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Tara Loader Wilkinson

A fully immersive wellness retreat can be hugely therapeutic. It was for 43-year-old life and business coach Lynda Williams, who in 2023 returned to Britain after 14 years living in Singapore.
Following the end of a relationship in 2024, Williams decided to take her heartbreak into her own hands and checked into a five-night retreat in Greece, at Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, joining its Emotional Harmony programme.
“I’ve always believed healing starts from the head and heart and the rest follows,” she says.
She describes the “emotional knots” that were released with a Thai yogic massage, personalised energy treatments, sound healing and water therapies ranging from cold-water immersion to flotation sessions with whale and dolphin acoustics.
“I returned feeling balanced, nurtured, at peace and ready to tackle the rest of the year,” she says.

The start of the year is a good time to reflect on one’s wellness and mental health, and 2025 is set to see more wellness travellers than ever. According to research from luxury travel agency network Virtuoso and market research group YouGov, 21 per cent of people travelling are doing so for health- and wellness-driven reasons.
That number is expected to grow, with 29 per cent of global travellers expressing interest in wellness travel in the future.
Here we look at five types of wellness retreats that are trending.
1. Sexual healing, tantra and intimacy
More retreats are popping up dedicated to improving libido and sexual well-being, which are less taboo than they once were. They focus on physical, emotional and psychological aspects, and on hormone function.

Women can tone their pelvic floor in an Emsella chair, which involves sitting in a wide-legged stance, fully clothed, while the chair induces nearly 12,000 painless pelvic-floor muscle contractions. Men with erectile dysfunction might have therapy that delivers mild shock waves that assist in the growth of new blood vessels.
“Sexual wellness is an extension of the general state of health,” says Dr Rafael Navas, an expert in integrative and hormonal health at SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain.
He adds that sexual health is interconnected with cardiovascular health, the presence of chronic low-grade inflammation and metabolic balance.
Where to do it:
Event venue Broughton Sanctuary in Yorkshire, UK, is hosting a new Tantra Consciousness programme focused on exploring sexual connection and desire in June 2025.
SHA Wellness Clinic has launched a unit dedicated to the study and restoration of sexual well-being through its Sexual Wellbeing package, available at its resorts in Spain and Mexico.

2. Equine retreats
Horses are sensitive creatures and their calming presence can prove therapeutic for those with mental health issues, such as trauma recovery, stress disorders and PTSD.
“I was particularly moved by a gentle mare named Bindi, whose calm and grounded energy resonated deeply,” says Dervla Louli, founder of a retreat travel platform, who recently visited an equine retreat at the Nihi Sumba hotel in Indonesia.
“Swimming with horses at sunrise and magical sunset rides along pristine beaches offer moments of pure bliss.”
In October 2024, Nihi brought in renowned “horse whisperer” Carol Sharpe, known as the Ibu Ndara Sumba (“horse mother of Sumba”), to run the retreat.












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Meanwhile, in the heart of London’s Richmond Park, an equine psychotherapy clinic is gaining a celebrity following.
Operation Centaur, founded in 2002 by professor Andreas Liefooghe and backed by fashion designer Stella McCartney and The Chopra Foundation, runs programmes at the park while offering longer, personalised retreats in locations such as Barbados and Morocco.
Where to do it:
Nihi Sumba, Indonesia, is offering two equine retreats in 2025: the Equine Intuitive Awareness Retreat in February and the Harmonising Horsemanship retreat in May and June.
In the US, Canyon Ranch in California offers healing experiences with certified Equus Coach Ciara West.
Operation Centaur has a retreat at Raha in Essaouira, Morocco, in mid-September.
3. Fertility enhancement
The latest research from the World Health Organization indicates that one in six of the global adult population experiences infertility. Pollutants, unhealthy lifestyles, stress and later parenthood all upset hormone balance and are among factors to blame.

Many retreats now offer specific packages for those preparing for conception, struggling to conceive – perhaps because of endocrinal disorders – or undertaking IVF (in vitro fertilisation).
“If conception is equated to planting a seed, wellness care is like nurturing the soil, increasing the seed’s chances of survival,” says Dr Tipatat Junhasavasdikul, the medical director at Bangkok-based wellness centre RAKxa.
The centre’s approach focuses on the spleen, which in traditional Chinese medicine is essential for nutrition digestion and immune support. Tests such as the Food IgG Intolerance Lab Test check gut health; if abnormalities are discovered, specific therapies can help women prepare for parenting, especially those undergoing IVF.
Where to do it:
RAKxa Integrative Wellness in Bangkok offers bespoke fertility packages.
The Ananda in the Himalayas hotel recently launched an Ayurvedic fertility enhancement programme and is also hosting a new fertility enhancement programme in partnership with midwife fertility expert Zita West in June.
The programme must be done for 21 or 14 days minimum and for women, it is ideal to join the programme on the third day of their menstrual cycle or after their periods to schedule the therapies based on the phase of the cycle.

4. Psychedelic retreats
That psychedelics can help treat a range of ailments from PTSD to addiction, stress and more is increasingly accepted, with convincing clinical research carried out by institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London.
Psychedelic retreats are growing in profile as a result, usually multi-day programmes in groups where guests are administered psychoactive substances to improve their mental health, usually interspersed with yoga, meditation and talk therapy.
Where to do it:
Beckley Retreats is offering communal psychedelic retreats in Jamaica and the Netherlands in 2025 with a five-day minimum stay.
Tandava Retreats offers luxury retreats in Mexico using the tryptamine 5-MeO-DMT compound known as the “God Molecule”, which occurs naturally in various plants and secretions of the Bufo Alvarius toad and is reported to create a feeling of connection with the universe.

