What do you do after a long day at work? You spend time with your loved ones, relax, play with your dog, and let calmness take over. Sometimes, you would go for a long drive or plan for a weekend getaway. This was a typical routine before the pandemic struck the world. Work and leisure used to go hand in hand, which kept our lives balanced and our inner peace intact.
When the pandemic hit, our work-life balance was disrupted. There were long days at work but no tranquillity thereafter. We couldn’t make travel plans like before. The only thing we could do was wait for the day when we could go out, stretch our weary souls, and travel again to find our inner peace.
That wait is over. Well, almost. Owing to the worldwide vaccination drives, the time has come to rediscover what we lost and give wellness a new meaning. Catharsis and rejuvenation are on the horizon. People are booking tickets and packing their bags to visit their favourite destinations. According to a joint survey by Thomas Cook India and SOTC, 69 percent of respondents are keen to travel in 2021; 31 percent in 2022. And not just anywhere. Places where people can unwind and find inner peace; a need that has catapulted wellness tourism to the top of the charts. Such wellness trends are on the rise due to the pandemic that has shifted the focus of travel from leisure to wellness. Let’s take a closer look at the new normal of travelling.
Ayurvedic retreats for mental rejuvenation
For hundreds of years, people in India have relied on Ayurveda to solve their mental and physical health issues. Now, after two long years of the pandemic and living within the four walls of our home, Ayurveda has again emerged as a preferred choice for mental rejuvenation. Considered to be the oldest traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda removes stress and brings stillness to your mind. From emotional healing and personal massages to oil treatments and bespoke stress management programs, Ayurvedic retreats might just be what you need. After all, your mind needs a desperate vacation as well.
Nature therapy for deep healing
As suggested by a study, nature heals your mind and body. It evokes positive emotions and a sense of calmness when you’re basking in sun and taking a walk in a meadow. Due to the long list of rewards, nature therapy has become a preferred choice for several tourists. The meaning of leisure has evolved from loud music and crowded places to eco-locations and nature therapy. For what your mind has gone through in the past several months, the quietness and calmness that nature offers are what you need to rediscover your mental peace. For these reasons, nature therapies such as forest bathing and eco-resorts will likely become the centrepiece of wellness tourism.
Stress management holidays to rediscover calmness
The last two years were rife with fear and uncertainty. Those who were at home had no respite from what was going outside. People were stressed and afraid. As things are returning to normal again, stress management holidays are taking the centre stage and offering wellness treatments like Reiki and Yoga sessions, aromatherapy, and air purification systems. Going on this wellness vacation can help restore our mental wellbeing by eliminating stress from our lives once and for all.
Meditation retreats for mind and body
When the Buddha was Siddhartha, he meditated to find inner peace. Today, we need the power of meditation again to find the calm and mental peace that was missing for a long time. Various meditation retreats are welcoming people looking for a combination of leisure with wellness from their trips. Meditation retreats offer deep relaxation and transformational experiences of self-discovery. At these places, you can expect meditation exercises, yoga classes, and other spiritual practices that can help rejuvenate your mind and body.
Monasteries to embrace the quietness
Monasteries offer what other destinations cannot— quietness and calmness. These are the two things every tourist needs in the post-pandemic era. And the best thing about this is you can find many serene monasteries to choose from, and they cost relatively less than a trip abroad. Anyway, you can’t put a price tag on the natural beauty of monasteries, and a peaceful and pious environment that can fill you with inner calmness and contentment. So, if you’re planning a trip after long, looking for a place that can make you anew, you can consider monasteries.
Digital detox to get unplugged
Destinations that offer digital detoxification are relatively new in wellness tourism. This being said, we need it now more than ever. During lockdowns, dependence on technology increased significantly. People spent more and more time on their smartphones, surfing, tapping, posting. What else they could do since going out was not an option. But that’s changed now. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a break from your phones and counter screen burnout. It will give you a chance to connect with nature, and not worry about what’s trending for once. Moreover, a digital detox can reset your circadian rhythm and bring back your quality sleep.