Where Wellness Meets Wine: the Rise of Alternative Therapies
Commissioning Editor
So you wouldn’t want to miss your yoga or Pilates class, but you enjoy the odd glass afterwards just as much. Now you can combine the two – blending the best of both worlds, so to speak. Culture Trip explores your options. Chin-chin!
Meditation, sound baths and yoga classes have taken off around the globe as wellness has become an important aspect of our lives. It’s all about raising consciousness, clearing internal blockages and creating a sense of calm. So why not combine it with a cheeky glass of wine? Here’s how.
Sip bubbly between Pilates classes
Spa, Health Spa
When in Champagne, you know what to do: the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa offers champers from its Leclerc Briant winery. But there’s also an emphasis on wellbeing – on being present, unwinding, and getting the body moving with some gentle fitness. Embracing wellness and the self-care movement, the spa is running regular Pilates and yoga retreats. Esteemed personal trainer Marilyn Grès is on hand to guide you through Pilates and its principles, whatever your level. So whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this is the place to practise the plank followed by a glass of bubbly.
Bathe in red wine in London
Spa, Health Spa
Red wine, like dark chocolate, has long been hailed as an antioxidant powerhouse, although both should be enjoyed in moderation. But how about sitting in a bath of red wine? The folk at West London spa Ella di Rocco seem to think it’s a good idea. In the spa’s Tuscany-inspired space, sangiovese, merlot and ciliegiolo wines fill its deep stone baths, which you’re invited to relax in – with a glass of wine in hand, of course. Also on offer are full-body massages using grapeseed oil, vine leaves and grape juice. Hello, wine therapy!
Adopt the tree pose, cocktail in hand
Yoga Studio
In New York, you can enrol at Drunk Yoga, which was founded as a joke by Eli Walker, who claims that wine helps with flexibility. She introduced a tipple into the mix to “take the pressure out of the practice and turn it into a party”, and the idea took off. Sessions start with a happy hour, before you launch into a 45-minute vinyasa sequence. The focus is on community and having a good time as much as it is on yoga poses. Namaste responsibly.
Surf and drink after hours
Hostel
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
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2 years.
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It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
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I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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