A Guide to your Wellness Retreat in Sri Lanka With your Pals

The grind of our everyday lives can take a major toll on our bodies. From the moment we wake up, for most of us it’s go, go, go. The daily commute, the endless hours in front of our desks, the exhaustion from travelling back and from the office and by the time we’re home and ready to crash. Taking time to nurture yourself and look after your mental and physical health is crucial.

With that in mind, Sri Lanka is the perfect destination to relax and unwind, whether you’re in sunny Mirissa or in the misty hills of Kandy. From focusing on simply being, to relaxing in the spa, this island is one of the top destinations for friends who are just looking to get away from it all. Here’s an easy guide to your wellness retreat in Sri Lanka, especially when travelling with your closest pals.

Yoga Retreats

If you’re already a practising yogi, great! If not, don’t worry, there are yoga retreats for beginners too. Your typical yoga class gives you maybe an hour or two of deep stretching, which is generally enough for most people to work the accumulated stresses out of their bodies. A yoga retreat, however, allows you to delve deeper into your sense of self and really focus on the art. It also does away with the distractions of daily life that can interrupt the serenity you find in a class – having to head home through traffic and fix dinner, for example, can break anyone’s zen, and a yoga retreat tends to focus on removing these distractions for you.

There are plenty of yoga retreats in Sri Lanka to choose from, from the simple to the luxurious, and you can choose whichever suits your fancy. You could opt to sandwich your retreat in the middle of a general holiday to the country, or better yet, finish off your vacation with a holistic experience that is sure to leave you feeling super zen.

Yoga retreats in Mirissa are the most popular with enthusiasts; as it combines the best of serene views, cuisine and a myriad of other things to do too; like surfing! Read our blog on the best surf spots on the western coast.

Ayurveda Retreats

Ayurveda is an ancient system of holistic healing that has been around in South Asia for thousands of years, and is rooted in the belief that a person’s health and wellness is dependent on the connection between their mind, body and spirit. It is viewed as a way of life, and not as a way to combat diseases – although treatments can be prescribed for specific issues. Ayurveda can be seen as a way of preventing issues, where modern medicine is a cure.

Most wellness retreats in Sri Lanka generally offer some form of Ayurvedic treatment, from massages to detoxes, as part of its facilities. This can be in conjunction with other self-care practices offers, such as with yoga. A retreat that offers Ayurvedic treatments exclusively may offer access to trained Ayurvedic doctors, as well as offering treatments for sleep disorders, topical beauty issues, helping with body pains and so on. Depending on what you’re looking for, an Ayurveda retreat might be exactly what you need to detox and get away.

Nature Retreat

In some cases, you may not even need a particular treatment – you just need to get away from the bustle of the city and surround yourself with nature. Sri Lanka is one of 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world, and an amazing place to reacquaint yourself with the environment. There are plenty of retreats in the country that offer you a chance to step back into the seclusion of a beautiful sanctuary, gather your bearings, and watch the world come alive. From birdwatching in the safety of your own space, to walking through the cool mountain air surrounded by trees, to immersing yourself in a natural spring…there are a lot of options to unwind. It might be something that you explore on your own, but it could also be an experience that bonds you with a partner who joins you for the journey. Either way, you decide.

For a nature retreat, head to Kandy; where you can combine traditional rituals whilst immersing in the beauty of lush forests. Udawattakele Sanctuary, located above the city centre, provides a tranquil escape from the city.

Home to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy also falls within the country’s Cultural Triangle – which is great to explore with your buddies too.