What would you have in a tailored health retreat?

[ThankYouVeryMuchGerry]

I'm currently mentally, emotionally and physically wrung out and I need to take some time for myself. There is a massive long back story but its too long and boring to go into - suffice to say, I'm at the end of my rope.

I was going to go on a retreat but I'm thinking I could do it at home a bit cheaper.
So what would you have in your ideal retreat?

I have access to;
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Gym with swimming and spa
Yoga centre with yoga and pilates
Sound baths
Meditation centre
Plenty of woods, parks and lakes for walks

Able to do a vegan meal plan and/or juice cleanse.

My DH will go and stay with his mum for as long as I need (up to a week).

What else would I need?

I'm thinking massage, reiki, aromatherapy etc but I don't know what else.

If you could build your ideal retreat what would you have?

And before anyone starts - I know I'm extremely lucky to be able to do this!

not sure I follow, are you hoping to bring these things into your home?

I've always liked the old fashioned idea of convalescent.

So in mine, assuming I'd need TLC I'd have:

• pool and perhaps gym
• massage and aromatherapy type treatments
• delicious healthy food available 24/7
• lots of quiet, no hustle and bustle
• comfortable beds with blinds that made the room dark in the day should I want a nap
• craft activities
• sound system in room for soothing music
• library
• water features in the ground or by the sea
• easy walks
• ideally village with shop nearby if I felt up to a trip out

The foods etc will be brought in, but everything else is local to me so I will go to it. Nothing is more than a 10 min drive so thats not too stressful.

I think I just need some peace and quiet, good healthy food and some exercise. I need a complete reboot on my life so I'm trying to push start myself.

I just want to include some treats, not really beauty treats, more complementary/holistic. I really just want to feel better in and about myself.

I was really wondering what people who had been on retreats thought was a must do. Or really anyone who actually takes proper care of their health feels is a must do.

I'd start with a daily morning walk, well before you take the week off. Get out into nature, preferably early morning and then see how you feel after 2 or 3 weeks 😊

ProseccoStorm that sounds fabulous - exactly the sort of ideas I'm looking for.
Thank you!

I’d really like to have a complete body MOT and for someone to tell me exactly what I’m deficient in, what I should be eating more of and what vitamins I should be taking.

Lucky you. I read a book years ago where the author spent a few years looking for 'something' and amongst others saw therapists, went on a silent retreat etc. It sounded heavenly.

I would try and stay phone free and probably not succeed. I wasn't bothered about my phone until covid and I got obsessed with looking at the news, now I struggle to put my phone down.

So phone free, distraction free. Honestly though I'd go elsewhere. I've always fancied one of those ultra strict spas where you lose a stone in a week and have treatments all day.

I think I’d need to get out of the house otherwise I’d keep seeing all the jobs that need doing. And would lose motivation and end up on my phone.

So I definitely agree with the walks and the no screens!

I would book myself in for daily yoga/pilates and swimming or gym. If I don’t book it it wouldn’t happen.

I would probably also include some “treats” like massage, meet a friend for coffee, get nails done. Benefit of a stay at home version is you can include such things!

Some good books and an hour of reading time per day?

No screens!

I often fantasise about my dream retreat. It would have a lovely orangerie meditation room overlooking long lawns and rolling hills.
Morning meditation and then yoga in there.

Healthy food
Nearby hills and lakes for hiking
Pools inside and out
Japanese onsen or natural hot spring baths
a gym
HIIT/bootcamp classes
Dance classes of all types including some woo stuff I've never tried like chakra dance or five rythms
Lots of different types of masseurs - from Swedish massage to lymph node, head, feet etc
Facials, pedicures, manicures
Physios, chiropractors etc - anyone who can soothe and smoothe all the kinks and pains in the body

I've also dreamed of doing a home retreat. Just need DH to go away for a few days when I'm not busy.

I went on quite a few before I had young children. Honestly I think if it's doable price wise I would just go away on one. It's that being away from real life thing that makes it so relaxing! If you do it at home it would very very easy to slip into doing mundane household chores will take away the retreat feeling.

I would rent a flat by the beach for a week.

I would forego all the treatments for a week’s stay in an apartment that fronts directly into the beach. Not across the road from the beach, one that you walk out of the door and onto the beach direct.

Honestly? I'd pay for it. All the thinking and planning would be taken out of your hands. Like a pp I would spend my whole time faffing and doing chores and stuff.

With PP -a rented flat or cottage in countryside or near beach for a week would probably be more restful/rejuvenating for me than a series of 'treatments' done from home.

If I was staying at home, I would book in professional cleaners at start and finish of 'retreat week' so that was absolutely not nagged by any domestic chores.

Would aim for food to be simple and nutritious (maybe Mindful Chef delivery).

Thanks for all the input. I think maybe those saying to go away somewhere have a point. Maybe it is just a break away I need rather than loads of treatments.

A week by the sea sounds great actually!

Mine would be a week by the sea too. Lots of walks, quiet cafes, a place to read and then some treatments in between.

If you did stay at home I'd start with getting a cleaner in on day 1 and probably again on the final day so you aren't looking at ho a to do.

I'd absolutely go away and rent a cottage/apartment somewhere and not stay at home. The whole point of a retreat is to switch off from daily life. I'd take a couple of books with me and some watercolour paints. Yoga, meditation and some singing bowls.

You have some lovely ideas here for the week, I hope you feel better. Maybe use some of the time to think about habits you want to keep up, such as daily walks, meditation, getting enough sleep, etc, so the results are longer lasting.

Oh this 100% my dream topic!

I run yoga retreats and I have a relaxation blog.

The thing is... If you stay at home and do lovely things... It might feel a bit like you're not fully immersed.

I echo others I would go somewhere. Depends where you live but somewhere quiet in the lakes.

You could do a daily meditation, some gentle yoga, get a massage etc

Or you could just book onto a lovely retreat itself?

I definitely also recommend not being at home, you’re already doing all of the organising which is usually done by your retreat company and host once there.

A wonderful retreat company below for inspiration:
www.inspa-retreats.com/our-holiday-programme/

If you can afford I think it's best to do all this away from home in a different environment entirely

I haven't done yoga for years and am a bit overweight now but I personally would love to go on a calm yoga retreat full of like minded people predominantly on their own to unwind

Can you link to your blog please and the retreats you run