GET THE GLOSS I lost 7lbs on a panchakarma detox retreat →

Beatrice Aidin

The upset and stress of her father’s Alzheimer’s was taking its toll on writer Beatrice Aidin. Could an Ayurvedic detox help her regain her emotional strength? Oil enemas, herbal eye washes and saltwater up the nose, here’s how she fared.

Saltwater up my nostrils, hair lacquered in oil, I am about to rinse my eyes with herbal water before administering a self-induced enema. It’s not yet 7am and I am at Atmantan Wellness Centre near Pune towards the northwest of India, enveloped in a seven-day Ayurveda Panchakarma medical course. For the uninitiated, Ayurvedic medicine  – the word comes from the Sanskrit, Ayur meaning life and Veda, science or knowledge – is a way of life for body and mind with balance at its heart, not to mention with a 3000-year-old tradition. While there are other programs such as Holistic Health, Journey Through Yoga and Master Cleanse, with the Indian government investing heavily in Ayurvedic healthcare, I am intrigued.

He is in the best care home we could have hoped for him and I visit every fortnight and stay over which involves a bus, train and hire car. It takes organisation and it is stressful. Yet I am so grateful we have him still and that when I leave, sometimes upset, I know he is being looked after with dignity and kindness. There are some moments of humour though; he asks what the soup is for lunch. “Parsnip,” I reply evenly. “Arsenic?!” he responds loudly with quite the giggle. But these rare moments are becoming more infrequent.

After a nine-hour flight, Atmantan – which comes from the Sanskrit words for mind, body and soul – is four hours by car from Mumbai. I arrive puffy, pale and down-in-the-mouth, literally and metaphorically. These last 18 months have been very hard. My father is my biggest champion but now he is in a care home with Alzheimer’s.

HTSI A detoxing Barrecore retreat in the Bahamas

Beating the January blues with a new revitalisation reboot.

The month of December is full of indulgence, but for those who are already noticing a spare tyre (or two), it might be an idea to think ahead to January 2016 and booking a new detox escape with Silver Linings Retreats. Presented by and available to book through London-based luxury concierge service The Modern Concierge, the finest of London’s wellness experts will be transported to the Kamalame Cay private-island resort in the Bahamas for a week-long health and fitness experience (January 22-29, January 29-February 5, £6,775; May 13-22, from £4,995).

London’s Barrecore, the ballet-inspired fat-burning interval-training outfit, will send over teachers, and chic sportswear line Sweaty Betty will provide workout apparatus and stylish gym gear for female guests (sorry chaps, they don’t make men’s clothes).

BarreNourish, the catering arm of Barrecore, has created a special Paleo menu, the style of eating based on the diet of cavemen (said to be hormone-balancing and anti-inflammatory), featuring fresh fish and local produce from a Mennonite farm on the nearby island of Andros. London’s Radiance Cleanse will also curate a juicing day.

Each of the maximum number of 10 guests will start the detox process ahead of departure by talking to the Silver Linings team about their health and fitness goals prior to the retreat. “The mix of one-to-one and group exercise within each guests’ personal programme enables us to draw upon not only Barrecore signature moves, but also yoga and Pilates methods, as well as high-intensity interval training,” explains the founder of Silver Linings Retreats Chrissy Sundt, a former Royal Ballet dancer.

Virtuosity aside, there’s plenty of downtime, from snorkelling to reading. Leaving the iPad at home is also encouraged. “The location enables a digital detox that is just not possible to achieve in our usual lives,” enthuses Sundt.

The upshot? “Guests will leave the retreat relaxed, replenished and rejuvenated.” What a perfect way to start 2016.

TATLER Chiva-Som, Hua Hin, Thailand →

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