Tag: wellness

The New Way to Staycation

Posted on by Alycee Byrd

After a year at home, many travellers are ready for a change of scenery. Get away without going far by checking into the nearest Four Seasons to recharge and reset. Focus on wellness in Westlake Village, sip tea in the garden in Hong Kong, or reconnect with family in Orlando: A staycation with Four Seasons offers a reminder of what’s important: being present in the moment.

Wes 1090 Wes 1140 970x540

Outdoor Journey in Los Angeles

Wellness is the centre of your stay at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, where you have your pick of ways to refresh mind and body. Take a guided hike through the oaks and sycamores of Southern California’s Conejo Valley, or saddle up for a horseback ride along winding mountain trails that criss-cross the Santa Monica Mountains. After a day spent in the warm California sun, celebrate your setting with a meal at Coin & Candor, a California Brasserie, serving local ingredients from the region’s best farmers and purveyors.

Focus on wellness at Westlake Village

Discover More

Hkg 1674 970x540

A Master Class in Hong Kong

“Education is the kindling of a flame,” Socrates wrote, “not the filling of a vessel.” Fan the flames of your own journey to discovery at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. The Hotel’s Moments of Artistry program – exclusively available to overnight guests – helps you explore your passions: Learn to prepare classic French dishes with an award-winning chef, broaden your knowledge of wine and discover surprising pairings with the sommelier, master dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, or learn wellness techniques to help balance mind and body. You’ll leave with new-found knowledge – and a few recipes or activities to try at home.

 

Learn something new in Hong Kong

Discover More

Orl 663 970x540

Family Time in Orlando

One of the best reasons to take a staycation is the chance to play with friends and loved ones. An ideal spot for an amusing afternoon? The 5-acre (2-hectare) water park at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort. Float along the Lazy River, race down water slides and splash in the Family Pool, then return to dry land for a game of beach volleyball or video games at The Hideout. Explorer Island offers hours of enjoyment for guests of all ages. End the day back in the pool for the Resort’s Starstruck Dive-In movie screening – and don’t forget the complimentary popcorn.

Find more family activities in Orlando

Discover More

Ghf 1081 Ghf 635 970x540

A Night Under the Stars on the French Riviera

Starry-eyed couples staying at Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel can enjoy a romantic evening under a twinkling night sky. One of the top spots in the French Riviera for gazing at constellations, the Hotel’s park offers an unspoiled vantage point on the wonders of the universe. Join a world-renowned scientist for a two-hour astronomy lesson, then enjoy a bespoke meal al fresco, courtesy of three terrestrial stars — the Michelin honours awarded to Chef Yoric Tièche, whose culinary creations are, without question, a taste of heaven.

Plan your romantic evening in Cap-Ferrat

Discover More

Mmd 017 970x540

Rhythm in Madrid

The strumming of a guitar, the rapid-fire percussion of castanets, the quick tap of a dancer’s toes: In Madrid, flamenco strikes all the right notes. Inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity, the distinctive dance originated in the southernmost Spanish province of Andalusia, but you can easily enjoy it during your staycation at Four Seasons Hotel Madrid. Head to one of the nearby flamenco bars or tablaos to watch as skilled dancers stamp their feet and swirl their skirts alongside locals, then find your own rhythm during a private lesson with a professional dancer, arranged by the Hotel. As you learn the basic steps and fluid gestures associated with the dance, you’ll no doubt feel the pasiòn rising, just like a proud Madrileño.

Enjoy the local culture of Madrid

Discover More

Ham 371 970x540

Animal Activities in Hampshire

Trade the hustle and bustle of the city for bracing country air with a stay at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, where 200 hectares (500 acres) of countryside offer plenty of room to play. Set out on a trusty steed for a gentle hack around the Dogmersfield Park Estate, or a trot around the Equestrian Centre’s outdoor arena. Children can learn the fundamentals of pony grooming, or take lessons in dressage and jumps from the Hotel’s instructor. For another creature connection, try a lesson in falconry and an introduction to the Hotel’s birds. Then gather with friends in The Library for afternoon tea.

