For a more tranquil life…

The pandemic has offered us the chance to take some time off and return to a more organic way of being. Priyanka Parshurami writes on how wellness retreats in India are facilitating this move.

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n these stressful and tough pandemic times, our health and wellbeing is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, good health and wellbeing require a holistic lifestyle, which requires more than just nutritious food and physical exercise. It also includes other equally important factors such as our mental and spiritual wellbeing. The sole purpose of a wellness retreat is to ensure the health and wellbeing of a person through natural therapies such as Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga healing, and nutrition. PBHJ connected with three wellness retreats in India that are singularly aimed at giving clients an opportunity at tranquility admist the choas.

FAZLANI NATURE’S NEST, TALEGAON, TAKWE, MAHARASHTRA

Key services offered: Ayurveda, wellness restaurant, Amarine Wellness, Stallion Castle, and Villagery.

Biggest challenge faced in COVID times: The main challenge has been that services have almost come to a standstill as travel restrictions have been imposed in almost all the states. But with extreme precautions, the retreat continues to welcome its guests as, in times like these, people would require some retreat from day-to-day stress-related news that they consume. The main goal is to keep its guests distant from these current situations and deviate them towards detoxification as well as have some leisure activities in and around our property.

Safety precautions adopted to ensure clients comfort and safety: Guests are well-sanitized as well as their luggage, body temperatures are checked, and proper social distancing norms are being followed as soon as they reach the property. Each room is well-sanitized before the guests settle down. The retreat is also in the process of making a mandatory requirement of a PCR test on arrival to the property.

Reaching out to clients and creating awareness: The retreat follows certain protocols keeping in mind the sensitive situation in the nation. It is in touch with its returning clients and discuss their upcoming plans.

During stressful times such as the current pandemic, how can wellness retreats make a difference to its clients’ health and well-being: Fazlani Nature’s Nest believes that there should be a balance in work-life culture. But with lockdowns and constant news about the surge in cases and shortage of resources, one can always drift away on the negative outlook. With therapies that are being provided at the retreat, the clients’ get the chance to change their whole mindset and get away from stress and heal and relax themselves.

NAAD WELLNESS, KUNDIL, DELHI NCR

Key services offered: Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Yoga-based wellness services like detox, destress, meditation, weight management, and preventive treatments.

Biggest challenge faced in COVID times: The entire world has witnessed a big challenge during the COVID times, and so has this retreat. But its continues to focus on three beliefs: First, believe in oneself, that can boost one to overcome anything; Second, believe in the root of Ayurveda, naturopathy and yoga, which can heal anything and everything; and, third, believe that in this modern world, there are wellness centres like Naad Wellness who are dedicated to serving the society for building immunity based on the ancient principles.

Safety precautions adopted to ensure clients comfort and safety: Naad Wellness follows all COVID-related guidelines to keep its employees, staff, and guests safe. All of its employees have been vaccinated and the PCR tests has been made mandatory for the guests. Being part of the healthcare industry, its health safety standards are equivalent to that of the leading hospitals in the country. Additional precautions are being taken such as temperature check for the visitors, also to ensure that the team does not travel to COVID Red zones or hotspots.

Reaching out to clients and creating awareness: Since the onset of the pandemic, the PR team has been sharing awareness messages and videos on the retreat’s social media pages, which are based on how to fight against the hurdle psychologically and physiologically. This information is professionally researched and easy to follow in real life to keep oneself safe and healthy. Apart from these, even during the lockdown, Naad Wellness introduced several outreach programmes such as a complimentary consultation with doctors, complimentary twice-daily yoga sessions on WebEx, and simple practices that people can adapt to at home to keep their immune system strong.

During stressful times such as the current pandemic, how can wellness retreats make a difference to their client’s health and well-being: The current pandemic has made people more aware of where they stand from a health perspective and they know exactly how they have been taking their health for granted. Naad Wellness has already been receiving queries from guests wanting to know more on how they can manage and heal their current lifestyle disorders. Earlier people were okay to live with the disease and manage it to the best of their abilities. But now, they want to know how they can overcome it and even heal it completely. The realisation is that their existing health conditions make them more susceptible to new ones. While health and wellness travel will be the priority of travellers post-pandemic, they may not be able to spend more than a weekend away from work. So, the retreat is expecting shorter lengths of stay, not more than two to three nights initially. Keeping this perspective in mind, it is also introducing a two-night package. This package will address health and lifestyle issues being faced by people now such as immunityboosting and recovery from the symptoms of social distancing (insomnia, stress, and irregular eating habits).

PEMA WELLNESS RESORT, VISAKHAPATNAM, ANDHRA PRADESH

Key services offered: Customised programmess to suit the respective goals of each guest. Its therapeutic nutrition, daily guided meditation, yoga and healing practices come together to create a holistic experience of wellbeing with naturopathy at the core. Fostering an environment of promoting a healthy lifestyle with sustainability means that every aspect translates into an exquisite experience. The resort offers Naturopathybased wellness retreat in the broader categories such as hydrotherapy, manipulative therapy, ozone therapy, colonic irrigation, yoga and meditation, acupuncture and physiotherapy.

Biggest challenge faced in COVID times: In the unprecedented time of market crisis, the hardest-hit industry is hospitality. Budding brands are the first ones to experience this condition. Some of the challenges faced were low expenditure, managing prices, occupancy drops and the pressure of providing offers or discounts to the clients. One of the biggest challenges for the industry is to gain the confidence of the clients (existing and new) and making them believe in the new environment and suitable new practices.

Safety precautions adopted to ensure clients comfort and safety: COVID test has been done for all staff members, including the security at the main gate and any vendors coming to Pema for deliveries. The staff members also always wear the mask. The guests are also requested to produce an RTPCR test report conducted 24-48 hours before the visit. High-contact areas and surfaces along with the guest rooms are frequently sanitized and cleaned. All the linens are sterilized daily. Adequate social distancing norms is followed at the resort, which applies to all the guests and staff members.

Reaching out to clients and creating awareness: Right from the time when the lockdown was implemented, the sales and marketing team has been in continuous contact with the existing guests through WhatsApp. With immunity playing a vital role to fight the virus, the doctors at the retreat and highly experienced chefs have curated immunity building recipes that have been shared with the guests regularly.

The sales and marketing team has also made concern calls to the guests and arranged for online/telephonic consultations with the naturopathic doctors. While a lot of other wellness centres were strategising on opening, Pema took this as an opportunity to connect with the guests and has been constantly available to take guest queries and was readily available on chat too.

During stressful times such as the current pandemic, how can wellness retreats make a difference to its clients’ health and wellbeing: Holistic well-being is being talked about more than ever. A lot of travellers are reaching out to wellness retreats to build their immunity and be prepared for the unpredicted. As everyone gradually head towards normalcy, Pema predicts that wellness is going to be of utmost priority and people will plan for wellness getaways and vacations. According to Pema, people will shift their interest from leisure SPA to focused wellness travel.

Wellness centres such as Pema, offer holistic and guided wellbeing since personal health and fitness is the precedence. This retreat is a perfect union of healing ambience and atmosphere that instantly rejuvenates the senses. The constant urge to offer enhanced services and wholesome healing experience to its customers, imprints their hearts thus, leaving an urge to return.