5. Contrast therapy (ice and heat)
Contrast therapy, alternating between hot and cold temperatures, was thought to have first been used by ancient Greeks as a way of improving circulation, reducing inflammation and enhancing cardiovascular strength. But its practice is now starting to creep into cities where its benefits are needed most.
The Hooke Fitness gym in London recently launched Mayfair’s only cold plunge bath and hot sauna session.
The Monk studio in London has created the world’s first “smart” ice bath, which is temperature-controlled and can integrate your plunges with your wearable devices.

Laura Fullerton, Monk’s founder and CEO, says: “Cold exposure has been transformative for me as an entrepreneur – it’s my ultimate stress reset, delivering clarity, energy and resilience.”
Where to do it:
Hooke Fitness offers a 30-minute session for £50 (US$62).
Euphoria Retreat in Greece offers Kneipp therapy and Finnish sauna.
The Original Mayr resort in Austria offers Kneipp therapy, cryotherapy and sauna, as well as wild swimming in Lake Worthesee, considered one of the cleanest lakes in Europe.
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Wellness

5 wellness retreat trends in 2025, from sexual healing and psychedelics to horse therapy

SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain and Mexico offers a Sexual Wellbeing package - one of several wellness trends this year. Photo: Instagram/shawellness

A fully immersive wellness retreat can be hugely therapeutic, as Lynda Williams discovered. Photo: Lynda Williams

A fire temple performance at Broughton Sanctuary, which will host a new Tantra Consciousness programme focused on exploring sexual connection and desire in June 2025. Photo: Broughton Sanctuary

Travel platform founder Dervla Louli was moved by this gentle mare at an equine retreat at Nihi Sumba in Indonesia. Photo: Kemah Photography

RAKxa Integrative Wellness in Bangkok offers bespoke fertility packages for couples who are keen to start a family. Photo: Instagram/rakxawellness

On an Instagram post, Tandava Retreats says “This view reflects the journey we offer – a path through awe-inspiring landscapes, both external and within.” Photo: Instagram/tandava_retreats

Hooke Fitness in London recently launched Mayfair’s only cold plunge bath and hot sauna session. Photo: Instagram/hooke_fitness

Laura Fullerton, founder and CEO of Monk, says cold exposure has been transformative for her. Photo: Monk

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Positive self-belief is linked to lower stress levels and better physical health. It is one example of mind-body interaction. Photo: Shutterstock 


Snacking is fine, but make smart snack choices to help you stay on track, says Karen Chong, a dietitian at Hong Kong’s Matilda International Hospital. Photo: Matilda International Hospital

A positive mindset can improve your physical well-being by lowering stress, says Professor Sylvia Kwok from the Department of Social & Behavioural Sciences at City University of Hong Kong. Photo: City University of Hong Kong

 Your thoughts, when charged with genuine emotion, become instructions for your body and ultimately shape your reality, says clinical hypnotherapist Olivier Courret. Photo: Olivier Courret

Practise self-compassion to feel more positive about yourself, says Hong Kong-based psychologist Kathryn Gale. Photo: Kathryn Gale

Year of the Snake fitness retreat in Hong Kong features snake-themed exercises and motifs

Two Sweet Feet’s Muay Thai coach Natalie Sin will put retreat participants through the paces of her martial art. Photo: Two Sweet Feet HK

Two Sweet Feet trainer Harry Taylor holds a strength-building class. Photo: Two Sweet Feet HK

Two Sweet Feet yoga teacher Kalam Chu holds a yoga class. Photo: Two Sweet Feet HK

Why traditional Chinese medicine is so special, and how it’s getting a push in Hong Kong

Chinese herbal medicine is dispensed at a pharmacy in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Chinese herbal medicine is dispensed at a pharmacy in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, where traditional Chinese medicine is being promoted. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong’s acting secretary for health Dr Libby Lee (centre), Chinese Medicine Development commissioner Dr Vincent Chung (right), and Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee chairman Chan Wing-kwong at the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Culture Festival. Photo: www.info.gov.hk

An artist’s impression of the finished Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Hospital, which is set to open in stages from 2025. It will provide predominantly TCM services, with Western medicine doctors playing a supporting role. Photo: HKBU

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the belief that qi, the body’s vital energy, flows along meridians, or channels, in the body and keeps a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health in balance. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Mok Tik-lun, a lecturer at the School of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: CUHK

Acupuncture is one of the “four pillars” of traditional Chinese medicine, along with herbal medicine and dietary therapy, tui na massage, and exercise and movement therapy.

Cupping, in which heated glass jars create suction to promote circulation and the flow of qi. Photo: Getty Images

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Hathaway as Catwoman in a still from The Dark Knight Rises. Photo: Warner Bros

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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

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Travel & Leisure

Want to restore your libido, get help conceiving, or find relief from stress and addiction? Here is what’s trending in wellness tourism


Want to restore your libido, get help conceiving, or find relief from stress and addiction? Here is what’s trending in wellness tourism.


5 wellness retreat trends in 2025, from sexual healing and psychedelics to horse therapy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Want to restore your libido, get help conceiving, or find relief from stress and addiction? Here is what’s trending in wellness tourism

Want to restore your libido, get help conceiving, or find relief from stress and addiction? Here is what’s trending in wellness tourism