Get outside in Hampshire

Discover More

Bih 296 Bue 708 970x540

New Flavours in Buenos Aires

If you consider Paris and Milan to be the pre-eminent bastions of café society, add another. Buenos Aires elevates coffee culture to an art form, demonstrated in its abundance of cafés, where you can order a café (espresso), cortado (espresso cut with cream) or cafeen jarrito (double espresso). Coffee aficionados will enjoy a lesson from a barista at Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires: Using the Hotel’s exclusive blend of beans, learn the importance of coarse or fine grinds, water temperature, filtering and timing as you brew the perfect cup – and then create your own work of art in the crema atop your drink.

Savour your stay in Buenos Aires

Discover More

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Where will you explore next?

Hong Kong skyline

Explore

The Healing Power of Sleep

Posted on by Alycee Byrd

There’s a good reason we spend up to a third of our lives in bed: a direct link between sleep and health.

Long before science confirmed the health benefits of sleep, cultural traditions around the world recognized the healing properties of rest. For instance, Ayurvedic medicine, a centuries-old practice rooted in India, links overall happiness with your quality and quantity of sleep, says Dr Michael Breus, a Los Angeles–based clinical psychologist and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

If standard sleep hygiene practices like limiting screen time, caffeine and alcohol before bed aren’t working for you, ensure your space is optimized for sleep – our signature collection has been refined over decades in partnership with experts – and try embracing some of these rituals from cultures around the globe. 

 

Ayurvedic Spa 970x540

India

The practice of Ayurveda embraces the idea that each person has a unique constitution made up of three doshas (energies): vata, pitta and kapha. It would follow that each of us has different sleep habits, Breus says. In Ayurvedic medicine, sleep problems often arise from an imbalance of energies in the body. Insomnia is caused by excess vata and pitta energies. Excess kapha is associated with oversleeping. And when pitta is out of balance it can lead to intense dreaming. Learning your dominant dosha by working with an Ayurvedic practitioner can provide insight into your sleep habits.

“In Ayurveda, nidra (sleep) is considered to be one of the three key pillars of life,” says Sunil Narang, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai. “Ayurvedic bodywork is an ancient, powerful tool to achieve a state of well-being by bringing forth a harmonious balance of body, mind and soul.” The Spa at the Hotel offers two Ayurvedic treatments that aid in a good night’s sleep. Uzhichil is performed on the traditional Ayurvedic wooden massage table. This ancient technique uses warm, medicated Triphala oil in long, soothing strokes to relieve aching muscles and encourage sound sleep. The classic Ayurvedic therapy Shirodhara commences with a relaxing back and shoulder massage, followed by a warm oil poured on the forehead.

“Herbal oil being gently poured over the forehead in a steady stream or flow is a widely practiced treatment in Ayurveda that helps in improving sleep quality,” Narang says. “It is typically used to relax the nervous system and treat stress, anxiety and insomnia.”

Fsh 1932 970x540

Egypt

Ancient Egyptians used to soak their blankets in water before bed to keep cool at night. “Lowering the body temperature at night helps you fall asleep and stay asleep,” Breus says. “Rising temperature signals the body to move into a state of alertness in the morning.” If you’re going to take a hot shower, do it two to three hours before bed so your body has time to cool. To follow up, he suggests a cooling mattress pad and quality sheets and blankets: “Natural fibres are best and most comfortable.”

As for those wet blankets, though it may be hard to imagine finding them comforting, Breus says the weight of a soaked blanket could induce a sense of calm: “Studies have shown that weighted blankets help reduce anxiety and stress and can create a sense of relaxation that helps people fall asleep.”

Inspired by ancient Egyptian body rituals, the Cleopatra Bath Ritual at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza is a luxurious milk bath. Honey, rose petals and essential oils soothe and ease muscle tension and prepare the body for a massage and a peaceful, deep sleep.

