Have you heard of the triangle? You know, those three apps you mindlessly flit between, Instagram, WhatsApp, Gmail, feeding the dopamine monster that craves likes, pings, and the fleeting rush of digital validation. Or maybe you’re the double-screener who picks shows based on how easy they are to half-watch while “working.”
It’s hardly surprising that Google searches for ‘mindful travel’ are on the rise. We’re overwhelmed by invisible expectations we put on ourselves and that constant gnawing sense of unproductivity, despite always being busy.
Sure, we fantasize about that week by the pool, devouring a paperback. But between flexing our new swimwear on Instagram, checking in with elderly relatives, and scanning 30 TripAdvisor reviews for the best mezze, the day vanishes and the elusive relaxation slips through our fingers. It was this addiction I pondered as I sat piecing tiny, coloured glass squares onto a fish template at a mosaic workshop in the impossibly pretty village of Lania, Cyprus.
Walking into the air-conditioned artist’s workshop on a blazing afternoon, we were greeted by the calm, charismatic, local artist Antonis Rizopoulos and his partner, who quietly settled us in. There was no pomp, just a collective hush as we hunted for colours, sipped lemonade, and the obligatory offering of local Commandaria wine, and lost ourselves in the process. Some asked about his artwork; others became absorbed in the meditative act of placing each glass piece. What washed over me was the beautiful absence of pressure, replaced by a quiet desire to simply ‘be’. These people had discovered a life hack away from the tyranny of notifications and, as such, exuded a contagious calm.
Imagine a whole week like this? Slowing down, awakening your senses, putting your phone away, and using your hands in a culturally rich, sustainable way. Cyprus is fast becoming a haven for mindful travel, with workshops that don’t just preserve traditions but soothe your modern, frazzled mind. And yes, this is still a holiday: Cyprus delivers cute villages, reliable sunshine, and mouthwatering mezze you might crave. Five years ago, during lockdown, the island launched a Colourful Villages competition. The result is beautifully aesthetic, florally abundant villages that have you gasping at each turn.
Time your visit right, and you can catch one of Cyprus’s open house weekends, where villagers throw open their gardens and courtyards, inviting you to wander in, probably sip some Commandaria, and soak up the beauty. For a nosey house snoop like me, this would be the most idyllic afternoon, picking up garden design tips and chatting to locals.
If gardens are your thing, the Lumina Botanicals Garden offers a chance to immerse yourself in the botanicals of Cyprus with tours of the gardens. You can even book a dreamy yoga session amid lavender and thyme, or tours of their fragrant distillery process. The whole place is a sensory feast to rival any spa day and feed that mindful travel urge.
Around a 30-minute drive from Larnaca, you will find Lefkara, another outrageously photogenic village. Home to Kristina and her husband, who swapped careers in high fashion at Burberry for a more mindful life in their native Cyprus. They have set up Tradition Now and are reviving silk cocoon embroidery workshops, keeping this ancient art alive for future generations. Set in a beautifully restored outbuilding, with lemon trees peaking through the windows, you can set about creating jewellery from these surprisingly robust cocoons.
If you are fully committed to the mindful escape, why not spend an evening at the newly opened, award-winning Troodos Observatory? With zero light pollution and uninterrupted views of the skies, they will be running star gazing evenings. Check here for availability.
Cyprus is blessed with year-round sunshine, which lures in the beach babes but it is so much more than Roman ruins and Ayia Napa, you may have to put your phone down to truly discover it.
Review and Images by Emmie Blower @emmiebhungry
Feature image courtesy of unsplash.com
