This is why wellness travel is only going to get more popular
I wouldn’t blame you if what comes to mind when you read the term “wellness travel” is yoga, a massage or a visit to the spa. To date, that’s typically what it’s meant.
But that’s only scratching the surface of what wellness travel really is and how it benefits you – and frankly that definition is doing a disservice to all that it can be.
I shared on Provenance’s instagram a little while ago an official definition of wellness from the Global Wellness Institute. Wellness is all of these things:
Physical Nourishment for a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.
Mental Engagement with the world through learning, problem-solving, creativity, etc.
Emotional Awareness of, accepting and expressing our feelings, and understanding the feelings of others.
Spiritual Finding meaning and higher purpose in human existence.
Social Connection with others and our communities in meaningful ways.
Environmental Positive relationships between planetary health and human actions, choices and wellbeing.
Taking all of these together, you can see how beautiful the connection is between wellness and travel (this is why I created Provenance!). How many trips have you been on when you’ve visited a place, but haven’t really let yourself be there? I’ve certainly done it. There’s always the landmark to photograph, the hot restaurant to try to get a seat at, the ferry to catch. And that distracts from us, as travellers, from connecting to a place, to the land, its people and customs.
Deepak Chopra spoke to Bloomberg about the rise of wellness travel. From the article:
“Experiences that connect us to nature, that assert our place in the world, and link us to others, he [says], are what make us mentally fit, helping us become accepting of challenges and able to grow in our personal and professional lives.”
We’re not far off from the two-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned is that connection is important – to my friends and family, community, and beyond. I’ve thought about what makes me feel excited and interested in the world and why. I’m a bonafide plant mom now, movement of some sort is essential every day, and I’ve started taking into account on a daily basis what I’m grateful for. Sometimes it’s a good night’s sleep (ok, often), but it’s also seeing a new place, tasting fresh fruit, meeting someone new and learning their story.
Trips that help us understand a new city, to the land, or an ancient ritual, and that offer opportunities to truly engage and connect with them will be the ones that have the most meaning.
“Every vacation needs to be a restoration of the spirit,” Chopra told Bloomberg. I couldn’t agree more. :)
