The Promise Of Emotional Transformation

The pandemic reminds us how easily human ache can fall prey to the promise of emotional transformation, which will take more than a spa date to achieve

- Barry Rodgers

A lavender-filled meditation hill, tai chi classes at the crack of dawn, nourishing vegan smoothies, a luxurious spa – flipping through the pages of Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d been to Tranquillum before.

That’s probably because I’ve visited my fair share of wellness retreat centers over the years, but the one run by cult guru Masha played ominously in the series adaptation by Nicole Kidman, seems strangely familiar. As it meanders through satire, horror, and prestige psychodrama, it becomes evident that the wellness center at the heart of the plot is a needed curative for broken souls.

In a world grappling with the mental and emotional ramifications brought on by a pandemic, it’s become relevant to note that trauma is both personal and universal. In fact, this past year has familiarised us with the fear of recurrence, something we can all relate to. And wellness resorts are responding in turn, drumming up their own strategies to help travelers figure out how to deal with the fallout in sleep schedules and emotional health. Not only are they doubling down on pre-pandemic offerings – like kitting out guest rooms with custom bedding and incorporating aromatherapy spa rituals into their slate of treatments – they’re also rolling out new programs specifically designed to soothe our pandemic-rattled psyche.