What I learned about Health from Staying at a Wellness Resort
Trip of a Lifetime
My family and I spent two weeks exploring Vietnam this summer. We were spending a lot of time in cities and knowing that they would be chaotic, and we would be on the go a lot, we decided that it would be a good idea to have a break in the middle of it so that we could properly relax. When my husband suggested that we stay at a beachfront wellness retreat I jumped at the opportunity!
The experience was nothing short of amazing. I started my day watching the sun come up over the ocean, followed that with a swim, walk along the beach, or yoga, then a “brain energy” or “wellness” coffee, and the first treatment of the day. Then came breakfast – a stunning array of fresh plant- based deliciousness – relaxing by the pool, and a short workout here and there. We had two treatments each per day during our time there. I indulged in holistic head therapy, head, neck and shoulder release massage, guided stretching, and bamboo rollouts amongst other things. As each day passed, we became more and more relaxed. We ventured out in the evenings to explore the nearby city but couldn’t wait to return to our wellness bubble afterwards.
Instagram vs Reality
It occurred to me as I lay on my lounger looking up at the swaying palm trees that what I and my family were experiencing is the version of health and wellness that we are often sold on the internet – not quite real life, out of reach for the vast majority, and definitely not sustainable without bankruptcy. Many wellbeing influencers sell us a version of their life that is exactly like living full-time in a retreat and we can believe that our lives need to look like that so that we achieve true health. Our reality however is very different.
I remember listening to a podcast with Elle MacPherson a few years ago. She was talking about her daily wellness routine that started around 4am and involved all manner of things I had never even heard of. I felt really deflated because I thought ‘how can I ever achieved true health when I can’t do all these things that she does?’. I think that this is the way a lot of us can feel when we read articles or Instagram posts where we hear the details of celebrity or influencer wellness routines. These thoughts took me back to the values that lie at the heart of my brand: realistic, achievable, sustainable, real health in the real world. The truth is that although having massages, facials, cupping therapy, infrared saunas etc is great it is not necessary in order to live a health-full life.
Real Wellness
Back to me on my lounger looking up at the swaying palm trees. As I continued to think about what real wellness looks like, I realised that I had been seeing it in action all around me on our trip - in families getting together to eat meals, in the completely relaxed and easy going nature of the people, in the sense of community at the markets, in the fresh local ingredients purchased every day for home cooked meals, in co workers spending their breaks together at cafes playing cards or other games, in locals getting up at dawn to move in the park or on the beach as the sun came up, in living off the fruits of the land and the sea and wasting nothing. On the roads horns were constantly blaring but it was never in anger or frustration. On the pavements people moved slowly, never in a hurry to get anywhere. In cafes and on the roadside people were connecting over and finding joy in delicious foods full of real ingredients that nourish the mind and body. The only stressed people I saw during our whole time there were western tourists. These are the things that bring us true feelings of health and wellbeing and they can be so easily incorporated into our daily lives.
Our stay in the wellness resort was amazing and I feel so privileged to have been in a position to be able to experience it. Given the opportunity would I go on a retreat again? Of course! But the biggest learning from it is that I don’t need those things in order to be healthy. I don’t need to be Elle MacPherson.