A woman being given a massage

China

Scientific studies have shown a direct benefit for sleep from reflexology, an ancient form of touch therapy in which pressure is applied to points on the body. “Pressure points also connect to different physiological functions, including sleep,” Breus says. Specific reflex points related to sleep include the top of the toes, a point on the outer side of the big toe, the ridges of the toes and a point at the ball of the foot.

In addition to reflexology techniques, the Spas at Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen and Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake use a massage oil based on eaglewood, the dark resinous heartwood of Aquilaria trees. “Eaglewood was prized in ancient China for its calming qualities,” says Nicole Ni, Spa Supervisor at Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen. “We use it in our spa treatments to help relax and alleviate stress, resulting in calmer and longer sleep.”

Sleep Story Bath 970x540

Bali

Studies show a 30-minute afternoon nap combined with moderate exercise in the evening helps improve sleep. “There’s a biological reason you’re usually tempted to take naps in the afternoon,” Breus says. “Our bodies are designed to take long stretches of sleep at night, followed by a brief midday rest. The best time to take a nap is between 1:00 and 3:00 pm, when your body temperature drops and your melatonin levels rise.” Nappers, he says, reap the benefits of greater concentration, enhanced memory, better mood and improved physical performance.

Ibu Fera, Wellness Mentor at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, created a signature experience called The Sacred Nap. Instead of snoozing in bed or in a poolside lounger, you’re suspended from the ceiling of the bamboo Dharma Shanti Bale in an aerial silk hammock, cocooned in the tranquillity of the Sayan Valley. You’ll feel your entire body relax and rock gently to sleep in the womblike cocoon as Fera tells you a bedtime story about the life of Buddha. “I was inspired to create the Sacred Nap while I was rocking my own baby to sleep,” Fera says. “Most of us have forgotten how good it felt to be rocked to sleep and have somebody read you a bedtime story or sing a lullaby. I combine this with telling the life story of Buddha and chanting various mantras that I learned when I was a Buddhist nun for seven years. The soothing sound of the singing bowl offers more sacred energy for this experience.”

Woman walks through a hallway holding a tray with a mural on the wall

Mexico

In many parts of the world, dreamtime is a special place where the body and mind go on a healing journey. Luis Molina, Spa Director at Apuane Spa at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, says the Sueño (Dream) Journey is based on the ancestral belief that we live two lives – one while awake and one while dreaming – with a strong connection between the two. This 100-minute ritual replicates the dream sequence, creating a harmonious and peaceful experience.

At Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas™, the Spa’s signature Restore Your Mind treatment balances energy points and chakras by utilizing relaxing massage techniques during a full-body exfoliation. The treatment ends with Shirodhara – the Ayurvedic pour of warm herbal oil onto the forehead’s “third eye” chakra – followed by a gentle scalp massage, inviting a sense of holistic balance and inner peace. “A good night’s sleep is the foundation of overall well-being,” says Lina Morales, Spa Director at the Resort. “It allows the body to recover and cells to renew, and it improves the immune system – which is especially important right now.”

 

Phl 385 970x540

Secrets of a Seychelles Digital Detox

Posted on by Patrick Moreau

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island sits alone on a remote coral atoll in the Indian Ocean, 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) off the coast of Africa. This is a place where you can truly unplug. Leave technology behind and stake out your spot along nearly 14 kilometres of pure white sand, wander the wilderness paths in search of giant tortoises or let lapping waves lull you into repose during an oceanside spa treatment.

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island

Check Rates & Availability
See all you can experience at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island

Patrick Moreau of Muse Storytelling spent seven days on the atoll with his filmmaking crew and was astounded by its power to pull one into the here and now. Here, in his own words, are his suggestions for disconnecting from devices in order to reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.


