What to expect on our digital detox in Italy

On the 21st to the 28th of May, we’ll be heading off on our first digital detox retreat of the year – to the picturesque Italian countryside.

We’re heading out to stay in an 18th century Masseria in the heart of the Pugliese countryside. The Masseria itself is situated on a ridge of hills that spans the length of Puglia, the grand house offers amazing views of the surrounding 20-acre estate of olive trees that extends all the way to the coast.

But what exactly can you expect from the retreat itself?

Mindfulness

We’re big fans of mindfulness. Being present and aware is the absolute antidote to mindless scrolling. So it’s the philosophical backbone of our retreats. We offer a range of mindfulness-based activities, such as colouring, hiking in nature and mindful eating every day, as well as invigorating and restorative yoga classes twice a day too.

Not a fan of yoga? Fear not, it’s  not compulsory (nothing is!). You can always take a dip in the pool or a take a silent, mindful walk through the olive groves. The Masseria we are staying in is set in 20 acres of beautiful land, amongst olive, almond and cherry trees – perfect for getting lost in thought. That walk through nature will have the additional benefits of lowering your blood pressure, improving your immune system and making you less anxious and depressed too.

No-tech

At the start of every retreat we go on, we have a ritual ‘handing-in’ of anything with a screen, and this retreat will be no different. This means all phones, tablets, laptops, fitbits, kindles, cameras – anything digital. We keep them safe until the end of the trip.

Worried? Don’t be. The first day is the toughest, but after that you’ll hardly notice that your devices are missing anyway, and, if it’s any consolation, there’s hardly any signal out in the remote Italian countryside anyway.

Sound sleep

At the end of our retreats last year, the most common piece of feedback we got from guests was “I haven’t slept that well in ages!”

It can be all too easy to think that it must be the fresh air or the fact that you’re tired out from the day’s activities, and that those are the reasons you will sleep so well.

But that’s not true. We’ve written before about how our devices emit blue light, a type of light that is shown to suppress hormones in the body and keep you awake at night.

Blue light is proven to stop you from sleeping and, with 95% of us being exposed to it in the hour up to bed, it will be refreshing to get a good night’s sleep in Italy, away from your devices.

Healthy food

On all our retreats we have a local chef ensuring that our guests get the best possible nourishment during the stay. Our vitality food chefs cater to all your food and refreshment needs throughout your stay. They will create delicious, fresh and healthy plant-based feasts for us over the week, using ingredients that are locally sourced from the kitchen garden at the venue as well as from local Italian markets. This mainly raw plant-based diet will leave you with increased energy, increased digestion and clearer skin, among other things.

We’re heading off to Puglia, Italy on the 21st to the 28th of May, so if you haven’t booked your tickets yet, get in touch.