Included as standard
We understand that time and health are our most valued assets. That’s why our trips are designed to maximise these both as standard.
We’ve floated hot tubs on Scottish lochs and saunas on frozen Icelandic lakes for the ultimate disconnect. We’ve personalised transformative experiences in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest using physiological markers gathered from guests pre-trip. And, we’ve designed performance-based adventures in the Arctic to push guests to their limits with ex-special forces and Olympians.
Throughout, everything is designed around your needs, making use of the world’s top experts and the latest innovations to showcase our planet’s most naturally and culturally immersive places.
Expect purposeful adventures that go beyond relaxation to foster transformative personal growth, connecting you with your surroundings and disconnecting from distractions.
All media taken on Cookson Adventures trips
Cookson slips in the wellbeing with a lightness of touch. As he says: ‘We’re known for unearthing and layering trips with the best specialist in the world. Now we’re doing the same with wellness’
A sample day in Iceland
Glacial lake immersion
With Wim Hof breathing
With a personal instructor, learn a breathing framework to build up your resilience for a cold-water immersion in a frozen glacial lagoon. Expect improved concentration, reinvigorated willpower and plenty of dopamine.
Sample BPM: 65
Floating sauna
Relaxation on ice
The contrast between the cold-water plunge and sauna on ice not only warms you up to a beautiful backdrop, but it’s fantastic for the likes of circulation, recovery and endorphins – the perfect start to the day.
Sample BPM: 120
Natural isolation
Hermit health
Retreat to an uninhabited island for a digital detox, spending time with yourself or your group without distractions. Here, precipitous hikes showcase enormous contoured views out to sea – space for introspection.
Sample BPM: 80
Kayaking
Natural workout
Get the heart rate back up, mapping cragged coasts and discovering hidden coves to immerse yourself in Iceland’s natural beauty. It’s exercise with a reward – improving your fitness and releasing endorphins.
Sample BPM: 170
Sound bathing
In an ice cave
Visit a secret ice cave few have been in before. Here, its colours and resonance are the ideal backdrop to your guide’s harmonies, taking you on a journey through restorative sound as you relax under fur blankets.
Sample BPM: 70
Whale encounter
Natural awe
Moments of awe in nature enhance our of connectedness, purpose and gratitude. And, few are more impressive than coming face-to-face with a breaching humpback as you paddle alongside.
Sample BPM: 90
Yoga with a view
Body & mind
With floor-to-ceiling views of Iceland’s wilderness back at your private lodge, let a top yogi guide you through a session tailor-made to you, designed to centre your mind and strengthen your body.
Sample BPM: 110
Whitewater rafting
Adrenaline thrill
We know the best secret spots, where waterfalls provide the torrents for a high-octane adventure, pairing great, muscle-building cardio exercise with a self-esteem-boosting rush for the whole team.
Sample BPM: 170
Freediving
between continents
Put your breathwork techniques into further practice by freediving at Silfra – a divide in the continental plates where a freediving champion will coach you through this meditative process. The daring can return after dark.
Sample BPM: 50
Privatised lagoons
Geothermal hot pools
Rest up with Iceland’s volcanically heated hot pools. We know the best secret ones, privatised just for your group in the middle of the country’s wilderness. It’s the chance to relax and enjoy the health benefits in nature.
Sample BM: 90
Epic coasteering
Conquering fears
In the company of expert mountaineering guides, this unique sport will get your heart rate up as you scramble and climb Iceland’s wild coastlines before plunging into the waters below with a daring cliff jump.
Sample BPM: 170
Holotropic breathwork
Under the midnight sun
On a mountain peak accessible only by helicopter, undertake a breathing session that immerses you in Iceland’s wilderness, enhanced by summer’s celestial phenomenon where the sun never dips beneath the horizon.
Sample BPM: 70
Glacial lake immersion
With Wim Hof breathing
A breathwork-based ice plunge can have the following benefits:
Wim Hof breathwork
This celebrated method focuses on intense inhalations and relaxed exhalations, with extended holdings of breath. This works to increase your oxygen levels and improve your cold-water tolerance, triggering a positive stress response.
Recovery
Decreasing blood flow, a cold-water plunge can reduce swelling and accelerate muscular recovery after a workout.
Improved circulation
Blood vessels constrict from the shock of the cold water, dilating upon exit to improve vascular health.
Enhanced immune system
Regular ice plunges help stimulate white blood cell production, boosting your immune function.
Elevated mental clarity
Cold exposure triggers an endorphin release, improving mood and enhancing focus.
Floating sauna
Relaxation on ice
Alternating between the heat of the sauna and the cold of the glacial lake has a number of impacts:
Circulation
The sauna’s heat opening up blood vessels after the cold constricts them works to enhance your cardiovascular system.