Seychelles Desroches Island

Photo courtesy Patrick Moreau

Take It In

As you’re coming in on the chartered plane from Mahé, the main island of Seychelles, Desroches Island comes into view; you can see out your window that the Resort is the only thing on this lush, 6-kilometre-long stretch of paradise. The runway is essentially the porte cochère – the plane lands, and staff members are there to greet you. You step off the plane and drop into the lap of nature. Endless ocean to your right, forest to your left and this exquisite Resort directly in front of you – in the middle of nowhere.

 

 


Waiter carries a tray of cocktails

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,

Be Present

There is no cell service on the island, and the Wi-Fi only works when you’re in the Resort itself. So you become more intentional about using the connection – and gradually you use it less and less. Instead of waking up and looking first at your phone, you go outside to witness the sunrise. Instead of sitting at the bar scrolling through apps, you get to know the person making the cocktails. You just keep making decisions like this, and soon you’re not missing your phone at all; you don’t even want to pick it up.

Knowing that everyone around you is experiencing the moment fully as it’s happening makes it that much more poignant.

It’s a collective experience among guests. Where else can you go into a restaurant and not see a single person holding a phone? The sun is setting, and you’re looking out at the ocean across an infinity pool, and the food is world-class, and everyone is present. Knowing that everyone around you is experiencing the moment fully as it’s happening makes it that much more poignant.


Close up of a Giant Tortoise

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,

Pet a Giant Tortoise

Giant Aldabra tortoises are indigenous to Seychelles and roam freely around the island. At 120 years old, one in particular, named George, is thought to be Desroches’ oldest inhabitant. When you see this massive shell that you thought was a rock get up and start walking, it’s just unbelievable. They can be 1.2 metres (4 feet) long and weigh 250 kilograms (550 pounds) – you can’t prepare yourself for that kind of size and scale. You can reach out and pet George, and even feed him an apple. The whole thing brings a sense of childlike awe.

 

 


Seychelles pool

Photo courtesy Patrick Moreau

Follow the Sun

My crew and I very quickly became attuned to what the sun was doing. Without even trying, we would wake up with the sunrise. Every room is a stand-alone villa and each has its own private plunge pool, so every night I’d have a swim underneath the stars. It became this relaxing ritual, and I later discovered that everyone on the team was doing the same thing. It’s so spectacular that you’re just compelled to take it in.

 

 


Seychelles bike rides

Photo courtesy Patrick Moreau

Ride a Bike

Each villa comes with two gorgeously designed single-speed bikes. You can go anywhere on the island – it takes about 25 minutes to ride from one end to the other – and there are no cars in sight. You can stake out your own spot in the sand and not see a single person all day. Or if you want a picnic at a certain place and time, the staff will arrange that. You simply arrive at the designated location, and a basket and umbrella are waiting for you.

You can stake out your own spot in the sand and not see a single person all day.

In day-to-day life we’re always on to the next thing before finishing the first, and exploring the island is the complete opposite. You stop when you want to stop, and you never know what you’ll discover. I saw a turtle swim up to the beach, dig a hole, lay its eggs and then swim back to the ocean. There is so much unadulterated nature, it’s incredible. It makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger.


Seychelles Desroches spa

Heed the Healing Waters

During the Sound of the Waves massage, the therapist rolls an ostrich egg filled with hot baobab seeds over your body. Not only is it a truly relaxing sensation, but it also mimics the sound of the ocean. This all happens in a small private villa on the beach that’s tranquil, bright and beautiful. Massage is known to be relaxing, but elements like these, coupled with the lapping ocean waves, create an experience far more transcendent.


Seychelles Desroches Island beach

Photo courtesy Patrick Moreau

Take Home a Story

When you’re in a place this incredible there’s an urge to capture everything you see with a photo, to preserve the moment and share it with the world. But every time I did that, I noticed this huge disparity between the photo I took and what I was seeing. A photo simply cannot capture what’s unfolding in front of you. My experience was so much richer once I put down my phone and surrendered to the magic of the island. If you focus on the moment, cultivating memories and stories instead of images, you’ll return home with something so meaningful it stays with you for years to come.

