New retreats to reset body, mind and spirit

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Creative education in Umbria

Whom HTSI Many of us are familiar with the photographer and creative director’s beautiful and heartwarming Instagram feed. Charlotte Bland. Along with her friend and longtime creative conspirator Ros Badger, Bland began hosting small-group weeklong getaways in Italy in 2019. Attendees are immersed in the wabi sabi the beauty of Villa Pia, on the outskirts of Lippiano, which sits right on the border between Umbria and Tuscany; They come to harness their creative expression under the tutelage of artists, flower designers and gardeners, fellow photographers and more, who lead daily workshops; among those who have participated in the past are the gardener-photographer (and sometime HTSI contributor) Amy Merrick, author Christobel Kent, and calligraphic artist Kate Ridyard.

Most weeks include excursions to trinket and antique markets (not to be missed is the excellent one in Arezzo, just over the Tuscany divide); the community parties prepared at Villa Pia and the extensive grounds of the estate are almost as attractive as the programs themselves. The last two this year are sold out, but Bland will begin accepting reservations for his 2024 retreats in October. blandbadger.comfrom £1,500

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The soulful side of the Maldives

There has been a wellness explosion in the Maldives in recent years, with spas opening adjacent to world-class hotels, including Joali Being, a private island dedicated to the search (spiritual, physical and medical) for welfare. But few represent Maldivian hospitality in all its best facets (including, above all, sustainability) better than Soneva founder Sonu Shivdasani. Next month, at its iconic Soneva Fushi resort, it will kick off the Soneva Soul Festival, in partnership with Organic India, a leader in Ayurvedic health products and programs.

The 10-day festival will include workshops and one-on-one consultations with the likes of Emeran Mayer (a gastroenterologist and author of The mind-gut connection), and Shamini Jain, a psychologist who founded CHI, the Awareness and Healing Initiative. Marks the launch of Soneva Soul, exclusive wellness centers at each Soneva resort, where nutrition, movement, detoxification, meditation, spiritual work and more programs can be incorporated into a guest’s stay; make any holiday a semi-custom retreat, whether it’s a three-day reset or a two-week Time Rewind. soneva.com; see website for prices

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Changing energy in the Moroccan desert of Agafay

Morocco lovers will know Philomena Schurer Merckoll as the owner of the elegant Riad Mena, in the heart of the marrakesh medina. What they probably don’t know is that for years she has been a devoted practitioner of Kundalini yoga, and a persecutor of mind-body-spirit connections and the people who specialize in them. In 2022, she launched To Retreat, a series of multi-day healing retreats held at a stunning private estate in the Agafay desert, designed by eminent Paris-based firm Studio KO.

The focus is on actively shifting energy through the body back to the most potential self, either through Kundalini yoga or somatic therapy or other treatments. This November he is sold out, but in January he will host a four-day “Women’s Circle” with shaman and somatic therapist Andréa Ararê, focusing on shamanic energy work and somatic body therapy. There is no wifi or phone signal, so guests are completely disconnected to reconnect with themselves and the world around them. There is the option to spend a day or two in the city, where Schurer Merckoll is one of Marrakech’s most prominent hosts, before or after. riadmenaandbeyond; January 18-21; from €2,750 full board, not including flights

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Finding digital balance in Sri Lanka

Santani Wellness, a retreat near Kandy in Sri Lanka, has the idea of ​​retreat built into its operations, from the privacy of the 20 suites and villas spread across its 116 acres (formerly a tea estate, now lush and partly forested). . , to the quality of the treatments (it has won dozens of awards in the media and in the wellness industries).

Founder Vickum Nawagamuwage has strong beliefs about mental health in the contemporary age and insights into stress management, sleep, and digital technology around wellness. To this end, he recently launched sleep and stress management retreats designed to help guests integrate technology (since it’s not going away anytime soon) in healthier ways into their lives, rather than unrealistically limiting or avoiding it ( he calls this “human sustainability”). It includes Ayurveda and meditation, but also jungle gyms, mountain biking and wild swimming. He also does guided nature walks, nutrition workshops (the food is based on Ayurvedic traditions), lectures and even cultural visits to the nearby ancient capital of Kandy. Both retreats have a minimum duration of five and up to 21 nights. santani.comfrom about 2,400 dollars