Getting into a wellness state of mind 

 by Carolyn Ray, Editor, JourneyWoman

As we roll into the third year of a global pandemic, recent data on the adverse psychological impact of the lockdown shows that women as a whole are among the most vulnerable to depression, stress and anxiety. Perhaps this is why wellness travel — travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing personal wellbeing — is projected to hit record highs of $817 billion this year, skyrocketing to $1.3 trillion by 2025, according to the non-profit Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

We know that travel is not frivolous — it’s about self-care, as illustrated by the mega-trend of wellness travel, largely led by women. Now, after a global trauma, it’s even more important that we take care of ourselves and connect with other women to fully reach our potential. We need to be fully conscious to really see what is around us.

To strengthen our connection with wellness experts, JourneyWoman has joined the prestigious Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) at the invitation of President and CEO Anne Dimon. Anne is an 18-year veteran and expert on Wellness Travel and created this non-profit organization in 2018 to help support the sustainable future of wellness tourism for the global good. The WTA has over 100 members and partners from across the globe, including qualifying destinations, Hotels/Resorts/Retreats, Tour Operators, Travel Advisors, Wellness Practitioners, Media, Partners, and others in the global wellness tourism industry.

The WTA defines Wellness Tourism as “A specific division of the global tourism industry that is defined by the common goal of marketing natural assets and/or activities primarily focused on serving the wellness-minded consumer and those who want to be.”

An Invitation to participate in the WTA’s Wellness Survey

To better understand the needs of wellness-minded travellers, the WTA is asking for your help completing a brief survey. The full results will be shared at the International Wellness Tourism Conference in September. Those who respond to the survey will be automatically entered to win one of five great prizes donated by five WTA Members: Canyon Ranch, The Springs Resort, Art of Living Retreat Center, Garden of the Gods, and The Ranch Malibu. The survey closes on June 28. 

“Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – The World Health Organization

Two free wellness webinars in June

Wellness is an important part of our editorial and over the past two years, we’ve covered sleep, grief, loss and  menopause, to name a few.

To help you enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle, we’re hosting two webinars in June to increase your sense of well-being. All of the speakers are joining us at our Women’s Travel Wisdom wellness retreat, in partnership with Girls Guide to Paris, in October 2022.

Learn About Wabi-Sabi with Wellness Expert Robyn Griggs Lawrence, June 8, 12 noon ET  (check local time here)

About our Speaker

Robyn introduced mainstream America to sustainable, healthy lifestyles as editor-in-chief of Natural Home magazine for 11 years and one of the first Westerners to write about the Japanese art of imperfection with The Wabi-Sabi House and Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House. She’s been featured in major media including the New York Times, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Time, USA Today, Fast Company, The Guardian, CNN, and many others.

In 2018, Robyn set out on a long journey in a 27-foot Airstream. She did something she’d been dreaming about since she was seven years old—and got much more than she bargained for.  “Living on the road forced me to face my greatest fears and take on challenges I never thought I could conquer (and sometimes didn’t). I never did learn how park the trailer without help, but I did leave an unhealthy relationship, quit drinking, and see the West Coast, from San Diego to the San Juans.”

Sleep, Energy and Menopause: Boosting Your Health for Travel, June 22, 8 pm ET, (check local time here)

Why sleep is important for travel

Join our panel of women, including Carolyn Ray, Diana Eden and Shawna Robins for an informal chat among friends to learn more about how you can manage your overall health and prepare for travel through lifestyle and mindset changes.

“Of the six million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, two-thirds are women. Part of the factor with Alzheimer’s is that women don’t sleep. They don’t sleep because of their hormones. They don’t sleep because of their kids. They don’t sleep because of their worries, stress and anxieties, and it sets them up for neurodegenerative diseases as they age,” says Shawna Robins, sleep expert and member of our JourneyWoman Advisory Council. “Heart disease is the number-one killer of women. Why? Well, when you sleep your blood pressure naturally drops, so if you don’t sleep and your blood pressure stays elevated, that causes irreparable damage to the heart valves and cardiac walls. Sleep is an amazing gift that you can give yourself that can create amazing amounts of healing in your body.”

This webinar features women who have contributed to our editorial on healing, sleep and travel.  Some of our most popular articles include:

• Life Doesn’t End at 80, Neither Does Travel by Diana Eden
• The Wisdom of Menopause: Stepping Into Our Power by Carolyn Ray
• How Women Find Healing and Renewal in Solo Travel
• Expert Tips for Women to Improve Sleep featuring Shawna Robins

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