We all lead very busy lives but when the weekend comes along, how many of us truly take the time out for some self-care and wellbeing focused activities? With the rise in the wellness discourse across the continent, there is growing recognition that we need to prioritise our health and wellness not just for aesthetic reasons but also for our mental health. In fact, studies show that people who take more rest days from work are more productive at their jobs.
So what is a wellness retreat, you may ask? A wellness retreat is a vacation where you travel to a destination to perform wellness-specific activities in a planned agenda. Activities that take place usually centre around promoting your physical, spiritual and psychological wellbeing such as meditating, group workouts and being intentional about feeding your body with nourishing foods.
The central concept defining this increasingly popular form of vacationing is that we all need to step back from our busy day-to-day routines by slowing down and relaxing, usually in a state of solitude. Most people choose to go on wellness retreats alone in order to truly check in on and take care of themselves. Popular wellness retreat locations across the continent include to Zimbabwe Luxury Yoga Safari, Zaina Lodge in Ghana and Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas and Spa.
As tempting as these locations are, sometimes we may need to take time off for our self-care beyond the number of vacation days we are entitled to in one year. For those who have especially demanding jobs, a self-care focused weekend a couple of times a month may be just what you need to reset. In this post, we are catering to you, busy reader, by sharing a two-day sample wellness retreat.
Meditate to "African" Sounds
Spend just 5 minutes of your morning sitting on the floor with your eyes closed and legs crossed, breathing deeply to the soothing sounds of the Mother Africa Meditation. Let your thoughts roam wherever they may. There’s no pressure to feel totally relaxed but just try to be in the moment as much as possible.
Paint, Draw or Colour
Studies show that painting, drawing and colouring provide many benefits for our mental health, namely their ability to help us relax. Whichever one you choose, let your imagination run wild. Remember, though, that it’s not all about the final result but rather how you enjoy the process.
R&R Luxury Spa Day
R&R is a luxury beauty brand founded on the continent with the aim of using natural African () to create beauty products. For this reason, R&R’s luxurious products would make for the at-home perfect spa using their Home Spa Kit. Treat your skin to a scrub with their Lavendar Shea Sugar Scrub, cleanse in the shower with their Liquid Black Soap and massage your skin post-shower with their Serenity Shea Oil.
Cook
Cooking nourishing recipes will not only leave you feeling energised but your body will thank you for it too. Enjoy the following original BBA recipes: a Veggie Egusi Scramble breakfast with half an avocado, Chicken and Mango Salsa Salad lunch and West African Oven Grilled Tilapia with Baked Kelewele Fries Dinner.
Work Out
Start your day with a workout by one of our favourite African influencers. For more workouts, check out our fitness page where we share fitness weekly workouts from our various fitness contributors.
Evening Journaling
Journaling is known to be a therapeutic exercise. Take some time out in the evening to sit in silence and write out your thoughts- good or bad- as well as your desires.
Cook
On this day you can enjoy a delicious Moroccan Shakshuka for breakfast, a delicious Brown Rice Waakye Buddha Bowl for lunch, and scrumptious Grilled Honey Suya Chicken with a Side of Ghana Salad for dinner.
Read
Reading is a great way to take your mind off your reality and escape into a fictional world. Yes, fiction would be ideal in this time especially if you need a mental escape. However, you can also opt for non-fiction self-development books which give very useful advice to help make your next steps a bit easier.
I hope you enjoyed this post and try creating a wellness retreat of your own. What’s your favourite way to relax? Let us know in the comments section below!
