Consumers are healing and practicing wellness by sparking joy through reconnection with themselves and those around them.

Luxury retreats and spas are helping travelers reconnect with themselves during their travels to rediscover joy. In Portugal, the Conscious Living Retreat focuses on each guest’s personal transformation, emotional intelligence, and helps guide guests towards clear goals based on their own values. At Crete’s Daios Cove, guests spend one week focusing on their own fitness, energy and restoration. For travelers who want to slow down and recharge, Recharge in Ibiza offers sound healing, masterclasses, yoga, and locally sourced meals to help guests refocus and recenter themselves.

A woman smiles and paints purple dotted flowers on a white and blue lamp shade.
Curious House

Other retreats focus on passions and creative pursuits to rediscover joy within themselves. At the Wild and Free Surf and Yoga Retreat in Cornwall, guests can spend four days sleeping under the stars, eating organically and locally sourced meals, and surfing the waves for joy and inspiration. For creative minds, Curious House in East Sussex offers a variety of creative courses such as painting, pottery, photography and more for a dose of art therapy.

Hope molecules may be the secret to these joy therapy retreats. A chemical reaction from myokines, small proteins that travel to the brain, act as anti-depressants when we move or exercise. These magical particles are affectionately being called hope molecules, ready to activate in our bodies with a little movement and excitement and aptly programmed to heal, bring relief, and spark joy. Hope molecules are even backed by science: according to a report led by Dr. Andreas Heissel of the University of Potsdam, exercise can effectively be used as medicine to alleviate depression and depressive symptoms.

The Intelligence take

People of all ages are finding joy in their shopping, in their fashion, and their everyday lives. Now, they’re leveraging sparks of joy to reconnect in intentional, therapeutic ways.

Main image courtesy of Curious House.

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