The Rise of Menopause-Focused Wellness Retreats: A New Era for Women’s Self-Care

In a refreshing evolution of the traditional girls’ getaway, women are increasingly seeking experiences that prioritize wellness and education over cocktails and late nights. This shift has given rise to a new trend: luxury retreats specifically designed to help women navigate the complexities of menopause in supportive, pampering environments. At the forefront of this movement is Miraval Arizona, a resort nestled at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains that offers comprehensive programming tailored to women experiencing or preparing for this significant life transition. “It’s an opportunity to tune into not only how we survive this stage, but also how we can find pleasure and joy in our day to day lives,” explains Lyndi Rivers, an integrative wellness expert and sexuality educator at Miraval. This growing focus on menopause wellness represents a long-overdue acknowledgment of a health journey affecting approximately half the world’s population, providing women with the tools and knowledge to not merely endure but thrive during this transformative period.

The menopause-focused offerings at Miraval Arizona strike a thoughtful balance between education, physical activity, relaxation, and fun. Women can participate in specialized fitness classes, including yoga designed specifically to improve pelvic floor health, and schedule one-on-one consultations with nutritionists who create personalized meal plans addressing their unique needs during perimenopause and menopause. The programming extends beyond health-focused activities to include meditative practices like guided breathwork and tea rituals, active pursuits such as pickleball and hiking, and purely enjoyable experiences including ziplining, archery, and culinary workshops. This holistic approach acknowledges that menopause affects every aspect of a woman’s life and wellbeing. Rivers emphasizes the value of this immersive setting: “This time at Miraval is often their only moment to pause and do some self-reflection around what they need. Then they have a little bit of time to even create a plan about how they want to implement this realistically once they go home, and I think that’s what makes a resort setting kind of a sweet way to do it.”

One of the resort’s most popular offerings is Rivers’ “Making Sense of Menopause” class, a 90-minute session that demystifies the menopause transition through education and community-building. Rivers cleverly structures part of the class as a bingo game covering the 32 most common menopause symptoms, inviting participants to mark those they’ve experienced. This playful approach to a serious topic helps normalize the wide range of physical and emotional changes women may encounter. The class also creates a safe space for women to share their personal journeys and hear from others with similar experiences. “Hearing from other women having similar experiences is what also allows them to feel better about what they’re doing and understand that there’s a wide range of experiences that encompass normal,” Rivers notes. The class attracts women across a broad age spectrum—from those in their 30s seeking to understand what lies ahead to those actively navigating perimenopause and even post-menopausal women still trying to make sense of their experiences without having had proper education during their transition.

Sleep disruption ranks among the most troublesome menopause symptoms, affecting roughly half of women in perimenopause and over 60% after menopause. Addressing this common concern, Miraval offers a specialized “Better Sleep in Menopause” class led by sleep specialist Leah Bolin. The session explores the unique sleep challenges women face during this life stage—including difficulty falling asleep, waking too early, and struggling to stay asleep—often exacerbated by night sweats and other hormonal symptoms. Bolin introduces participants to evidence-based strategies for improving sleep quality, with particular emphasis on cognitive behavioral therapy, which research has shown to be highly effective for addressing menopause-related insomnia and sleep disturbances. This focused attention on sleep quality acknowledges how fundamental restful sleep is to overall wellbeing and how significantly its disruption can impact women’s quality of life during the menopause transition.

The resort’s comprehensive approach to menopause wellness extends to nutrition and physical activity through its “Healthy Lifestyles Through Menopause” program. This class delves into the latest research on optimal dietary approaches during the menopause transition, recognizing that women’s nutritional needs often shift during this time. Participants also learn about the most beneficial types of movement for supporting their changing bodies. Rivers explains, “They discuss what kind of movements we should be engaging in to really support our bodies as we’re navigating this time.” For instance, research suggests that increasing strength training and maintaining good cardiovascular fitness can help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, one of the most common and disruptive menopause symptoms. The program takes an integrated approach, acknowledging the interconnectedness of sleep, nutrition, and physical activity in managing menopause symptoms and promoting overall wellbeing. As Rivers summarizes, “You want to get good sleep, you want to change the way you’re eating, and you really want to be mindful about how you’re moving.”

Miraval’s success in this space reflects a broader market trend, with more luxury resorts developing specialized offerings to meet the growing demand for menopause-focused wellness retreats. These destinations provide women with calm, supportive environments to address the physical, emotional, and mental challenges of menopause while enjoying the comfort and pampering of a luxury setting. This trend represents a significant shift in how society views and supports women during this life stage—moving from silence and suffering to education, community, and proactive management. Rivers emphasizes that this focus on menopause wellness encourages women to prioritize their own needs and self-care, perhaps more intensely than at any other life stage. “This is the stage of life in which we need to get almost fierce about our own self-care, as well as adding in a lot of kindness and compassion towards ourselves throughout the journey,” she advises. As awareness grows and more women seek out these specialized wellness experiences, the menopause journey is increasingly being reframed—not as a time of loss and discomfort to be endured, but as an opportunity for growth, self-discovery, and renewed commitment to health and wellbeing.