 

 

Your Journey Begins Here

Reconnect with what matters.

Concierge

Explore

How Gratitude Inspired a Global Quest

Posted on by Keisha Paul

When A.J. Jacobs told his son they should be thankful to the farmer who grew their food, his son challenged him to thank the farmer in person. The idea sparked his new book, Thanks a Thousand (November, Simon & Schuster). Tracing the path of his morning cup of coffee, he learned not only that coffee sleeves are called zorfs and have been around for centuries across cultures, but also how incredibly connected we all are.


coffee berries

Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed and dried.

Why did you start your gratitude journey with something so seemingly insignificant?

Coffee is not insignificant! Without it, I’d be a zombie. That said, I wanted to start with something small because I wanted to show that even the simplest items require hundreds of people—designers, biologists, miners, politicians, financiers, truckers, goat herders. I chose coffee because I’m an addict. But it could have been anything. I could have chosen to follow the gratitude trail for my socks, toothpaste, light bulbs, you name it.

What was the most surprising discovery?

That it takes the world to make the smallest things in our lives. I could have spent years travelling the globe and thanking folks for my coffee. I could have gone to Chile and thanked the miners who get the copper for the wires in my coffee roaster. I could have gone to China to thank its manufacturers for making the special bricks in the steel factory that can withstand extreme heat. I bet I could have visited almost every nation on earth.

Line2


Ground coffee seeds

Dried coffee seeds (or “beans”) are then roasted and ground.

You say a crucial part of gratitude is the act of noticing. Travel is, of course, an ideal time to do this. How do we cultivate this ability even when in familiar territory?

Even at home, I try to have a travel mindset. I try to pretend I’m a tourist and notice the small things, like the cool light bulbs in my local café. I know we’re all rushed, but maybe let your food stay on your tongue for five seconds longer—just five seconds—and notice the interplay of flavours, the sweetness, the acidity, the texture.

What’s the difference between feeling and being grateful?

To me, the big difference is between feeling grateful and acting grateful. Both are good. But feeling grateful is more of a one-way street, whereas acting grateful makes it a two-way street. Both you and the other person come away happier. Acting grateful could be a small gesture. It could be just saying “thanks,” looking the person in the eye, giving them a non-fake smile. Acting grateful is the opposite of a vicious cycle; it’s a virtuous cycle. You thank the other person and they act kinder, then you act kinder, and eventually you are hugging each other. Well, maybe not hugging. But you are both happier.

Line2


Coffee roast

The type of roast and grind determines flavor.

Your gratitude quest followed the coffee bean’s journey backwards – from the café back to the farm. Why?

I like starting small and then following the ever-expanding circles. It lets you go down unexpected paths, and there are hundreds of them. But starting small makes it manageable.

How can someone plot their own gratitude quest? How do they choose between all the different paths they could follow?

First, choose something you’re really grateful for. Maybe wine or chocolate or even Coca-Cola. That way you know where you’ll end up—in a vineyard, a cacao farm or Atlanta’s Coke factory. Then make a list of all the parts that go into your product. There will be hundreds. Choose what interests you. There’s no wrong way to go.

Line2


A.J. Jacobs

Distributors help small coffee farmers supply your favorite roasts and beans to coffee shops around the globe.

Here, A.J. recounts his top three travel experiences while reporting the book – plus, where his gratitude might take him next.

