One of the often understated benefits you can take away from a spa break is the inherently spiritual and centring elements of getting away from it all, trying out new treatments, relaxing, meditating, all in a beautiful location.
We all need a little centring sometimes, a little getting back to ourselves, especially in today’s stressful, career-focused world. Sometimes, you just need to learn to understand yourself, and focus, and spa breaks can be the ideal setting for this kind of self-discovery. No pseudo-mystical nonsense, no hippie-dippy silliness, just genuine self-love, care and attention, in a spiritual beautiful environment. Here’s nine ways a spiritual spa break gets you centred.
Spa Breaks For: Meditation
Obviously, the big one is always going to be meditation. Plenty of specialised spa breaks offer focused meditation and yoga-based spa retreats, but you’ll find plenty of options that’re a little more casual, with plenty of the usual spa activities, a still a little meditation.
Why prioritise meditation? Well, if you’ve read any Tim Ferriss, you’ll know that a huge percentage of the most successful people in the world use transcendental and other forms of meditation to achieve greater focus in their lives, boost creativity and counter stress. On top of that, meditation can simply make you happier. That’s why you should prioritise meditation when it comes to your spa break because literally anyone can benefit from it hugely.
Relaxation
You might think this is the same as meditation, but while there is some cross-over, you can use meditation to relax, etc. that’s where the similarities end. Relaxation is a state of mind, borne from systematically de-pressuring your body and mind, and learning to enjoy the simple scenario you’re in.
Meditation, massage, sauna and exercise can all foster relaxation, but at the core, it’s about developing a mind-set that disposes of anxiety, tension and pressure, and learning to be a little happier, and more focused.
Detoxification
Sometimes all it takes to feel a whole lot better is some simple detoxification. Nowadays, it’s all too easy to find yourself having a glass of wine to relax every night, or eating terrible junk food all too often. It’s the easy option, and resisting that when you’re knackered from your work or kids isn’t easy.
You can find specialised detox spa getaways, where you’re fed healthy foods, teas and juices, or fast, in order to purge your body of all the toxins. Detoxing isn’t just about food either, meditation, yoga and sauna can all play a vital role too. All that can leave you looking and feeling a whole lot better.
Yoga
Much like meditation and massage, yoga can have massive benefits when it comes to relaxation, but also detoxification, and as a form of exercise too. Yoga can do a whole lot of different remarkable things for your body.
You can find some amazing specialised spa retreats that have full, intense courses in yoga, with some amazing teachers, but if you’re not into going whole hog, you can simply find a more casual option. A little bit of yoga can be great for you, you don’t have to go overboard.
Exercise
Exercise is wonderful. Not only because it’s the fast-track to becoming slim, toned and strong, but also because it can absolutely foster relaxation, aid in stress-relief and help you detox. Plus it’s fun! There’s a term coined by Jack Kerouac, beatific. It means that exhilarated and wan joy you feel after intense activity and exercise. Exercise, done right, can leave you feeling happy, fulfilled and satisfied.
Many spa getaways have incredible gyms, and perfect surroundings for a little jogging or outdoor exercise. There might even be climbing, surfing or skiing facilities nearby, do your research!
Diet
Diet is an absolutely massive part of mental state. When we eat rubbish, we tend to feel rubbish. Eating healthily not only nurtures your body, but your mind too. That smug idiom holds true, you really are what you eat, in more ways than one.
A few days of eating the right sorts of foods can set you up to start that diet at home, or simply leave you feeling strong, stable and healthy; the perfect base for building the right lifestyle for you.
Tranquillity
One of the biggest ways a spa retreat can boost your mind frame, and get you feeling content, centred and happy is through location. If you pick somewhere beautiful, tranquil and gorgeous, that’s going to help no end when it comes to feeling absolutely amazing.
The UK has no end of beautiful places to check out either. While we might not have the weather, we have got the bleak but beautiful Yorkshire moors, the near-tropical Cornwall beaches, the breath-taking Scottish mountains and an abundance of spectacular woodland covering the whole country. You’ve got so many beautiful places to choose from!
Distance
Just getting away from it all can be hugely beneficial when it comes to feeling a lot happier, healthier, more spiritual and centred. A lot goes into feeling really good, but one of the very best things can just be exploration, and getting away from it all. Seeing new places and exploring a little can see you feeling much better.
Research has shown that a holiday can have beneficial effects on your mind-set for up to a month afterwards. That’s a whole month of feeling happier and better, just from a few days of relaxation and exploration somewhere gorgeous. Just getting away from the sources of stress and getting some perspective is hugely valuable.
Confidence
Lastly, there’s one thing that’ll see you feeling more spiritual and centred, and it might surprise you. Spa locations have loads of beautifying treatments that can see you looking years younger, and erasing the aging effects of stress and wear.
While it might go against traditional ideas of loving yourself no matter what, knowing you look fantastic is always going to help you when it comes to facing life, strong, centred, spiritual and beautiful. That’s what a quality spa day can do for you.