In the recent BBC programme ‘Trust Me I’m a Doctor’, Michael Moseley tested Tai Chi and Zumba as forms of exercise to compare their effectiveness on our health. He asked can the slow movements of Tai Chi be as good for our health as the high energy activity of Zumba? – The result was astounding, read more in our blog on ‘What is Tai Chi?’.  Here we round up some of the best Tai Chi retreats for you.

For a sample of Tai Chi practice for health, see ‘Tai Chi 5 Minutes a Day for beginners’:

Note:
The old Western spelling is Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung. – In the early 1990 Chinese authorities decreed that the spelling in Latin characters should be Tai Ji Quan (or in one word Taijiquan) and Qigong. This more closely matches the Mandarin pronunciation and differentiates the two different ‘chi’ ­ – in Qi gong it means ’energy’, whereas Tai Ji Quan means the ‘Supreme Ultimate’ (‘Ji’ does not mean energy). So the modern spellings for short are Qigong and Taiji (but Tai Chi is still widely used).

Updated 7 November 2019.

The post Tai Chi Retreats Europe appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

Along with the announcement of quantitative easing and the ongoing debate over Greece’s Eurozone future, you’ve probably picked up recently on the news of the weak euro.

Indeed, despite some positive news, the Euro recently slumped to its lowest value since the middle of 2010. The fall followed the announcement that the European Central Bank would begin a programme of buying government bonds.

The hard-hitting arguments over Greece’s debt and the pros and cons of the single-currency zone will continue to rage for a while. In the meantime, 2015 has already being heralded as a ‘windfall’ year for British holidaymakers, who can expect to save up to 15% on holidays in Europe. American visitors also stand to benefit substantially from the weak Euro.

So if you’re at all wondering how you can make your holiday savings go further… Well, you could make the most of it by picking a European location for your next wellbeing retreat.

There is evidence already that holidaymakers to Italy and Spain are making the most of the favourable exchange rates, with Greece offering plenty of good deals too. And at Neal’s Yard Holidays there’s no shortage of wellbeing retreats in brilliant European locations to help you make the most of the weak Euro. Getaways to choose from include:

• rejuvenation in Costa Blanca
• yoga and surf holidays on Fuerteventura
• yoga and hiking holidays in France
• and more retreats in Europe

And, with no guarantees that the Euro will continue falling, booking a holiday now would seem prudent. The figures speak for themselves: €500 cost us as little as £375 today, as opposed to £440 just a couple of years ago. So go on, cash in on your ‘continental spending power’ and grab the cheapest holiday season in years by the collar.

With a weak Euro seen as Europe’s chance to regain growth, this could be a win-win for both holiday makers and providers. Watch this space.

The post Weak euro: The time is now for European retreats appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.

Looking for winter sun and where to go for Christmas?
Here is a selection of our Best Christmas Retreats.

Christmas always seems like a long way off and then suddenly catches up with us. If you want to swap the festive stress and cold weather with a rejuvenating retreat of yoga and warm sunshine this year, there’s no time to waste. Some of our most popular Neal’s Yard Holidays retreats are already full, and many others will get booked up by mid-October.

If you are tied to a Christmas at home, or only have a few days to spare – not to worry. We’ve also got some lovely short breaks on offer, right here in the UK. So you can still escape for a relaxing and rejuvenating few days before the start of the new year.

But first, let’s talk about sunshine:

In Sri Lanka, you can truly get away from it all at Srimal Plantation Villa. Off the beaten track and surrounded by nature, you’ll wake up to the sound of tropical birds, enjoy a tailored programme of Ayurveda treatments and while away your days exploring the local villages and rural countryside.

Will you choose winter sun? In any case you can make this your best Christmas. See more choice of Christmas and New Year retreats.

The post Where to go for Christmas retreats appeared first on Neals Yard Holidays Blog.