Refresh, Recharge: 5 Wellness Retreats for a Rejuvenating Getaway

An increasingly popular type of wellness holiday are yoga retreats. A typical yoga retreat itinerary would include a full-board stay at a lodge with meals provided (possibly vegan or vegetarian), as well as yoga classes, meditation sessions and some free-and-easy time to explore local sights and sounds.

The strong focus of a retreat on holistic well-being ensures that you have time to focus on yourself.

Luke Elijah Lim, a Singaporean spiritual practitioner and meditation coach was quoted in The Straits Times sharing his take on retreats: “A yoga class is more of a quick touch, but a retreat is powerful because you are there to dedicate and immerse yourself in your well-being, surrounded by fresh air, clean food, meditation and breathwork. You don’t have to think about accommodation, meals or the itinerary – all of that is provided for you. You can focus completely on yourself.”

“… a retreat is powerful because you are there to dedicate and immerse yourself in your well-being”

While yoga retreats are aplenty in Asia, it is important to find one that is suitable according to your fitness and experience level. Be sure to do sufficient research and read reviews to ensure that the yoga retreat is genuine and reliable.

Here are five popular yoga and wellness retreats in Asia to help you achieve your inner peace: 

Set by the beaches of Koh Phangan and surrounded by a rainforest, Pure Flow Yoga is one of the more popular yoga retreats in Thailand that offers retreats for yoga practitioners of various levels. Each of the five, 10 or 15-day retreat features 2 yoga classes and meditation sessions daily. For the serious yogi, there are also 200-hour yoga teacher training courses to check out. 

In our very own backyard on the island of Langkawi lies the Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat. Consisting of 11 villas nestled in a rainforest, Ambong Ambong offers yoga and nature-based retreats that are conducted by leading yoga and nature practitioners. The blend of yoga, meditation, traditional healing arts, nature and culture ensures that you not only benefit from the wellness sessions, but also from immersing the natural sights of the island.

Feel like you do too much talking on travels? Why not try a silent retreat? Some yoga retreats at the One World Retreat in Bali feature a day of silence, where for one day out of the retreat, participants won’t speak or engage with one another. The practice is inspired by Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, and is supposed to give guests a time for self-reflection and introspection. Many participants have said that this was their favourite part of the retreat!