How Wellness Is Changing How We Travel
Travelers seek change. We’re attracted to new sights, experiences, foods, and friendships. As a frequent globe-trotter, one of my main goals is to return home looking changed. Not by wearing that Andean alpaca sweater that seemed to work in Peru (and just doesn’t back in the States), but by displaying trail-toughened muscles developed on Spain’s Camino de Santiago or callouses developed while sea kayaking in Canada. Whether my souvenirs are physical or spiritual, it’s all about seeking active, restorative ventures that improve my life and mark me as a wellness-addicted traveler.
Like a lot of people, though, I don’t simply want to maintain my current wellness routine when I’m away. Sometimes I want to take it to a higher level. Other times, I want to learn from locals about their traditional health and cultural practices, such as cleansing at a Mayan sweat lodge in Mexico. It doesn’t matter if it’s a spa retreat, country escape, or beach getaway, wellness travel is about exploring and discovering ways of life that give you a new way of life.
Vacations have always been about restoring energy, but travel today is much more personalized when it comes to wellness, with a diversity of trips ranging from trekking pilgrimages to spa retreats, fitness cruises to learning vacations. That is why when we come up with the concept at Gusto México of enlightening the five senses, we ultimately not only wanted to broaden the travel industry offered throughout Mexico, but also broaden travelers themselves.
Here are a few ways that you can make the most out of these journeys:
Embrace physical and spiritual experiences.
Wellness travel allows you to experience cultures where the physical is entwined with the spiritual. That is why some of our experiences offer yoga and meditation as an optional morning ritual for our guests. It encourages them to try experiences outside their comfort zone.
Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Wellness travel is a great time to try new things in a friendly, supportive environment. If you’ve always wanted to try yoga, meditation, or traveling solo, this is your opportunity! Our Gusto México experiences offer dozens of all-included activities. Take advantage of the chance to try something new.
Identify goals before the trip.
Take time before your trip to think about what you hope to achieve. Are you focused on relaxation, recharging, and detoxing, or do you want to learn new meditation techniques, eat locally sourced food, and adventure off to learn about the culture? Having even just a general idea of what you want to get out of your trip will help maximize your experience.
Carve out alone time.
On a group trip – whether it’s with extended family, friends, or strangers randomly brought together on a tour – it’s essential to carve out alone time to find inner tranquility. If you have a routine back at home of stretching or meditating, allow time for that before your busy day of activities gets going. Peeling away to do things that are important to you is key.
Be OK with down time.
San Pancho, Nayarit