WellFest Adelaide – wellness in the city

WellFest Adelaide 2023 was better than ever! This year there were three days of enticing wellness offerings with the city once again transforming into a thriving wellness hub. Celebrating the festival’s six key wellbeing pillars – connection, sleep, mindfulness, fitness, nutrition and self-care – the event ran between the 6th-8th October and was a sensorial delight whether you preferred to relax or get active. There were more than 70 free and paid events!

Better sleep

Restorative sleep is essential to good health and productivity, yet it’s something that many people struggle with. The introductory breathwork session with Alma Sagrada Tribe at Breathe, Stretch, Float, was a beautiful way to wind down, as was the calming Kirtan meditation experience at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga.

And if you were looking for somewhere to stay and sleep well while enjoying everything WellFest Adelaide had to offer, there were several fantastic accommodation packages with a wellness twist. Our favourite, of course, was the Pullman where guests received a welcome gift including a gorgeous Well Traveller essential oil.

Get moving

If you were bored with your usual fitness routine and wanted to try something different, well, WellFest Adelaide delivered! People of all ages started their day with a treetop adventure at TreeClimb where they scaled suspended bridges, balance beams and thrilling ziplines through Adelaide’s Kurangga Park. Or, for something a little more ‘grounded’, Goodlife offered free Body Balance classes and you could groove to the rhythm of disco beats with Booty Barre at Belly Dance Amethyst.

Nikki Higgins hosted her ‘Move. Mind. Maintain’ program at Sofitel Adelaide, and Alissa Fay from The Booty Academy lead a fun poolside workout at Hotel Alba. There was also the chance to explore the picturesque city, with a tour through Adelaide on electric bikes with Pure SA and an epic kayak tour with Earth Adventure along the River Torrens.

Nourishing experiences

There were so many ways to be nourished during the festival, and a popular choice was the ‘Vera Mai – Moon Feast’ where guests dined on native foods and learnt about First Nations culture. Nutritionist Yvette Jones offered the “Fast, Fresh and Fabulous” cooking class where she provided practical skills for preparing delicious healthy fare at home, and Dietitian Rebecca Greco hosted a free talk all about Good Mood Food at the Adelaide City Library. Guests had to be quick to secure tickets to a session about the power of Ayurvedic Nutrition at a session presented by Sona Sood from Joyful Healing.

Looking to connect

Feeling connected is such an integral part of human existence, and WellFest Adelaide offered so many opportunities to have fun with friends and family. People from all over Adelaide got together and competed in the Amazing Race – completing tasks at check points around the city and finishing in Rundle Mall. And who doesn’t love a board game? Headspace Adelaide hosted a great night at The Lost Dice Cafe where you could connect with friends and make some new ones!

Bel Ryan from Ignite Wellbeing Co kicked off the WellFest Adelaide weekend on the Friday evening and helped guests move from chaos to calm, bring them back to balance. Wellness with Art, a 45-minute drawing and dance workshop at the SA Art Gallery, promised to kindle your inner creative and connect you back to your own wellbeing through works of art.

More mindfulness

WEA hosted Heidi Louise, expert shoemaker, who helped guests create their own simple sandals and the class all about the ancient art of tea leaf reading offered the opportunity for a mindful moment in the day. Breathe Stretch Float hosted several enticing sound bath sessions in their studio and salt cave, and Big Heart Adventures helped us soothe our souls with forest bathing at Himeji Japanese Garden. And we can’t forget the mindful pot painting with Paintelaide, oh, and the immersive mindful movement yoga at the Light Room!

A little self-care

For the ultimate luxury wellness experience, Sofitel Adelaide partnered with Temple Day Spa and the combination of a delicious spa treatment and overnight accommodation at Sofitel left guests feeling blissfully relaxed. There was also the chance to unwind under the skillful hands of an Endota therapist with an organic relaxation massage, and how about the Yin Yoga class at One Degree Studio where a live Cellist strummed dreamy notes in the background? It was so lovely!

Our cup is full, and we can’t wait for WellFest Adelaide 2024!

Image credits: Pure SA, Pencraft and One Degree Studio