Global Wellness Day 2022: championing the joy of everyday

This Saturday, June 11, will see wellness activities offered at spas, hotels and wellness facilities around the world as part of this year’s Global Wellness Day (GWD) celebrations. 

Now in its tenth year, GWD champions the importance of wellness, with this year’s theme #ThinkMagenta, encouraging people to find joy in every day. 

This year’s celebration marks the return of in-person events and will include both virtual and in-person activities with high-profile spa brands such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (MOHG), Accor Hotels and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts getting involved.

MOHG will offer ‘Intelligent Movement’, an innovative wellness programme designed to bridge the gap between spas and fitness centres. Launching at Mandarin Oriental properties around the world on June 11, the programme offers a treatment-and-training approach, designed to improve movement quality. 

The programme was developed in partnership with Hong Kong-based multi-disciplinary clinic Joint Dynamics and offers several experiences that release tension and aid mobility. Rituals on offer include deep muscle manipulation, trigger point release work and stretching and muscle elongation. Guests will also be given a choice of Mandarin Oriental signature oils and, following the treatment, will receive a tip card so they can carry on the programme at home. 

At Accor Hotels, guests and employees will be encouraged to get involved with various activities such as morning power walks, meeting meditation sessions and healthy snacks.

Meanwhile, EVEN Hotels by IHG will offer various wellness amenities and activities to guests, including a relaxing and mindful experience, and will even provide a seamless transition between guests’ at-home and on-the-road routines with options across four brand pillars; Keep Active, Eat Well, Rest Easy and Accomplish More. 

At the Turkey-based Richmond Hotels, guests can choose from several wellness activities including Zumba, functional fitness, body analysis and massage therapies. 

Other brands getting involved include The Banyan Tree Hotel Group, Chiva-Som and Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som,  as well as the Hyatt Regency Taghazout and Friends of Pruyn House, all of which will also offer wellness-related activities such as workshops, massages, free yoga, sound therapy and dancing sessions.

In honour of this year’s theme, GWD has also created a manifesto of small, simple changes that the organisation believes will make a significant difference to people’s wellness. 

Divided under several headings, the manifesto encourages people to walk more, enjoy a healthy diet, reduce their use of single-use plastics, spend more time with loved ones and prioritise good sleep. 

“During the pandemic, having the world realise the importance of what we have pioneered with GWD is truly indispensable. GWD 2022’s theme #ThinkMagenta is not about being optimistic, it’s about being realistic. Things happen in our lives and we have the chance to call them good or bad things,” said GWD founder Belgin Aksoy.

“Sometimes difficulties, failures or illnesses become the greatest teachers. No matter what is happening, we can always find a way to choose joy. In this respect, although GWD lasts for 24 hours, our massage is intended to last a lifetim,” Aksoy added. 

GWD was founded in Turkey in 2012 by Aksoy and is guided by the principle that ‘one day can change your whole life.’ The event has grown exponentially in its ten years and is now present in 170 countries, including several new country partners: Senegal, the Czech Republic, Algeria, Jordan, Guiné-Bissau and Zambia, and more than 130 GWD ambassadors, key supporters and advisors.