These days I’m a huge advocate of truthfully feeling healthy from the inside out. Never had I realized prior to the past few years that how we treat our bodies has a direct + consequential result on how we experience our lives; trust me, I’ve done it all + in the end, the most beneficial way of nourishing the body is one that energizes, nurtures + encourages optional functionality at a mental, physical + emotional level.
It’s safe to say I’ve been committed to my own practice + deepened search of whole well-being over the past number of years; a journey encompassing the goal of healthy being at a much more feel-good level than any of the previously harsh + restrictive practices I used to see as the only approach to my body. After years of being completely in denial about how depleted I was in every way imaginable, I realize it was a combination of many factors married with a complete unawareness of what it is to feel good that I was so far from any concept of the potential of my body. From being lost in the haze of disordered eating + serious malnourished fogginess will do that to you though - don’t fool yourself if you’re in it, I can report from the other side (+ I say with much love + encouragement) that it’s a really inadequate way of existing. It is so possible + in contrast, feeling good from the inside out is something I now consider as much a luxury as it is a necessity; perhaps even a responsibility I uphold myself to. Feeling legitimately well is a reality in my daily life that I will do anything to protect, nurture + deepen now.
As part of this physical, + what has honestly for me been somewhat of a spiritual or transcendental journey, I have looked to those who live a life of sincere vitality in their own ways - those from whom I can sense their natural + genuinely healthy spark. Someone who has been part of that select group of individuals + brands is Rhian Stephenson who, just pre-pandemic founded Artah Retreats, a company founded on Rhian’s own passion for wellness + the desire to share her wealth of knowledge with the world + her wisdom of the body in it’s varying degrees of magnitude. Now, simply Artah, the brand has expanded to a digital offering which comprises of a membership style community with a very educational slant with 21 weekly recipes alongside it’s product line of specific + incredibly beneficial supplements, each developed by Rhian + the Artah team in the search for better, more sustainable energy + a determined command of your health. All of which is founded upon the wholesome philosophy that by nourishing the body it will begin to trust us + in return work at it’s meant to, optimally + sustainably. Perhaps we could even go as far as to say that by actually listening or catering to our bodies cues, you can really begin to create + curate an enhanced feeling of well-being in your overall life. Something I completely contest to today.
Last month, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to delve into the world of Artah in much more depth by attending a 5-day retreat at the brand’s Spanish property, Can Terrades. A stunning destination within its own right, Can Terrades plays host to exactly what Artah represents: wholesome, empowered, holistic + mindful living. Framed by vineyards + mountains, the 100-acre estate sits in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains + was brought to life, alongside Stephenson’s vision, by London based interior designer Rachel Laxer who’s work speaks volumes to the fact that our environment most definitely has a direct effect on our well-being + in this case a profoundly positive one. At its core, Can Terrades is a presentation of overall holistic living, something that really nurtures every part of you once you step away from the world + into its welcoming embrace.
Waking up in such chic + natural surrounds was a dream. Each day planned to maximize the 5 day stay while equally making time for some chill time spent by the pool. Depending on the particular specifics of the retreat, each has a focus. For this one it was to sculpt + flow where early risings lead to a beautiful 3-4 hour morning hike post breakfast + a FIRE (AF the burn was SO real) barre class pre-dinner with the entire afternoon to simply unwind; there is an infrared sauna (obsessed), an LED light machine, reading spaces + places to do nothing but drink up the goodness of a day spent in the world of Artah.
Food at the retreat is a dream at each sitting. Curated + prepared by Phillipa Fern - who also creates the weekly menus on Artah’s platform + whom I can absolutely say is a food goddess - each meal is a considered creation as delicious as it is functional. The team work the nutrition into the day so as to encourage the body to optimize natural digestion + revitalize your energy at a cellular level.
As a pilates/barre fan, to be taught each day by BLOK’s head barre instructor Ellya Sam was another delight each evening pre-dinner. It’s a given that whoever Artah’s chosen resident teacher is during a retreat you are are inn for a treat. The movement is instrumental in bringing the fire + Ellya most certainly brought that in bundles. Bookending each day with movement was an incredible way to give the body that blast of dynamic energy + being a movement lover it was right up my alley.
Coming to the end of the stay with Artah was a bittersweet union of excited enthusiasm in wanting to implement this way of living in every second of my life with a slight mourning that you can’t just stay forever. A (re)treat to be repeated + loved time + time again.
