Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill spent 30 years as a career firefighter, where she developed a passion for holistic health, wellness, and nutrition. During that time, she became a trusted collegue, often coaching other firefighters toward healthier habits.
Have you ever faced a health challenge that seems to come out of the blue? Suddenly, you’re thrust into a world of doctors, medications, appointments, and uncertainty. Your body may or may not respond well to traditional treatments. You may face significant side effects from prescription drugs. Or worse, you don’t seem to get better no matter what medication you try or how many specialists you see.
I can relate.
As a mom of three who, at the time, was a dedicated career firefighter, I prided myself on being health conscious. But, one morning, when I was in my mid-forties, I woke up to excruciating pain in my wrists and hands. Simple tasks like brushing my teeth brought tears to my eyes. Suddenly, I couldn’t do basic daily activities like opening a water bottle or shampooing my hair. I felt like my body was betraying me, and I didn’t understand what was happening.
Long story short, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease. I was floored. No one in my family had an autoimmune disease, and I never saw this coming. To make matters worse, I was faced with the prospect of taking heavy immunosuppressant drugs, ones usually given to cancer patients, to control the symptoms of my disease.
Being a firefighter, the thought of taking these drugs and exposing myself to even more risks was terrifying. I knew there had to be a natural healing path for me. I remember having a lightbulb moment during one of my favorite college classes, Health and Wellness 101. I was instantly taken back to what my professor had taught - the power of using food as medicine, the mind-body-soul connection, and how our thoughts and emotions can manifest as physical symptoms.
Soon, I found myself studying to become a certified nutritionist and health coach, hoping to discover a way to heal my immune system naturally so that I could free myself from the grip of inflammation and pain. Not only did I succeed in improving my immune health, but I started coaching other women to do the same. I began to see an interesting pattern emerging in working with these women. In almost every case, their environment was the number one barrier to improving natural health.
Our environment, including our daily routines, stress levels, and the food we eat, plays a significant role in the development and management of autoimmune diseases. We are all creatures of habit, and our brains thrive on familiarity. So, readily embracing new wellness ideas or habits at home is often difficult.
This is where wellness travel shines as a path toward healing, offering a beacon of hope and empowerment for women struggling with almost any health concern, especially with autoimmune disease. It's a chance to take control of your health and discover a new sense of well-being in an environment that empowers you to make significant strides in developing healthy habits with the proper guidance and resources.
Let’s define wellness travel
Wellness travel goes beyond a traditional vacation or getaway. It’s more than spa treatments and bodywork, although those can be important aspects of wellness travel. It provides an opportunity to be led toward healing in a comprehensive way, addressing not just the physical symptoms but also the mental and emotional aspects of your health journey.
Wellness travel focuses on promoting physical healing, rejuvenation, and overall well-being in an environment curated for specific needs. For example, a wellness travel destination can provide an environment for a digital detox when women are suffering from adrenal fatigue due to being overstressed. Some destinations also have programs designed to teach you how to sleep well and provide the environment to support that mission.
Additionally, a wellness retreat might offer daily yoga and meditation sessions and workshops on stress management and the mind-body connection. These practices are crucial for managing autoimmune symptoms. Learning how your body communicates with you is an incredibly powerful tool in this journey.
Nutritional and holistic therapy support
One of the things I love the most about wellness travel destinations is that they almost always include healthy and customized meal options, nutrition education, and cooking classes. What better way to get in touch with how your body responds to improved nutritional support while learning some skills that you can bring back home with you? This can play a crucial role in managing and reducing inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases and give you the tools to keep up with it when you get home.
Holistic therapies and treatments are often offered at wellness travel destinations. Modalities such as acupuncture, lymphatic drainage massage, naturopathy, and hydrotherapy are commonly offered during wellness travel experiences. These therapies can support the body's natural healing processes and help to alleviate symptoms.
Wellness travel experiences are curated to support their clients' health and well-being, with employees dedicated to ensuring a transformative experience. You can expect coaching sessions with holistic health professionals who are experts in nutrition, mental health, and physical well-being, as well as pre-and post-trip evaluations to track your progress and instill a sense of hope and optimism about your health journey.
Success stories
I want to share a quick success story from one of my clients—we’ll call her Cheryl. When Cheryl came to see me, she was at the end of her rope. She was experiencing muscle pain and weakness, losing clumps of hair, she was chronically exhausted, and she knew she needed to make a significant change to her lifestyle.
She had been to half a dozen doctors who all said her labs were “normal.” Each time, they suggested that she eat better and exercise more, but they didn’t give her any tangible support to help her with that. When we met for the first time, she was in tears. She told me she couldn’t even remember what it was like to feel good in her body.
Although I asked her dozens of questions to get an idea of what might be happening, she looked the most confused when I asked her when she last went away by herself.
You see, like Cheryl, most women never consider taking time away for themselves, let alone experiencing a wellness travel trip curated to let them slow down, experience deep relaxation, get nutritional support, learn new habits, and let their body begin its natural healing process. To the core of my being, I believe that our body knows how to heal naturally, but we don’t always know how to best support that process.
Realizing this, Cheryl and I devised a plan to jumpstart her healing through a specific wellness travel destination that suited her needs. I am happy to report that when she returned home, she told me she had experienced twelve days of healing, nurturing, and relaxation for the first time in her life. She lost a little over 10 pounds, slept through the night again, and significantly reduced her pain.
After reading Cheryl’s story, I hope you can begin to see how wellness travel might be the missing link to jumpstart your own health journey! If this has ignited a spark in your mind, here are some practical tips and considerations.
Embarking on a wellness travel journey
Research and choose the right (for you) retreat or program
It is crucial to do your research before selecting a retreat or program to ensure it aligns with individual health needs, preferences, and budget. Working with a wellness travel coach can be invaluable in this regard.
Collaboration with healthcare professionals
I encourage women to consult with their healthcare providers before embarking on wellness travel to ensure it aligns with their specific health conditions and treatment plans and that they are healthy enough to travel.
Self-care practices
It’s essential to continue self-care practices post-wellness travel trip so that the benefits and healing continue after returning home. Coaching doesn’t end at the culmination of your journey, either. I meet with my clients several times after their trip to ensure they have the support they need to continue with their healing at home.
Conclusion
I want to reiterate the potential of wellness travel as a path toward physical healing for all women, especially those with autoimmune diseases. I’d encourage you to explore this transformative option and remind you that you deserve to prioritize your well-being. Working with a wellness travel coach to curate a healing journey through travel could be precisely the right move for you.
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Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill, Transformational Wellness and Travel Coach
Colleen O'Neill Mulvihill spent 30 years as a career firefighter, where she developed a passion for holistic health, wellness, and nutrition. During that time, she became a trusted collegue, often coaching other firefighters toward healthier habits. After retirement, she continued coaching and developed a passion for traveling. Combining her two loves, she now coaches on transformation, mindset, and all things wellness travel. Her mission: Helping women to find their mind, body, and soul connection.
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