Are you sick of feeling sluggish, overweight or bloated?  Are you tired of being assailed by constant phone calls, emails and memos?  Do you wish you had greater clarity of mind, or that you knew where you were going in life?  Are you having trouble getting out of bed in the morning because you find yourself dreading what the day might bring?  If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, it might be time for you to take the leap and attend a health farm.  Health farms are dedicated spa retreats which place an intensive focus on the health of body and mind, and which aim to encourage spa clients to make a completely fresh start in their lives.  There is no real limit to the amount of time you spend or the number of visits you can make, although such health spa resorts aim to fix the problems the first time around so that clients can confront the challenges of daily life head-on.

Although health spas may have a reputation for being unnecessarily strict the fact is that their success is directly derived from their philosophy of discipline, control, and inner-health.  This can mean that their methods (such as banning the use of mobile phones and the consumption of ‘junk’ food, nicotine and caffeine) come across initially as being quite forceful.  Interestingly many of the clients who are the most adamant of rule breakers tend to be the ones who find the rules to be of most help.  Aside from the obvious effects of allowing the body to detoxify and encouraging the mind to relax and concentrate free from outside influence, such rules also foster greater self control and an awareness of the unnecessary burdens we place on our bodies in regular life.  By the end of the stay at the health retreat, many clients vow to stay away from nasty toxins like sugar and caffeine, and many more aim to reduce their reliance on modern technology.

Another way that health spas aim to help clients is through the introduction of a regular routine of exercise, meditation, rest and diet.  Although some of the more serious of health spas encourage periodic fasting and vegetarian (or even vegan!) diets, most health farms acknowledge that is more realistic to expect their clients to work at reducing unnecessary fats, salts and sugars from their regular intake of food.  Exercise too is encouraged - daily sessions of yoga, pilates or tai chi are often coupled with walks or hikes, more rigorous team sports, and even horse-riding and swimming.  An emphasis is placed on getting back in touch with nature whilst stretching the body to reach new heights of fitness.  Generally, periods of exercise are followed by sessions of relaxation, meditation and self-reflection.  Although some people turn their noses up at the idea of meditation, if done properly (with controlled breathing) it can be a fantastic way to relax and allow your mind to let go of the tensions and stresses that occupy it on a regular basis.  If you think of meditation as being a detoxification of the mind, it may perhaps make more sense!