Longevity Focus: Blue Zones Retreat Launches at iLa Spa in New York
A new retreat focused on the principles of longevity,inspired by the world’s “blue Zones,” is set to launch at the iLa Only Spa within the Lotte New York Palace. The 7,000sq ft spa marks the first iLa-branded location in the United States.
The retreat program will be led by Céline Vadam, a certified health and lifestyle coach, breathwork practitioner, yoga teacher, and reiki healer. Daily wellbeing workshops will center around stress management, movement, purpose, and nutrition, drawing inspiration from the lifestyles and behaviours observed in Blue Zone populations.
Attendees will enjoy plant-based meals crafted by culinary wellbeing specialists, mirroring the diets of the original Blue Zone regions.The experience will also include sensory meditations, educational workshops, and self-love sessions.
A signature facial, developed in partnership with Blue Zone-inspired skincare brand Immunocologie, will be exclusively available to retreat guests. Immunocologie founder Karen Ballou will also host a workshop on face yoga.
“The Blue Zones Retreat at the iLa Only Spa will offer a sanctuary for longevity and mindful living,” Ballou stated. “Incorporating immunocologie and face yoga brings an added dimension - supporting circulation, strengthening the skin and aligning beautifully with the retreat’s restorative offerings.”
The spa’s longevity centre further enhances the retreat with advanced technology, including a hyperbaric chamber, infrared beds, PEMF mats, IV infusions, and an Aescape massage robot.
The retreat’s framework is built upon Blue Zones’ “Power 9” principles, derived from the company’s research into the world’s longest-lived populations:
- Move Naturally: Integrating physical activity into daily life without relying on strenuous exercise.
- Purpose: Finding a sense of purpose, believed to add up to seven years to life expectancy.
- Downshift: Employing routines to manage stress, such as remembering ancestors, prayer, napping, or socialising.
- 80% Rule: Stopping eating when 80% full.
- Plant Slant: Prioritising plant-based foods, especially beans, with limited meat consumption (averaging five times per month).
- Wine at 5:00pm: Moderate alcohol consumption (one to two glasses per day) with friends and food, excluding Adventists.
- Belong: Participating in a faith-based community, perhaps adding four to fourteen years of life expectancy.
- Loved ones First: Prioritising family, with ageing parents and grandparents living nearby and commitment to life partners and children.
- Right Tribe: Surrounding oneself with social circles that support healthy behaviours.
The retreat,including hotel accommodation and 20% off spa treatments,starts at US$5,500 (€4,730,£4,070). The price without accommodation begins at US$4,500 (€3,870, £3,330).
