Getaway for women

Weekend escape from the hustle of everyday chores

Meetings, deadlines, sending the kids to school, cooking, cleaning, social evenings – all these often mean a stressful life, with no time left for you.

Every once in a while, no matter how active and social women are, they long to get away for a few hours, to be alone and hopefully, to pamper themselves. As priorities change and pressures increase, women generally find less time to spend on themselves.

Keeping that in mind, the Al Ain Intercontinental has devised a special package called Women Wellness Weekend from October 9 to 11, for women to revitalise themselves and indulge in relaxation, exercise, rest, reflexology, healthy cooking, manicures, stress management and much more.

The idea was devised by Donna Kenyon, recreation manager. She worked at a health farm in England where a similar concept was frequently designed. "The idea is to relax and rejuvenate you over a weekend. It's a fun-filled programme where women will learn new exercises, taste different foods and take some time out for themselves," says Donna.

Women who sign for this package will be divided into various groups and activities. It is not mandatory to participate in all of these, the idea is for them to get together and feel comfortable in their surroundings, and spend the weekend in an informal, friendly, fun-filled environment.

There is a definite list of activities that have been planned keeping the mind, body and spirit in mind. The participants will be grouped together and invited to learn how to take control of their health. They will learn the yogic breathing techniques and how to deal with stress, whether at home or work.

The women will get to interact with each other; they have a choice of sharing their room with someone or staying alone. They will also have a one on one fitness assessment with the recreation manager.

"By the time the ladies are ready to leave we hope that they have a better understanding about nutrition, daily exercises and how to cope with stress. The aim is to achieve inner peace and comfort, and realise that life is a journey and not a hassle," says Donna.

The weekend getaway is intended for working women, singles and mothers who never seem to find time to do what they really want. The idea was to get women away from their natural surroundings and get them to do something different.

One of the reasons this session was targeted at women instead of men is that their needs and stress levels are diverse from men. At the end of the two-day break, Donna hopes that the women who participate will learn to make time for themselves.