August is National Wellness Month, and while stress can be unavoidable daily, there are many ways to help manage it. Here are a few experiences from hotels and resorts around the world that focus on wellness ideal in August and for years to come.

Exercise in Nature: Ditch the indoor gym

Numerous studies have shown that exercise and time in the outdoors reduce stress, improve memory and attention, and promote feelings of calm. Exercise boosts endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones and alleviate mild depression.

Exercise in the great outdoors is beneficial for many reasons. With its ideal setting in a tropical dry forest bordering the Pacific Ocean, Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, offers many wellness pursuits. CORE by ChakFitness is a unique outdoor gym on the beach (adjacent to Pura Vida Ride); it provides a beautifully designed Flinstones-Esque strength-building experience. The weights and machines are made almost entirely of wood. Renowned owner and longtime Miami trainer Chakiris Menafacio run the classes.

The Center of Joy is a new wellness retreat center with various stunning spaces in the heart of Beach Town, offering regular yoga classes, sound baths, and more, all focusing on mindfulness. Many individuals and organizations use this remarkable space for larger group retreats, though residents and guests benefit from its ongoing programming and rotating offerings. Guest can book private rooms for special therapies and services as well. There is a wide range of fantastic accommodation options in town at the boutique Santarena Hotel or any of their villa offerings at Beach Town Travel.

Las Catalinas has an exciting array of activities for all ability levels, an outdoor paradise for hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, yogis, and water enthusiasts. With over 26 miles of world-class, single-track trails that feature stunning views of the coastline and valley vistas, Las Catalinas is the most prominent mountain biking destination in the American tropics. All hiking and running trails feature spectacular viewpoints and opportunities to glimpse some of the area’s fantastic local wildlife, including monkeys, peccaries, and coatis, not to mention a wide variety of exotic birds. Trails vary in difficulty and length, from high-intensity hills to low-impact flatter tracks. The town has two of the best beaches on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Sheltered just enough from the southern swell, Las Catalinas is a haven for water sports enthusiasts. Consistent moderate waves make it ideal for body surfing, boogie boarding, standup paddle-boarding, and sea kayaking. For more information, visit www.lascatalinascr.com.

Ocean Therapy: Head to the beach

It’s known that there are numerous health and psychological benefits to being close to the ocean. For more than just beautiful ocean views and vistas, travelers continue to choose trips and vacations that bring them up close and personal with the sea. With the feeling of salt water on the skin, the smell of the ocean in the air, and the soothing sound of the waves lapping in the distance, the sea is not only meditative but also reduces stress and allows for self-reflection and discovery.

Where beachfront means RIGHT THERE, Calabash Cove Resort and Spa is one of the most popular all-inclusive, adults-only boutique hotels in Saint Lucia, a Caribbean gem is offering seclusion, beauty, and mesmerizing views at every turn. Its 26 villas feature old Caribbean charm coupled with the luxurious resort amenities of today. From the heavenly Windsong restaurant and lively C-Bar overlooking the infinity pool to the peaceful Ti Spa, guests have everything at their fingertips when vacationing at Calabash Cove. Ti Spa offers a wide range of treatments that combine European techniques with St. Lucia’s storied tradition of using plant- and food-based ingredients. Treatments are expertly designed to cleanse the body of stress, rejuvenate the spirit, and relax the mind. The exfoliation products are all organic and made from local products that are, in some cases, directly from the resort. Their therapists will be happy to demonstrate the different benefits between a coffee or papaya scrub and more.

Try their signature Spa Sampler (80 minutes/$140USD), a blend of holistic spa treatments fused to create the ultimate spa experience. Melt away the stress and tension from the back with a hot stone massage, followed by a deep tissue massage on the back of the legs. Swedish massage techniques are used on the front of the body with a mix of counter stretching. Aromatherapy facial massage is then performed to rebalance and induce even more profound relaxation, and we end this blissful experience with a revitalizing foot scrub. The resort’s outdoor pavilion is perched on a hill overlooking the ocean and is the perfect spot for a spa treatment while listening to the waves below. For more information, visit www.calabashcove.com.

Invest in Self-care: Go on a wellness retreat

How do we find our inner peace in a constantly changing world, pulling us in different directions and creating a collective culture of chasing dreams? With the pandemic and other life stressors, self-care is more important than ever, and wellness offerings worldwide focus more on improving your mental and emotional wellbeing.

For those seeking inner peace and self-acceptance, Ananda in the Himalayas just announced its first-ever The Ananda Soul Detox Retreat – A Himalayan Retreat for Inner Healing and Self Discovery (October 30 – November 6, 2022). By helping people release past toxic or traumatic impressions, this retreat aims to rediscover one’s true self while allowing you to invest in and connect with yourself. During this beautiful week together in the heart of the Himalayas, participants will revisit and release some of their most giant emotional blocks and rediscover their energy through robust processes that combine Spiritual Hypnotherapy, Regression, Yoga, Meditation, and Energy Healing. In a serene setting conducive to healing and transformation, the experience will combine profound Eastern Spirituality with Western behavioral sciences to help participants facilitate the ultimate journey – to their inner self.

The retreat includes:

• Luxury accommodations.
• Wellness meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at the restaurant.
• Daily group sessions (morning and evening).
• One personal session on Emotional Healing per person (once during the retreat).
• Airport transfers.
• Two vouchers per person offer a 15% discount on spa treatments and early check-in and late checkout.

Located on a 100-acre Maharaja’s Palace Estate, Ananda in the Himalayas is a multi-award-winning luxury wellness retreat in the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by the majestic Himalayan Mountains, the birthplace of India’s ancient practices of yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda. More information is here. For more information, visit www.anandaspa.com.

Holistic Wellness: Where the experts are going

Travel planning company Origin puts together trips all in one app and has seen the emphasis on wellness more than ever. People’s understanding of wellness goes beyond a fancy spa and an infinity pool. It’s now a need to re-center post-pandemic. This all-encompassing theme explores the healing elements of physical and mental treatments and spirituality, using methods that spill into even cuisine and art therapy. In the wellness travel world, this new understanding translates to a revamped set of properties with wellness programs that suit the needs of pandemic-affected travelers. Here’s one recommendation from Origin’s travel curators – contact Origin’s team for more suggestions on holistic wellness retreats around the world, from Italy to Mexico – with offerings from mental coaching to ancient spring water rituals – designed to soothe travelers, heal their senses, and get inspired to tackle the “new normal” with a strong sense of self. For more information, visit www. Origin.me.

JOALI BEING

  is the first island retreat in the Maldives that is wholly focused on wellbeing and not as an add-on amenity. On this white sand beach paradise of Bodufushi in the Indian Ocean, every guest goes through a comprehensive reservations process to be assigned their naturopath, therapist, movement specialist, and nutritionist. This team of experts helps the guest reach their well-being goals with access to some of the world’s most advanced scientific therapies, diagnostic services, and alternative treatments, based on a scientific approach concentrating on the four pillars of Mind, Skin, Energy, and Microbiome. The intention is that her guests take what they’ve experienced at JOALI BEING and incorporate them into their daily lives for a balanced and whole life.