Find Your Centre: Wellness Trips to Take This Year

Sometimes, a day at the spa is all you need to recharge. Other times, you have to go a little deeper. Creating the kind of space – mentally, physically, emotionally – that allows you to look inward and gain clarity is best done when you’re in an environment that caters to it. Expert-led and fully customizable, the immersive wellness experiences here invite you to disconnect from the world and focus on one thing: yourself. Healing with crystal singing bowls in coastal Vietnam, cycling through Florence – there’s a place and a plan for every vision of revitalization. The beauty of exploring wellness with Four Seasons is that all you have to do is find the place that speaks to you and let the experts do the rest.

Known as the last of Hawaii’s wild islands, Lanai is a crowdless, verdant paradise rising from the Pacific. Here, Four Seasons Resort Lanai hugs aquamarine Hulopoe Bay, a marine preserve bound by powdery white sand. Nearly all rooms have private lanais looking out on the ocean or tropical gardens. Bordered by native greenery, a lagoon-style free-form pool overlooks the ocean.

Taking full advantage of its spectacular surroundings, the Resort’s 1,100-square-foot (102-square-metre) Yoga Studio features some of the best views on the island. Classes in meditation, sound healing, reiki and yoga for any level can also be held right on the beach, allowing you to sink into the soothing back-and-forth rhythm of the ocean waves. The Resort also boasts Manele Golf Course – a links that designer Jack Nicklaus considers one of his finest – as well as clay tennis courts and a ranch offering scenic horseback rides through the hills of Koele.

Prefer an adults-only, all-inclusive wellness experience? You may want to book a stay nearby at Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort – the first of its kind in the Four Seasons portfolio. Here, your personal journey to supreme health begins when you meet with a Sensei Guide to optimize your stay, whether you plan to end your vacation slimmer, more relaxed or both. The Hotel’s food scene alone is worth the trip, with menus devised by star chef Nobu Matsuhisa and a team of expert nutritionists.

Two exquisitely restored former residences built more than 500 years ago make up the elegant Four Seasons Hotel Firenze. Its Renaissance-era elegance and 17th-century frescoes easily transport guests to another era.

“Our property is really the best place to reconnect with nature, relax and detox from a stressful everyday life,” says Spa Director Lucia Papalini. “In our 11-acre garden – the biggest private garden in town – guests are able to take personal fitness classes, training in a historical and amazing green space. They also particularly love meditation classes that can be done overlooking the Duomo.”

Find your place in the garden for a guided session focused on meditation, breathing and strengthening, or join a FLEX 30 class to limber up with static and dynamic stretching.

“People can also follow the running paths in the garden, or rent one of our customized bicycles to explore the city on two wheels,” Papalini says, “before ending the day with a Michelin-starred dinner prepared with the freshest vegetables coming from local producers.” The Hotel’s three restaurants – including the Michelin-starred Il Palagio, where choices are crafted using the best seasonal ingredients – turn out healthy, balanced meals to keep you properly fuelled.

Recovery and rejuvenation also come in the form of toning massages, iridescent mud therapy and body illumination treatments. Inside the glassy two-storey Spa, find further revitalization in the soothing steam bath. Afterwards, wander the regal 11-acre (4.5-hectare) Giardino della Gherardesca, a study in perfectly placed statues, fountains and flora, some planted centuries ago. You’ll feel like an Italian aristocrat – and, by the end of your stay, a particularly fit one.

Situated on an immaculate stretch of Vietnam’s central coast, with three infinity pools cascading in stair-steps to the sea, Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai) is a sanctuary for the spirit. Support, compassion and acceptance are the guiding principles of the Resort’s holistic Heart of the Earth Spa, which follows the teachings of revered Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. “The Heart of the Earth Spa is a serene environment where our therapists create a very special space,” says Spa Manager Dwi Susanti.

Classes and treatments are designed to help you stop, listen, examine the harmony of your surroundings and reach the musings of the inner self. You can practise yoga, meditation and mindful breathing in intro-level classes or go further with sound and breath exercises and reiki. A palm-shrouded yoga pavilion offers aerial yoga: Cradled in a soft hammock, you’ll stretch and soar into body-opening postures.

For the ultimate self-awareness moment, don’t miss the intimate Goodnight Kiss to the Earth ceremony. This ritual occurs each evening by the water, and invites you to send a traditional Vietnamese wishing lantern out onto the moonlit lagoon while listening to the meditative hum of the crystal singing bowls.

Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village is a haven for those looking to really dig deep and make a change. The on-site Center for Health & Wellbeing offers four-day, three-night health retreats designed by experts to drive individual results. There are three focuses to choose from: Sustainable Weight Loss, Optimum Performance and Spa & Beauty. You can also opt for a customized wellness stay, where a team of advisors will create a custom itinerary to help you meet your personal wellness goals. Jump start healthier eating habits, home in on a meditation practice you’ll actually maintain, or choose from an à la carte menu of wellbeing electives to embark on your own holistic journey.

One of the biggest advantages of a stay in Westlake Village is the access to a robust team of experts in nutrition, fitness, life balance, yoga and meditation, and leadership. One-on-one consultations are an integral part of making your experience as personal as can be, ensuring that you’re able to take the things you learn here and apply them to your everyday life.

Because nutrition is a foundational part of wellness and self-care, all of the menus at the Hotel are thoughtfully curated to provide balanced and delicious options throughout your stay. Savour the nutritious cuisine, or step into the kitchen yourself for an interactive cooking class where you’ll learn how to put a spin on daily cooking through health-conscious techniques.