By Angela Caraway-Carlton
As I drive beneath moss-draped tree canopies, a way of calm washes over me—the sort solely Amelia Island can summon. Situated simply half-hour from Jacksonville, this northernmost barrier island is a sanctuary of untamed magnificence, the place forested trails twist like storybook paths and broad seashores stretch out beneath rolling dunes. A uncommon Florida gem the place it’s straightforward to get in contact with nature, and your self, because it nonetheless feels principally untouched by mass tourism.
I’m attending a three-day, longevity-themed wellness retreat at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The resort is befitting of a serene getaway any time of 12 months, due to its prime spot on a secluded seaside the place superb morning sunrises are price rising early for, and the place lengthy walks on the seaside to scan for dolphins are every day rituals. With wellness getaways trending, the resort is dedicated to an annual wellness retreat with completely different themes and audio system, equivalent to longevity guru Kalindi Hoffmann who hosted classes all through the weekend.
The primary day, our small group was challenged by Hoffmann’s query of what wellness means to us. Nearly instantly, our small group collectively agreed: longevity isn’t a lot about how lengthy you reside, however about dwelling in good well being for the time we’re right here. One attendee not too long ago acquired a stunning most cancers analysis and was engaged on self-care, whereas a pair from Boca Raton booked the retreat as a part of their dedication to a yearly reset collectively. Others had been fighting sleep or destructive ideas, which introduced me to my intention for the weekend. I wished assist quieting destructive or fearful ideas that appear to dominate my thoughts and the world’s every day newsfeed.
We’d wake within the mornings for mild motion like yoga, stretching and “no-talking” seaside walks (which proved troublesome for a bunch of principally girls who turned quick buddies), and huddle up in a quiet convention room for longevity studying classes. As somebody who’s sleep-challenged, I gravitated to Hoffmann’s yoga nidra session the place we slipped on eye masks and lay on mats curled up with blankets, permitting her smooth voice and mediative steering to lull us into deep rest. I alternated someplace between vivid desires and consciousness. “You all look like babies,” she exclaimed as we emerged from the session, our faces wiped away from stress. Yoga nidra is supposed to prime the physique for a superb evening’s sleep and I slept laborious that evening. The subsequent day Hoffmann led us by respiratory workout routines, one other pillar of longevity, to showcase the facility of respiratory on our nervous system and emotional therapeutic; whereas the ultimate day, our yoga and motion teacher Cassie, bathed us in a vibrational sound bowl session.
There have been no salads in sight over the weekend—until you wished one, in fact—however the first evening was crammed with a buffet of Blue Zone meals, starting from nutrient-rich soups to seared native fish, and hearty breakfasts at Coast restaurant that included peanut butter in a single day oats, omelets, zucchini bread, bowls and avocado toast. A deal with was dinner on the resort’s newly renovated Salt restaurant, the place the chef created a particular menu for us and turned gadgets like artichokes into scrumptious artistic endeavors.
A part of the retreat centered on pampering remedies on the expansive Spa & Wellness Middle, the place attendees may select every thing from glow-up hydrafacials to rhythmic bamboo massages and stints within the red-light remedy beds to struggle irritation. Whereas I soaked within the effervescent sizzling tub and sweated within the sauna, the spa’s non-public pool is a coveted amenity the place you’ll be able to zone out or join with buddies (there have been loads of lady gangs laughing and sipping bubbly). And also you don’t have to attend for the Ritz’ annual wellness retreat: the spa commonly gives customized wellness journeys and full-day retreats the place you’ll be able to select a mixture of spa companies and wellness experiences like forest bathing or nap/sleep remedy, paired with lunch and a take-home reward.
However the true reward of a wellness retreat on the Ritz is the pure attractiveness and straightforward tranquility of Amelia Island. The lodge’s educated naturalists will lead visitors on water and land excursions to search for pink spoonbills or dolphins (among the visitors even noticed bunnies and tortoises across the resort), and Amelia Island is without doubt one of the few locations in Florida the place you’ll be able to trip horses on the seaside. It’s straightforward to flee actuality at close by Boneyard Seaside, an otherworldly seaside in Massive Talbot Island State Park that’s scattered with huge driftwood bushes. After an extended stroll down a tucked-away path, there’s the possibility to climb the driftwood giants and marvel on the spectacle as you take heed to the surf roll out and in.
On my drive again to Fort Lauderdale after the retreat wrapped, a query that Hoffmann challenged our group to ask ourselves when confused, floated by my thoughts: “Is this worth giving up my peace?.” At a time the place our minds are continuously bombarded by scary information headlines and FOMO-inducing social media feeds, I vowed to maintain that query on every day repeat.
