BRB: Getting ready for goat yoga.
by Reem Khaleel May 13, 2023
Nothing says wellness retreat quite like a mental health break. Whether it’s stress from work that has you ready to catch the next flight to Bali or non-stop anxiety from everyday life, health-conscious vacays are designed to help you physically and mentally de-stress as well as heal your mind and body. With travel websites like Live Grounded Travel™, you can curate a trip anywhere around the globe based solely on your personal wellness wishes. (That means never again having to check if your resort has an on-location fitness center.)
With over 200 destinations to choose from, it's super easy to find the exact mental health break you need. Narrow your choices to find fun activities (like horseback riding and goat yoga) as well as wellness practices (like acupuncture and mindfulness classes), or search a wellness resort by location. The website features destinations with farm-to-table meals, all-natural spa services and those that use products indigenous to the location, and even those with farms or gardens on the property. If a healthy mind and body experience is crucial for your next getaway, here are five irresistible resorts to consider the next time it feels like your life is in shambles.
Located on Belize’s Placencia Peninsula, this private paradise has the royal seal of approval from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex themselves, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have been captured vacationing here. The resort’s most delectable attraction is that it houses an organic cacao farm. For lovers of dark chocolate that means making your own from roasted cacao seeds with the expertise of a Mayan chocolatier. That is when you’re not off paddle boarding and kayaking in the Carribean Sea or practicing yoga with a view.
Your next getaway could be to this eco-friendly, solar-powered beaut located in Bajo Cardo, Mexico. Experience authentic Mexican culture by staying at a casita, hand-built using straw and clay and decorated with local artisan crafts. There, expect breathtaking views of the ocean and desert where you just might come across local wildlife. Before you leave, cleanse your mind, body, and spirit in a Plant Ceremony/Mayan muscle ritual that uses organically-sourced, ancestral medicinal plants and relaxing massage therapy.
Meliá Punta Cana Beach Resort in the Dominican Republic is the perfect beach wellness getaway if sunsets, greenery, and sparkling bodies of water are your calm. The resort has a view of the Caribbean Sea, four pools on the property, and a seaside garden where you can ease and de-stress your mind from the frenzy of daily life. If you want to get a workout in, visit their YHI Moves & Wellness fitness room, available to guests 24/7. Afterward, ease your sore muscles with their signature stone massage, which uses local Larimar stones believed to contain healing properties to help you get the much-needed R&R you deserve.
Skip the tropics with a visit to the Yovan Longevity & Health Resort, a Catskills Ayurvedic Sanctuary in New York where you’ll have the luxury to slow down. Take a scenic nature walk for a bit of zen or enjoy a picture-perfect sunrise over the lake for inspiration. The resort is known for its Ayurvedic practices and vegetarian food that compliments your dosha (energies that define a person’s makeup). You can even try the many hydrotherapies offered that are designed to aid with depression, stress, and anxiety as well as chronic pain, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
The serene vibes at Coral Cove Wellness Resort in Little Bay, Jamaica is well revered for its re-imagined approach to holistic wellness and healing. You will be treated to a variety of farm-fresh fruits and veggies (cooked to your preference) and partake in a series of adventurous activities that’ll help strengthen your mind as well as your spirit. From exploring bat caves to visiting the mineral spring, spear-fishing, and strolling through the secluded local fishing village, you'll never not find your soul at ease.