Improved mood
There’s not only the joy of conquering these extremes and the associated pain tolerance, but the treatment promotes the release of endorphins.
Muscular recovery
The combination of the heat relaxing your muscles and the cold reducing their inflammation helps you recover from any physical exertion quicker.
Additional benefits
From improving your skin to aiding your immune system’s resilience, the change in temperatures from hot-cold treatments can have a wide range of benefits.
Natural isolation
Hermit health
Depending on your appetite, we can use this as a backdrop for a simple full-day retreat or a full-service survival expedition, guided by bushcraft experts. Both have several benefits:
Gain clarity
Solitude gives you the space for mental clarity, allowing you to focus on the things that matter most or even look to boost your creativity, away from any distractions.
Stress reduction
Intentional isolation can put you into a safe state of calm, removing you from any day-to-day stress.
Reconnecting with self
This is your chance to disconnect and spend time with yourself, focusing on the things that matter to you.
Renewing energy
Spending time with others can be draining – this is an opportunity to rebalance and renew your energy.
Kayaking
Natural workout
There are multiple wellness benefits associated with getting out on the water.
Improved cardiovascular health
Paddling is a fantastic aerobic exercise, strengthening the heart and circulation – alongside your upper body and core.
Boosted mood
Being out at sea or in nature can have a calming effect, reducing cortisol levels and promoting relaxation – especially when mixed with the exercise-related endorphins.
Low-impact exercise
Given that kayaking doesn’t place excessive strain on your body, it’s an accessible exercise and is great for joint flexibility.
Sound bathing
In an ice cave
Whether with a heli flight or scenic hike, arrive at a remote ice cave, whose otherworldly features and sounds augment your guides’ gongs, drums and singing as you embark on a mediative experience.
Stress reduction
Sounds produced by singing bowls are thought to slow brain waves, shifting you to a more relaxed, even meditative state.
Enhanced mental focus
This relaxed state can help declutter your mind, with participants often reporting that they are better able to concentrate after their session.
Emotional wellbeing
The soothing sounds of Tibetan singing bowls can promote a calm, tranquil environment.
Whale encounter
Natural awe
Whether paddling an SUP or donning a wetsuit to get in alongside these gentle giants, this experience is sure to inspire strong emotions.
Environmental connection
Being in the company of these massive, intelligent mammals can inspire a sense of humility and gratitude, deepening your connection with the natural world and even reinforcing your sense of self.
Mindfulness
Being next to the whale and pushing your heart rate up almost forces you to be present in the moment.
Physical benefits
Alongside shifts in perspective, paddling or swimming gets your body moving and releases endorphins.
Whitewater rafting
Adrenaline thrill
White-water rafting is a perfect blend of nature, adrenaline and exertion.
Self-esteem boost
Conquering rapids as a group is not only a bonding experience, but can help you feel more accomplished and confident in yourself.
Enjoying the rush
In small, controlled doses, adrenaline is a healthy hormone that promotes focus and excitement as more blood goes to your brain and muscles.
Cardio exercise
Strengthen your core as your practice your endurance and explosive output, with the resulting endorphins enhancing your mental wellbeing.
Fresh air
Remote by its very nature, this is the chance to enjoy the nature, with the fresh air encouraging deep, diaphragmatic breathing.
Freediving
between continents
A lot of the aim of this activity is to bring your resting heart rate down.
Relief of stress
Similar to yogic practice, the awareness and control of your body – including your heart rate – can help relaxation.
Strengthen your lungs
Diaphragmatic or “belly breathing” is a more efficient way of oxygenating your body, with regular practice increasing your lung volume and elasticity, as well as your core. Your body will also learn to use oxygen more efficiently.
Fitness level and flexibility
The more flexile and fit your body is, the better it can move through water, thus reducing your oxygen requirements so you can freedive longer.
Maintain better focus
Similar to meditation, freediving requires a sharp focus on your movement and oxygen levels. And, heading underwater, you’ll be removed from sound and other distractions, allowing you to be really be present in the moment.
Privatised lagoons
Geothermal hot pools
Alongside the iconic Blue Lagoon, we know the best secret spots, whether they’re cliff-top perches or accessible only by helicopter.
Promote relaxation
Take time out of your adventure to unwind, bringing the pace down with some superlative views. That’s alongside the heat loosening up any tight muscles.
Improve circulation
Dilating blood vessels brings blood away from your core to your extremities and skin, reducing blood pressure and raising the heart rate. This can, over time, improve your cardiovascular health.
Commune with nature
Entirely naturally heated by volcanic systems, these hot springs let you literally immerse yourself in nature. The ones we’ll pick for you come with incredible backdrops, whether waterfall valleys or overlooking the sea from a clifftop perch.
