Yoga + Wellness

More and more travelers organize their trips around yoga and wellness, whether it’s a week of downward facing dog on the beach, or a much-needed rest at a health-oriented spa resort (where nutritious food and activities are designed to make visitors feel like their best selves). Wellness is actually intrinsic to travel: vacations immediately boost mental well-being and often contain far more physical activity than an average day working behind a desk. Travel + Leisure keeps tabs on the latest health, wellness, and yoga travel news, and can recommends short, travel-friendly stretches and workouts.Balance is Key in Finding the Right Yoga RetreatsLest you be mistaken, a yoga retreat is not all yoga. Find the best fit by determining how much yoga practice you’d honestly like to do on a given day, balanced by how much you’d like to experience the retreat’s destination. If you’re by a beach, will you want to go to it? If you’re in the mountains, will you want to hike them? A good rule of thumb for beginners is to plan on taking two classes a day. An ideal program mixes strenuous sessions with restorative ones. Also essential is a knowledge of, if not a relationship with, the instructor. Remember, you’ll likely be spending at least a week with them.Indulge in Wellness RetreatsLiving healthy is easy at a wellness-oriented spa resort. Often eco-friendly, with healthful food options to boot, these venues combine all the virtues of a destination vacation with few of its vices. (Enjoy a breathtaking ocean view, but without that tropical cocktail-inspired headache the next day.) Typically, you'll find a variety of yoga and exercise classes on offer, nutritionists on staff, and extensive fitness and spa facilities at travelers’ disposal. From Malibu to Maui and many places beyond, wellness retreats pair extreme luxury with the well-intentioned spirit of detoxification. There, getting healthy can feel like the most indulgent thing of all.