Forget any vision or idea you have of a spa . We can say that the ritual, in Penedo (about 3h30 by car from São Paulo and 2h30 from Rio de Janeiro), is a quality of life center , something that goes far beyond a low-calorie diet and working out all day. Here, the nutrients in the dish are much more important than how much you gain weight, for example.
The purpose of Rituaali is to provide instruments, techniques and education so that guests achieve a healthy, balanced, long-lasting and happy life.
A common thing to hear from employees is that the clinic offers the opportunity for visitors to enjoy a “healthy lifestyle “, with the conscious consumption of food, inserting “moving” in the routine in a light and gradual way (which does not mean a busy schedule of classes at the gym) and with time to relax and take care of the body and mind.
The clinic adheres to a animal-free cuisine (the only exception is honey) and make it clear that they are not vegan, but vital vegetarians . What this means: the non-inclusion of animal meat in meals is not out of ideology or just out of compassion for animals, but for health reasons.
They believe that a diet plant based a term that originates from the scientific community and was introduced by doctor T. Colin Campbell in the 1980s to define a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. plant fibers , collaborates for the nutritional balance , without excesses and without deficiencies. Pure, clean, healthy, balanced, rich, diverse and nutritious food.
Over there, no eating between meals, no snacks or nibbles, this so that the mucosa of our intestine has time to regenerate. No liquid during lunch and dinner, as the digestion process begins in the mouth, chewing and using saliva, not drinking water the body is forced to salivate.
In addition, according to spa specialists, water helps ferment food in our body, which is not good at all. And also no stimulants (coffee, black teas, etc.) and toxic components (alcoholic drinks), so it is promoted to organism detoxification .
It’s amazing how amazing spa food is. with unusual and delicious flavors, worthy of fine restaurants. Breakfast is plentiful, served punctually at 8 am, always with a plate full of fruit and options such as wholemeal or gluten-free bread produced in the house, oatmeal porridge, vegan cheese bread, sugar-free jams and even lemon or mini cookies. cornbread. Barley or corn only coffee to warm up the morning.
Lunch, at 1 pm, always arrives with well-served portions of salads and vegetables harvested from the space’s organic garden. The main dishes are surprising, like a mushroom stroganoff made with chestnut cream or the vegan feijoada.
Lunch always ends with a long-awaited dessert: without refined sugar, with lots of fruit and carob cream, which for the “ants” on duty is already a real treat. At dinner, at 7:30 pm, the portions are not so generous and can be soups, broths and, if you’re lucky, a pizza with vegan cheese, which is sensational.
Rituaali, which in Finnish means ritual, is a place to seek balance. It was created based on the principles of Lifestyle Medicine – a specialty that emerged in the USA at the hands of a group led by the physician Edward Phillips , founder and director of the Harvard University Institute of Lifestyle Medicine – and Behavioral Medicine. Therefore, upon arrival, guests undergo a psychoeducational interview and, only after this first meeting, a specific treatment program is indicated.
There are three available, Wellness for those looking for deep relaxation, de-stressing and renewing energy; Stress and Anxiety Control, which seeks to identify the physical, emotional and spiritual causes and impacts of stress and anxiety in each person’s life, in addition to devising strategies to relieve symptoms; and Weight Control and Slimming, where they seek to identify and treat the cause that reflects on overeating and sedentary lifestyle.
This will define which food each person will have, the most suitable treatments at the spa and which group will participate in lectures and activities throughout the day, which bring topics such as binge eating, holistic health, diseases of the contemporary world, among others.
Always led by qualified professionals, one thing is very clear: the search for a healthier life really starts in the head and not in the healed body and the plate full of lettuce.
In addition to these lectures, there are also workshops ranging from gastronomy and natural therapies to breathing and posture.
Physical activities, of course, are also part of the schedule. The day starts early with a walk, at 7 am, through the city; then there are hydrogymnastics classes, dances, trails, spinning, functional classes, among others that make everyone move, each one at their own pace, with no charge for performance and without mandatory attendance.
Therapies, massages, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and massotherapy at the spa are part of the guests’ schedule of activities, at least one massage and two therapies at the spa are always included in the accommodation package (depending on the number of days at the hotel), but the range of more than 30 treatments and natural therapies offered there are adapted to the objectives and needs of each person and can be contracted separately.
Options range from immersion baths, thermal contrasts and geotherapy (which uses clay, dolomite and activated charcoal poultices, enriched with oils, salts and herbs, on joints, skin and abdominal organs) to lymphatic drainage, relaxing massage, among others. others.
Relax, empty your mind, enjoy one of the two super pools, listen and connect with yourself and nature, exchange experiences with other guests (and most are not there for the first time, it is common to hear reports from people who go all semester or year to rebalance themselves). The day ends at 10 pm, when the internet is turned off and everyone is encouraged to sleep and replenish their energy for the new day.
Keep this food completely clean and the pace of life enjoyed in Rituaali abroad is very difficult, but the experience makes guests bring lessons, analyzes and reflections on what kind of life they lead, what kind they want to have and what attitudes they can take to stay longer close to the desired healthy and balanced life.
Prices start at BRL 7,505 per person for four nights.
Ritual there: Rua Harry Bertel, Acesso A, 310, Penedo – Itatiaia, RJ / Phone: (+55 24) 3351 9200 / [email protected]
*The journalist traveled at the invitation of Rituaali in December/2022.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