Epic coasteering
Conquering fears
The physical and mental benefits of coasteering are numerous.
Improved self-esteem
By overcoming this daunting challenge, achieve a sense of accomplishment, helping you to gain confidence in your decision making.
Group achievement
You’ll likely be tackling this challenge with your private group, connecting together over a shared goal.
Improved co-ordination
In perhaps a more yogic approach, the balance required for coasteering works your core and upper body as you navigate difficult routes.
Holotropic breathwork
Under the midnight sun
This technique uses rapid, controlled breathing to promote an almost altered state of consciousness. Your guide will then narrate a journey that connects you with your wild surroundings and yourself.
Stress reduction
Not only does the rhythmic breathing trigger the body’s relaxation response, but your guide will bring you on an emotionally calming journey, narrating you through Iceland’s natural beauty.
Expanded consciousness
Participants often report experiencing important insights as past of this experience, which might take the form of emotional healing or sometimes even spiritual understanding.
Self-discovery
A lot of this experience is focused on yourself, where a process of reflection can lead to interesting learning points that can be implemented in your day-to-day life.
Tailored to you
Every guest’s needs are different. Whether it’s consultations with experts, pre-trip monitoring or simply talking through your at-home routine, we’ll take the time to get to know your requirements. That means everything from personalised nutrition programmes to simply building in time to practice your morning breathwork. You’ll finish your trip with tools to take into your day-to-day life.
Entirely private, completely immersive
Exploring remote regions and historic cultures in full exclusivity allows you to disconnect, detox and immerse yourself in the present with no distractions. Our trips are designed to be private by their very nature, with stays in off-market properties and explorer yachts opening up otherwise-inaccessible regions.
Special access
From private audiences with Bhutan’s spiritual leaders to using one-off luxury camps to reach truly remote areas, we’re experts in opening up access to people and places. This means truly disconnected experiences that few – if any – have enjoyed before.
At the cutting edge
Starting with pre-trip work, from blood tests to glucose monitoring and sleep tracking, our experts can create on-trip programmes that span the likes of nutrition, anti-burnout mindfulness and somatic movement. After being tweaked by expert consultations as you travel, you’ll then have a tailored programme to take away with you to use in your day-to-day life. Throughout, it’s all backed up by the latest in data-driven research.
Leading experts
We have access to the world’s top wellness practitioners, from breathwork and Olympic performance advisors to psychologists and doctors specialising in longevity. We’ll work to pair you with the right consultants for you.
Our approach
Holistic wellbeing
Anti-burnout mindfulness
At its core, our approach to wellness is fully rounded, designed to draw on both body and mind through physical activation and psychological introspection. So, the likes of cold-water plunges, geothermal soaks and deck-side yoga all become tools for authentic improvement. Working with some of the world’s most successful individuals and groups, one common theme we see among our clients is the desire to offset demanding lifestyles. Whether looking directly at stress-management techniques or meditation, psychological consultation or physical exercise, we’ve found that a combined, holistic approach yields the best results.
Nature immersion
In the moment
Research from the John Templeton Foundation points to the power of awe and wonder in promoting connectedness and positive sentiment. That might be swimming with humpbacks and riding horses to visit herds of giraffes or being the only person hiking out on a remote Icelandic island, before admiring the midnight sun from a mountaintop reachable only by helicopter. Throughout, it’s the chance to disconnect from day-to-day stress and be present, promoting introspection and positive growth.
Performance wellness
Type 2 fun
Coined by the University of Alaska’s Dr Rainer Newberry, “Type 2 Fun” refers to activities that might be challenging in the moment, but enjoyable in retrospect. And, scaling peaks, enduring cold-water immersion and experiencing adrenaline thrills also all promote physical and psychological robustness. Our experts include heads of performance for F1 teams, who’ll tailor a programme to you, whether it’s a full-on training camp or short high-altitude exercise. It all ends with de-escalation sessions.
Cultural immersion
Authentic experiences
The simple act of experiencing another culture can both promote gratitude and deepen our understanding of the world and our role within it. That’s without mentioning the benefits of learning about the planet’s great spiritual centres. For example, you could step back to the birthplace of yoga, visiting India’s sacred spaces to experience a cultural emphasis on inner peace with the country’s spiritual leaders. Or, learn about Bhutan’s nation-wide focus on happiness, achieved through the Buddhist principles of minimalism, meditation and connection with nature.
Family wellness
Connection & Shared improvement
Families are so often at the centre of our trips, and wellness is just as important to time spent with your closest ones as it is otherwise. Here, we often look at a “shared fun” approach, aimed at bonding family members through quality time and mindful absorption in peak moments. That could be heli-kayaking, team yoga on a mountaintop or meeting wildlife in the bush. For those looking to take things a bit further, we can even organise active listening workshops.
