PRESS RELEASE | August 2020

Lockdown and quarantine: as if at the touch of a button, we were suddenly plunged into crisis. The personal freedoms we previously took for granted became all the more noticeable by being so strictly restricted. Although the situation is now stabilising, it is bound to have left its mark. Recognising the need to deal with the trauma of COVID-19, the Park Igls Mayr retreat in Tyrol, Austria have created a holistic programme for recovery, naming it Resilience After Crisis. Going abroad for a healing retreat is looking increasingly realistic as more countries ease restrictions – and where better to enjoy socially distanced recovery than under the wide-open summer skies of the Alps?

‘When you look at how different individuals have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis, you see a wide range of behaviours,’ says Dr Melanie Robertson, health and clinical psychologist at the Park Igls health retreat. ‘Situations like the current pandemic have the power to turn our lives upside down overnight. Ordinary structures that normally provide security and stability are suddenly lost. Social distancing requirements, including the need for many to self-isolate, can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. For several months we were having to ignore our human need for touch and closeness to our fellow humans and, for many, this continues to be the case. As the situation settles, I would consider a return to “normal” without dealing properly with what has happened a missed opportunity.’ In her view, every crisis holds the potential for personal growth.

‘Resilience After Crisis is a programme that opens the door to a better understanding of our own personal processes in the current crisis – and in any other global or personal crisis – to restore emotional balance,’ explains Robertson. The questions explored during this therapeutic programme include:

How do I make use of my experiences during this crisis?
What lessons am I learning for the future?
How can I see change as a challenge rather than a threat?
Where am I at this moment?

What resources have I lost and what are the new resources I have gained?
To find the answers to these questions, guest and therapist arrive at individual solutions and strategies with the help of talk therapy. This helps them emerge from crisis feeling stronger and more resilient – physically and psychologically.

The specialists at Park Igls focus on each individual’s situation and needs. Together, they and the respective guest develop personalised strategies that rely on therapies that support the development of resilience: ‘A carefully-considered combination of Mayr Basic, personal training sessions, craniosacral therapy or Shiatsu, full body massages and heat packs opens the mind, promotes relaxation and gives a real motivational boost,’ explains Dr Peter Gartner, the Medical Director at Park Igls. The interaction between guest and therapist, especially during talk therapy, opens up fresh therapeutic possibilities.

1 week from €3,247 per person sharing a Standard double room

‘The balancing effect of craniosacral therapy on the central nervous system brings about clarity of mind. Combine this wonderful effect with talk therapy and Shiatsu, and you have a key to the self,’ says Dr Gartner. Based on information gleaned during a craniosacral session, the psychotherapist is able to fine-tune their treatment approach. ‘Every element of the programme is another step towards improved resilience,’ emphasises Dr Robertson.

‘Connective tissue massage and acupressure remove imbalances and congestion in the energy flow, leading to increased elasticity in the connective tissue matrix and establishing a sound basis for physical and mental resilience,’ Dr Gardener explains. In addition, hay flower and moor heat packs provide positive stimuli by soothing away tension.

‘Once you understand that the happiness hormone serotonin is largely formed in the intestines, and not the brain, you can appreciate the importance of a Modern Mayr Medicine-based intestinal cleansing,’ adds Dr Gartner. As eating the right foods, being understood during talk therapy and exercising make serotonin levels rise, general motivation also increases. ‘You experience a sum of happy feelings, and this builds resilience for future stressful situations.’ Long-term benefits include improved flexibility and the discovery of previously unknown facets of your identity in addition to helpful coping strategies.

Austria’s pre-eminent Mayr clinic is located above Innsbruck, only 15 minutes from the airport and the historic city centre. In the beautiful setting of the established mountain resort of Igls, the pioneers of Modern Mayr Medicine have raised the bar for scientific health tourism. Park Igls Mayr clinic’s friendly and professional team of experts offers personalised exercise and treatment programmes for sufferers from a wide range of ailments from burn-out to golf injury and sleep disorders, using conventional and complementary medical techniques to deliver sustainable results. Delectable cuisine complements all eight dietary stages of the detox process and a clean, bright décor offers an appealing environment. A panoramic pool, an extensive menu of spa and beauty treatments, and exercise sessions including Yoga and kybun® training in the gym promote physical and emotional wellbeing.

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Claudia Reichenberger | Managing Director | claudia.reichenberger@marketing-deluxe.at
Nicole Ginzinger | Senior PR Consultant nicole.ginzinger@marketing-deluxe.at

Wopfnerstrasse 9
6130 Schwaz/Tyrol
Austria

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Photo credits: Park Igls