiences, where they can learn something new, can evolve during the trip and integrate what they learned into their daily reality when back home."
Dalbir Bains, founder and coach at Santalan, a four-day retreat which then offers a 12-month coaching programme, explains why we're all booking in for transformation retreats now.
“The last few years have been hard on us all, and for some of us we've realised that we need to make changes, but support is instrumental in this - driving a big demand for wellness retreats," she says.
"Whilst relaxing spa weekends are still popular, many people are now focused on transformation retreats, whether in meditation, career, relationships or fitness, as we want to invest in something with big sustainable results. We have busy lives, and we want to know that we can keep implementing these changes way beyond the last day of the retreat."
A transformation retreat redefines destinations, making them so much more than just a holiday, which is why we're seeing so many luxury hotspots pivot to offer retreats.
"The demand for luxury wellness retreats has been remarkable," says Vivienne Garcia-Tunon, Vice President of Operations, Wellbeing at Auberge Resorts Collection*, who have recently launched wellness retreats.
"Individuals on transformation retreats seek to rekindle friendships, escape the stresses of daily life and share enriching experiences within a community of like-minded individuals.
"A noteworthy trend we've observed is a significant shift in milestone celebrations," Vivienne continues. "Guests are now embracing the idea of enhancing their longevity, healthspan, and overall well-being as the perfect way to celebrate these special moments."
Transformational retreats can often be tailored to the individual, as Tim Fryer, Director of St Michaels Resort in Cornwall points out. "The latest trend we are seeing is for tailor-made wellness experiences – allowing the guest to pick how much of their time is spent doing activities, relaxing and discovering the local area: creating their perfect holiday."
My transformation retreat experience
In November I was lucky enough to visit The Maldives for my own transformation retreat. While I've always wanted to visit the dreamy location, I never felt I could justify it simply for a break in paradise, but the combination of the most beautiful place in the world coupled with personal growth was what finally took me to the Indian Ocean.
I attended the Baa Atoll Ballet Retreat at Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort, and was blown away by the beauty of the island and impressed that though the hotel was so incredible, they were still offering guests more than just a relaxing holiday in heaven.
“At Avani, we’ve seen a significant uptake in the demand for wellness retreats, driven by a growing awareness of holistic wellbeing," explained Elisa Grimaldi, Director of PR & Communications at Avani Hotels & Resorts, when I asked her why they started to offer transformational retreats.
"Guests are now actively seeking experiences that go beyond conventional offerings. In response, we’ve created a series of innovative retreats that embody our belief that wellbeing goes beyond traditional gym and spa settings."
My retreat saw me take part in ballet classes, relax in breathwork sessions, and reset during massages and I returned to London ready to throw myself into trying new things, safe in the knowledge that I could step out of my comfort zone – and be fine!
Other retreats go harder on the wellness side, with Tori sharing that her retreat, a four-day experience at Harvest Kaplankaya in Turkey at Six Senses involved breathwork, a fire ceremony, AcroYoga, goddess dancing, sound healing and Psychedelic painting – which did not involve drugs!
"Each of the workshops brought guests closer together so that it became easier to connect and integrate with others at mealtimes, which were all shared," Tori explains.
"Other classes available included yoga, sound healing, energy healing and Sadhu board practice (which is essentially standing on nails). Guests had full use of spa facilities and the option to book in for treatments with the carefully curated healing circle (individual or small group treatments)- these included everything from reiki, breathwork and natal chart readings, to somatic trauma release and inner child healing."
How a transformation retreat changed my life
"I didn’t really know anyone when I arrived and felt a little out of my comfort zone," Tori admits. "Some of the workshops and exercises included primal movement and dancing, which I found uncomfortable to do in front of others, but quickly realised that no one was judging.
"A lot of the workshops were also interactive (for example giving a stranger a head massage in Yoga or partnering up with someone for Acro-Yoga and trusting them not to drop me!). This sort of thing definitely ignites my social anxiety! However, teamwork and physical touch naturally bring you closer to others, so actually these experiences elevated my experience.
"Each evening we had incredible dinner parties where we tended to sit with different people. We would have questions on a card at the table which we would chat through in groups at the table, things that would get us thinking deeply and also connecting with each other. Again, this brought you closer to others and so what first felt uncomfortable (sitting with strangers) quickly became a lovely and connected experience.
"I honestly left the retreat on such a high. I had much less sleep than I usually would (because I wanted to experience everything from the evening performances to the early morning workshops), yet I felt SO energised. I left with so much gratitude and confidence to be myself."
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What I learned on my transformation retreat
"Before the retreat, I had never really thought about energy healing, but I had such an incredible experience in three sessions. They had a profound impact on me and I cried buckets in two of them even though I felt fine before. The release was incredible. I have since gone on to study forms of energy healing myself. I guess I’ll just see where life heads!
"I also learnt about letting go and caring less about judgement. A recurring message was about getting out of the head and into the body, something we could all benefit from. Whether that’s letting go of tension physically, or trusting our gut feelings.
"The retreat gave me the confidence to see what lights me up and to own it. It’s also inspired me to continue to learn and read and listen to similar experts on podcasts. I’d love to go on more retreats and seek out more experiences like this."
Visit HELLO!s Happiness Hub for more inspiring stories of people who have stepped out of their comfort zone.