I took my overactive mind to the stress-free island of Aruba for a wellness reset
There's no racing for pool loungers at 5 a.m. (Aruba isn't brimming with all-inclusive resorts, which are known for the early-morning rush.) I don't encounter aggressive insects trying to devour me nightly. And there's little risk of scary storms: Located less than 30 kilometres north of Venezuela, the island is outside the hurricane belt, so the weather is lovely year-round.
I'm in
Aruba
for a wellness-themed press trip, with the hope of being more present and mindful, and it takes almost no time before I'm reaching for a book instead of my iPhone. When our plane touches down, the flight attendant announces, 'We've just landed in Aruba where the time is … oh, who cares, you're on island time now.' This, I soon discover, is practically a mantra for the decidedly relaxed former Dutch colony.
In Aruba, there's an ever-present breeze. Constant trade winds shape the trunks and branches of Divi Divi and Fofoti trees, which are famous emblems of the island.
Less than an hour after we stop on the tarmac, I'm already sitting on my balcony at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba. It turns out you can drive from one tip of the island to the other in about 45 minutes, and everything on our itinerary is within 20 minutes of the hotel. The goal of this trip is to experience Aruba's stress-free nature, which feels incredibly straightforward to do.
I knew little about Aruba prior to this trip, aside from the part of my brain occupied by the Beach Boys' lyric 'Aruba, Jamaica, oooooh, I wanna take ya …' I soon learn that the locals on the island, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are kind and warm. They call each other and visitors 'Dushi,' a word in Papiamento (a Creole language) that loosely translates to 'sweetie.' I hear it often — I'm 'Dushi' when ordering a honey-cinnamon coffee frappe at a café, sitting in a beach lounger or just squeezing past a stranger on the sidewalk.
The first activity on our agenda introduces us to one of Aruba's main exports: skin-soothing aloe vera.
Royal Aruba Aloe
, one of the world's oldest aloe companies, is based on the island, where it runs a factory and museum offering free tours, as well as DIY scrub workshops at hotels like ours.
We learn how to 'filet' a spear-shaped leaf just as their workers do, to extract the healing gel. Into a body scrub base of aloe and coconut oil, we stir in our choice of exfoliating coffee, oats or coconut husk, while sipping flutes of bubbly, an aperitif before our sunset dinner right on the beach. It all feels simultaneously laid-back and luxurious, just the way I like it.
One of the cabanas at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba.
My most unforgettable experiences on the island, however, are often at the hands of local healers and mindfulness experts. One morning, holistic therapist and yogi
Janine
Valecillos Digier
of Natura Holistic Aruba takes us through a meditation, energy healing and sound bath session on an empty beach in Savaneta. I can be a bit squirmy during anything resembling meditation, but Digier's kind presence and gentle but powerful touch helps me chill out.
'It's not easy to tell our minds to let go of control, and it's crucial that each participant has their own experience,' says Digier, as she explains how she uses touch to calm the mind and allow the body to enter into a state of active listening. 'It's completely OK to move or feel restless — this is often your body's way of processing and releasing stored energy.'
Digier coaxes us to meet ourselves with compassion and without judgment, as I apologize post-session for my restless legs (how Canadian). 'Try anchoring your focus on the rhythm of your inhalation and exhalation, or on the sounds guiding the session,' she adds. 'Relaxation is a practice, not a destination.'
The serene setting helps. We're facing the ocean, lying on blankets and pillows under a mangrove tree dotted with wind chimes. We finish our guided meditation with a swim at Mangel Halto, where we find an unspoiled turquoise lagoon framed by mangroves and coral.
Mangel Halto is a small, secluded beach popular for snorkelling.
The next morning at 6:45 a.m., we're at the white-sand Eagle Beach for a mindfulness walk with
Shanti Augusta
, a wellness guide and enlightenment teacher. I'm not sure what to expect (can't I … walk without a guide?), but this is just my North American cynicism talking.
I let myself get immersed in Augusta's grounding meditation and her signature FLOW mindfulness method, a sensory technique designed to be used while strolling. 'FLOW is an acronym that stands for feeling, listening, observing and welcoming the whole experience,' says Augusta. 'Our senses are the portal to the here and now.'
She's right. Focusing on what I feel (bare feet on soft sand and the occasional seashell), hear (birds squawking) and see (infinite shades of blue in the sea and sky) helps quiet the to-do list always rattling around my brain.
We close out the beach walk with a simple but profound gratitude practice that has us picking up five items off the seashore and identifying five things we're grateful for. Augusta encourages us to get as specific as we can, so we can truly, deeply feel it. Think: 'I'm grateful for the long phone call I had with my best friend this morning,' and not just 'I'm grateful for my friends.'
Augusta calls gratitude 'medicine for the heart,' which is a sweet way of thinking about how healing it can be to recognize the blessings in your life. 'The feeling of gratitude neutralizes anxiety. It is a natural uplifter and stress reliever.'
We share our gratitude with the group, then place our little talismans in a sort of makeshift shrine. I have my phone in my pocket, just in case I want to take photos — but it stays mostly tucked away as I enjoy the moment. When we leave the beach, my stomach growls and I realize I have no clue whether it's 8 a.m. or noon. How's that for island time?
How to get there:
WestJet operates direct flights from Toronto to Aruba (about five hours).
Where to stay:
The
Ritz-Carlton Aruba
, set on a peaceful stretch of Palm Beach, is the epitome of relaxed luxury. Some of the 320 guest rooms and 55 suites overlook the Caribbean Sea, and there's a sprawling spa; try the 80-minute Divi Divi massage, which uses oil derived from the iconic Divi Divi tree, a symbol of Aruba.
Where to dine:
In Oranjestad, a harbour city full of boutiques and museums,
Taste My Aruba
is a lovely, cosy dinner option that serves up an ever-changing seafood-focused menu. Don't miss the catch of the day or fried appetizers, like the polenta sticks and mozzarella balls.
In Palm Beach,
Eduardo's Beach Shack
is the perfect casual spot for a smoothie bowl or light lunch. The vegan quesadillas are particularly delicious, as is the fresh Ocean juice, a turquoise tonic of pineapple, lemon and blue spirulina.
What else to do:
Take a sailing trip along the coastline and snorkel in clear waters near coral reefs, or book a private group art class with self-taught painter
Indra
Zievinger
in the garden sanctuary of her family home. When she isn't guiding your technique (while calling you 'Dushi,' of course), she'll share stories of living on several Caribbean islands with her chef husband and their children. Spoiler: She loves Aruba best.
Jennifer Berry travelled as a guest of the Aruba Tourism Authority, which did not review or approve this article.
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