Retreat to Wellness

Escape to your better self in Belize

Those of us interested in wellness often seek connectivity within ourselves and the world. We know all too well that health means balance, and the environment influences us just as much as we impact it. Fast pace lifestyles keep us in fight or flight mode all the time. Constant exposure to toxins, pollutants, electromagnetic radiation and more leave a craving for vacations that provide the opportunity to calm, renew and invigorate our system - the mind, body and spirit.

Wellness tourism is steadily on the rise and is expected to keep growing with good reason. Retreats are a safe haven for those needing to recuperate from the stresses and pressures of daily life. Choosing where to escape however, can be overwhelming with the enormous symphony of options available on the market. Luckily, trends can aid in narrowing down your choices by popularity and exposure.

A perfect hideaway, Belize has deep rooted traditions like bush medicine, ancient rituals and beliefs that encourage the idea of a holistic way of life. In fact, the country has become a mecca for yoga practitioners, teachers and other alternative lifestyle enthusiasts not only because of its relatively untouched natural beauty, but also because the local communities are becoming more aware of the importance of wellness. So much so, that many bold moves toward conservancy have made a big impact in the awakening consciousness of Belizean society.

Offshore drilling for oil has been banned, by 2020 all Styrofoam containers and single-use plastics will be banned, and hopefully a ban of gillnet use for fishing is soon to follow. The vegan and vegetarian lifestyle is also gaining popularity in a culinary culture already rooted in organic source to table practices. Belize is trending as “Mother Nature’s haven for wellness.”

Most of the wellness retreats are yoga-based. Nonetheless, programs or workshops that include Podal Reflexology, Reiki Training, Integrative Breath Work and Mindfulness are seasonally available. There are also a host of luxury spas and yoga-oriented resorts to choose from. Most of these properties boast spectacular grounds that reflect the raw opulence of nature. Places like Hidden Valley Inn have a number of elevated Yoga platforms adjacent to the numerous waterfalls and creeks within the Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, and are quite popular with retreat planners.

If you prefer sun salutations on the beach, Ray Caye’s yoga deck over the water, will do you one better. This private island on the fringes of the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve will have you communing with the healing powers of the sea. Everywhere you turn there is a place for you to allow yourself to turn inward while drawing from the therapeutic properties of the outward experience. The art of traveling is an act of letting go and allowing for a better self to manifest through deep experiences. Belizean wellness vacations present a unique opportunity to nurture personal growth and healing.

Written by: Michelle Ashanti Williams