  1. I loved visiting Colombia, where I went to a farm where my [coffee] beans are grown. It’s in a tiny town in the southwest of the country. I was driven to the farm on a series of winding mountain roads, but it was worth the scary hairpin turns. The view of the fog-shrouded mountains was astounding. And there were the biggest chickens I’ve ever seen – the size of adult pit bulls!
  2. I also flew to Chicago and drove two hours to a steel mill in Indiana. It was fascinating to take a tour of the factory. It looked like the Fourth of July – the showers of sparks resembled an extended fireworks display.
  3. I live in New York City and drove 100 miles north to the Catskills. It’s a gorgeous area – and home to the reservoirs that give New York its water. The reservoirs are actually open to the public – you can hike and fish and rent boats there.
Line2


Coffee

Up Next

In the spring, our family is taking a vacation to Japan. There will certainly be a lot of thanksgiving on that trip. My kids are huge Nintendo fans. Since the company is based in Kyoto, we’re going to thank as many Nintendo employees in person as possible.

 

A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, a lecturer and the author of It’s All Relative and My Life as an Experiment, among other titles. He lives in New York, where his Thanks a Thousand journey began.

Your Journey Begins Here

Let us be a part of your next quest.

Explore

Wellness Around the World: 10 Ways
to Join In

Posted on by Shannon Magann

With studies emerging continually that link a healthy lifestyle to longevity and happiness, you’ll want to maximise your wellness efforts wherever you are in the world. Four Seasons hotels and resorts offer a myriad of activities to keep you looking and feeling your best – here are some of our favourites.

Meditate With a Former Buddhist Nun

View photo

Take a hike in the Sonoran Desert

View photo

Light Spiritual Lanterns and candles in Vietnam

View photo

Let crystal singing bowls guide your mindfulness journey

View photo

Experience the Sacred Nap ritual in Bali

View photo

Find your balance by reconnecting with nature

View photo

Tap or click a photo to launch slideshow

Ancient Practices Made New

Meditate With a Former Buddhist Nun

At Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, resident wellness mentor and former Buddhist nun Ibu Fera knows the value of mindfulness and meditation: “They’re realistic ways of addressing all sorts of stresses. They go straight to the root of the problem.” For an even deeper sense of relaxation, she recommends the Sacred Nap ritual. Wrap yourself in an aerial silk hammock, suspended from the ceiling of the Resort’s bamboo Dharma Shanti Bale, and let Fera rock you to sleep as she tells the life story of Buddha. You’ll awake from this deeply soothing and nurturing experience refreshed and recharged.

Make a Wish in Vietnam

You’ll have the Spa to yourself at Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai) during the Goodnight Kiss to the Earth ceremony. As the sun sets, float traditional wishing candles on the Spa’s lagoon and join Oanh Ngo, the Resort’s Resident Singing Bowl Artist, for a soothing singing bowl lesson on an eight-octave set of crystal bowls tuned to 432 Hz – believed to be the harmonic frequency of the universe. “When I play singing bowls I feel more happiness,” Ngo says. “I feel at peace, and it helps me to deeply connect back to myself, as well as to our Mother Earth.”

 

Find New Perspective in the Sonoran Desert

In Arizona, at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, you can start the day with a 6:30 am hike on the Resort’s private trail through Pinnacle Peak Park. The 5.1-mile hike meanders over saguaro-studded ridgetop and past towering granite boulders. Your effort is rewarded at the top, where you’ll enjoy 360-degree views of North Scottsdale – the ideal spot to change your perspective.

Eggs filled with hot baobab seeds mimic the sound of the waves in this massage in Seychelles

View photo

Sip a Green Supreme drink in Anguilla

View photo

Exercise in privacy in Los Angeles

View photo

Bali’s Illume Room offers total immersion in light, sound and colour frequencies

View photo

Find inner balance with yoga stretches

View photo

Kick-start Your Healthy Diet in Anguilla

View photo

Tap or click a photo to launch slideshow

Treat Yourself

Sip a Green Drink in Anguilla

Because a healthy lifestyle often begins with diet, each hotel or resort prioritizes nutritious offerings. Raise a glass to wellness at Half Shell Beach Bar at Four Seasons Resort Anguilla. On the menu? The Dean Green Supreme, which has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to moringa plant leaves. You know they’re fresh, because Restaurant Manager Dean Bryan picks the leaves from his home tree. The rest of the ingredients? Bananas, orange juice, mango purée and – should you so desire – coconut rum. “Moringa contains more vitamin C than oranges, the same amount of vitamin A as carrots, more potassium than bananas, more iron than spinach and more protein than yogurt,” Bryan says.

