Kamalaya

Kamalaya is a world-renowned wellness retreat on the island of Koh, Samui in Thailand.

The view from our villa was so pretty that it didn’t look real.

Kellie came to visit! And we went to a crazy beautiful/serene/transformative wellness retreat called Kamalaya! I don’t actaully have many photos or videos from this because we weren’t technically supposed to use our phones in the public spaces throughout the retreat. 

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a pretty open-minded person always eager to grow and learn new things, especially related to health. But honestly, I figured a wellness retreat would be a bunch of overpriced bollocks. Well, Kamalaya proved me wrong and now I have a newfound appreciation and fondness for wellness retreats. :)

I did a program called “structural revival” since I’ve had a bad back since I was like 12. I had massage, physiotherapy, and one-on-one pilates sessions. Most mornings I tried to do a steam room/cold plunge before my sessions because apparently there is some research that says that’s good for you??

The food was so healthy and I loved it. If I stayed there for too long I would definitely revolt and want a pizza or cheeseburger, but for five days I thoroughly enjoyed having endless fruits, vegetables, juices, fiber, vegan options, fermented products.. the lot! 

I had a couple (daily) freshly squeezed juices.

We met interesting, successful, and very different people from around the world. It was cool how everyone was there for their own reasons. 

I’m a huge believer in health and wellness, but I feel like health is better achieved through small, consistent changes, and a lot of us are impatiently wanting the next “quick fix” for our physical and mental problems, like a quickie wellness retreat.

Stretch, breathe, get good sleep, hydrate, limit alcohol, eat well, move your body, and take time to do the things you love. I realize that people who are parents or with generally just more responsibilities than me may roll their eyes at this. Most of these things don’t take too much extra time though, and then these small changes compound over time to create lasting mental and physical health.

I will say though, sometimes you’re in too deep and need to go somewhere like Kamalaya to reset and perhaps gain a different perspective. Their tagline is “Feel life’s potential,” and I think it’s appropriate.

Places like this definitely won’t solve all your problems, you’ll still need to put in the work, but they can surely be a catalyst for change.

At the end of my five days there, I felt strong, relaxed, clear-headed, and connected to myself, nature, and the people around me. I actually hope I can go back to Kamalaya someday.

Yes, the entire place was this lush.