Wellness Experiences to Kickstart the New Year

Holistic health brand and luxury Notting Hill members club Bodyism has announced a new partnership with well-being expert and best-selling author Jasmine Hemsley. Taking place at 6:30pm on the 9 January, 6 February, 5 March and 2 April 2024, the club will host a monthly event exclusively for Bodyism members.  Running once a month for six months, the 60-minute sound bath gently guides members to a deep state of relaxation through soundscapes of harmonised alchemy to release tension and rebalance the mind and body.  The classes will teach the benefits of using music as a healing tool as the room is bathed in the beautiful tones of crystal alchemy bowls lead gently through a blissful movement and breath practice and finishing with sound meditation. Along with Jasmine’s monthly classes, 2024 will see Bodyism continue to offer members a bi-weekly sound healing session with resident expert Juliet Cohen and bi-weekly breathwork with practitioner Paddy Cavendish. Bodyism is the go-to gym in west London for innovative fitness practices with state-of-the-art equipment, including Reformer Pilates, Cardio Barre and Pilates Tone.

HOW: Membership at Bodyism is available for a monthly fee of £300 or yearly fee of £3,600.

Independent UK group, Exclusive Collection, has teamed up with London-based wellness consultancy Oyogo to launch a curated series of fitness and holistic wellbeing retreats. Taking place at Pennyhill Park in Surrey and South Lodge in West Sussex, the two-day retreats include a range of performance sports techniques, breathwork training, cold water exposure; yoga and sound bathing; and recovery methods, all led by experts in their field. For those looking to jumpstart their fitness journey ready for the New Year, Pennyhill Park and South Lodge invite guests for an energetic getaway designed to empower participants to develop their skills and performance levels.

The retreats start at £629 for individuals, or £979 for two when sharing a room. Rates include all expert sessions and Q&A talk, luxury overnight accommodation, breakfast or brunch, lunch both days and full spa access. The next retreats will take place in February 2024.

HOW: For more details and the full schedules for the retreats at Pennyhill Park see here, and for South Lodge see here.

Perched on the banks of the UNESCO-protected Douro Valley, on the hillside terraces of Castelo de Paiva in Portugal, hotel, spa and architectural work of art, Octant Douro is excited to announce the launch of their monthly wellness practitioner programs. Each month, the hotel will welcome wellness practitioners offering personalised and specialised treatments in various areas. In November, guests can immerse themselves in a wellness journey with yoga instructor Sandra Gaio, and in December, Ana Silva will take the reins with her unique approach.

Following Sandra’s guidance, guests can partake in holistic treatments including yoga and SUP yoga for body-mind harmony, Tui-Na Acupuncture & Aromatherapy for energy balance and pain relief, and sound therapy sessions using Tibetan bowls and gongs for deep relaxation. Ana’s deep connection with yoga and her passion for Eastern philosophy, which blossomed during her education in India, have turned her practice into a way of life. She is a certified Sound Healing Therapist and Yoga instructor, offering a diverse range of sessions, including Hatha Yoga for the harmonization of body and mind, Yoga Nidra for deep sleep and total relaxation, Aerial Yoga for physical and mental alignment, and Sound Therapy to enhance circulation, alleviate pain, and promote balance.