Pure Circle Inner Wellness Centre offers weekend retreats to combat stress with an integrated approach

Stress affects us all and can be devastating for health and wellbeing. Raina Beuckelaers, owner of the Pure Circle Inner Wellness Centre, believes the key to successful stress management is an integrated body and mind approach in short breaks. There is a common misconception that an hour of relaxation or therapy alone can effectively recharge the batteries, yet Raina believes that the best way for people to manage stress is to deal with the physical and psychological effects of it simultaneously during short breaks:

“To me, stress is something that affects your brain but also physically infiltrates your body. You need to work on both relaxation and reflection. You really need a break away from everything to work on yourself for a few days, so you have the time to reflect and to truly relax.” 

Raina credits any professional who helps people manage their stress from week to week, including psychotherapists and physiotherapists. She believes their work is vital, but to really address stress a person must take a proper break for self-reflection and to learn relaxation techniques which can be adopted day-to-day. 

‘Burnout’ is often the consequence of prolonged stress. Defined by American social psychologist Christina Maslach as physical and emotional exhaustion, combined with cynicism and reduced self-confidence, Raina believes burnout may indicate something more:

“When I see people running into a burnout, there indeed has been too much stress over a too long period of time. But for me, burnout is more about not truly living authentically anymore, not really following your heart. People sometimes get a bit lost in life, living on auto-pilot rather than consciously. Rediscovering who you really are, what truly makes you happy and reintegrating that in your life is what I believe will release the stress from your body.”

That was Raina’s own experience.

She worked in a high-pressure marketing environment, but it was her overall feeling of unfulfillment that led to burnout. That sparked the idea of an inner wellness centre, which Raina opened in July 2019. The Pure Circle Inner Wellness Centre is a one-stop shop for stress m

anagement set amidst the idyllic Cotswolds backdrop.  The weekend retreats offer treatments which aim to counteract the effects of stress and prevent the onset of burnout. They also act as general relaxation weekends. 

The centre’s integrated approach includes psychoeducation, stress management, reflection moments, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, seated acupressure massage and use of the hot tub – all underpinned by a healthy vegetarian menu.

The key is that people return home replenished, or in the event of burnout, have been given the tools to rediscover their authentic self. 

For Raina, stress led to burnout, and to a complete re-evaluation of her life.

cThat re-evaluation gave Raina a new purpose, to which she now dedicates her life. She now wants to help other people manage the physical and psychological aspects of stress, whether it leads to a new mindset or a new beginning.