WELLNESS TOURISM

Hello Reader, welcome back. Equanimity Forest bathing Continuing on the theme of Stress Awareness Month. In last week's A path away from stress, we explored how stress sneaks in, how it stores in the body, the science, health statistics, plus various perspectives and tools for living with it more mindfully. This week, we’ll look closer at one scientifically proven way of processing stress: Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”. This is not another wellness trend, but rather a term that was coined...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Equanimity A path away from stress At the start of spring, a feeling that time is passing quickly often arises. This year, the seasonal celebrations arrived early. With them already behind us, combined with daily demands and the weight of global news, the sense of constantly playing catch up, mounting worry and stress has only intensified. April's Stress Awareness Month feels like the right moment to look at this: how stress sneaks in, what it does to us, and where...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Wanderlust Onsen, a Japanese wellness ritual Lanterns cast a dim light over neatly trimmed garden plants and shrubs. A ginkgo tree sifts sunlight through its foliage. Elegant maple trees with red leaves, both vibrant and delicate. A moist, green slope of ground-hugging moss. Spring water trickling down a stack of rocks, moving slowly, stone over stone into stone; a discreet soundscape so constant it begins to sound like silence. Water. Undercurrents stirring,...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Action Inside the era of Runcations In cities across the world, pavements and park trails have long been filling before sunrise. In the half-light, hundreds gather stretching against railings, adjusting wearables, checking stats from the days before. Running, a commonplace global phenomenon that mobilises millions every year. During the pandemic this simple movement practice became one of the few remaining freedoms. The Runkeeper app recorded a 667% rise in UK...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Wanderlust Icons, for now Increasingly, places feel seen before they’re visited. It happens so easily these days, suffice to put in a few prompts or search words, or mention a destination in passing to someone you know, and most of your devices will flash up with eager tips, must-see instructions and articles about it. What started as a farfetched idea can quickly lose its charm when you are inundated with listicles, social posts and video blogs. Even when we...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Wanderlust Back to the point There is one type of background noise that is particularly hard to ignore. It begins as a low hum, some neck stiffness after a long meeting. Then a whisper, a pull between the shoulder blades. Then, it won’t stop talking, the dull ache has claimed territory at the base of the spine. Before you know it, lower back pain has installed itself as a permanent tenant. You start wondering: “Where exactly is it hurting? Is it a herniated disc?...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Integration Transit talks There is something about being in transit that loosens people up. On long-distance train rides, on planes, in lounges and lobbies, people talk in relaxed ways they rarely do otherwise — a particular kind of openness emerges. You could say it’s inevitable when you’re seated close together with limited personal space. But I’m not referring to logistical chatter or small talk. I mean those random encounters where two strangers slip into...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Action Glacier to Ground With winter at its peak and mountains drawing people upward, it’s worth considering what elevation actually does — not just to performance or competition, but to perspective. When we are too close to something, we see detail instead of the bigger picture. Progress rarely happens where everything feels level. At altitude, the world simplifies. Air thins, the wind moves faster, and light sharpens everything it touches. Nature is less...

Hello Reader, welcome back. Equanimity Peace in Motion We sometimes plan journeys elsewhere because where we are, some things feel slightly out of reach. A sense of lightness, perhaps. A shift in our perspective. A feeling of being more ourselves and at peace. Whether we name it or not, many of us travel with an intention and a quiet hope that something inside us might settle along the way. We book time away, mark it in calendars, and carry it ahead of us — as if a different setting might...