 

Relax with the Waves in Seychelles

No wellness regime would be complete without some pampering, inside and out, and you have options around the globe. One is at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island. Unwind with a relaxing massage that uses a unique technique: Eggs filled with hot baobab seeds are rolled across your skin to soothe tense muscles, mimicking the sound and motion of waves.

 

Find Holistic Harmony in Bali

Science meets spiritual at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, where the cutting-edge Illume Room draws on the latest technology and scientific understanding of the body’s 50 trillion cells to offer total immersion into light, sound and colour frequencies. Bali’s first “Surround Sound Spa Suite,” the room is sealed from outside light sources to maximise the effects of colour therapy, while a heated quartz-sand bed made of crushed crystals and seven alchemy crystal singing bowls add to the vibrations – using the body’s electromagnetic field to stimulate inner healing.

 

Enjoy Exclusive Access in LA

Put wellness at the centre of your stay at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, where the exclusive Private Fitness Suite offers access to room features like a treadmill, Hydrow Rowing machine, Peloton bike, yoga equipment, medicine ball and weights, and Soul Cycle bike. After your workout, shower in the suite’s private bathroom and then unwind with guided meditation narrated by Deepak Chopra. Or just pause for a rest – the room’s energizing light helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm.

Harvest salt in Hawaii

View photo

Discover holistic healing in the Spa in Kuwait

View photo

Soar to new heights with AntiGravity yoga

View photo

Go for an early morning run through the sugar cane fields in Mauritius

View photo

Get wet with an aquabike training session

View photo

Harvest salt in Hawaii and learn to cook with it

View photo

Tap or click a photo to launch slideshow

Unexpected Exploits

Harvest Salt in Hawaii

If you think salt harvesting – as a guest of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – must be bad for your blood pressure, think again. “Our Hawaiian ancestors lived off of Hawaii’s bountiful resources and, in turn, respected and honoured our land and ocean,” says Aunty Halani Berard, Mea Ho‘okipa (literal translation: “I am host”), a member of the Resort’s Ka‘upulehu Cultural Center team. “The natural salt the ocean provided was a cornerstone of Hawaiian living – used for food preservation, cooking, medicine and more. We are thrilled to bring this experience to our guests as another way to showcase our rich history.”

The natural salt the ocean provided was a cornerstone of Hawaiian living.

The newly launched experience begins with a quick hike to the ancient salt flats adjacent to the Resort, where guests will learn how Hawaiians collected and dried the vital mineral. Next, a cooking class with a Resort chef to taste how sea salt can change a dish. Still want more? End the day in the Spa with the Salts of the Ocean Body Treatment, which includes a salt scrub-down.

 

Soar in an AntiGravity Class in Kuwait

At Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, guests can take an AntiGravity class in which they’ll do ballet, Pilates, yoga and strength training while suspended from the ceiling in a silk hammock. “When you start practising this, you’ll find you actually become younger, healthier and even a bit taller,” says AntiGravity founder Christopher Harrison. (We wouldn’t bet on the younger part, but it’s certainly worth trying.)

 

Cycle Underwater in Mauritius

If you’d rather be immersed in water than suspended in mid-air, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is your place: There, guests will be elbow deep in the 25-metre (82-foot) al fresco lap pool for an aquabike session. Or simply choose to run a 3.5-to-7-kilometre trail along the sugar fields. “June is the start of the sugar-cane harvesting season in Mauritius,” Fitness Centre Manager Noam Clarisse says, “meaning that much of the cane is at its tallest and it sways gently in the breeze – a beautiful sight to run alongside in the early morning light.”

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Where will you invest in your wellness?

Bali at Jimbaran Bay