Go on holiday for two hours

by Erika Wang

Feeling stressed? Need a holiday? The two-hour holiday by Happening Weekends uses meditation, hypnotherapy techniques, and sensory stimulation to help reduce stress while increasing levels of happiness and wellbeing.

Storytelling and props such as food, picnic baskets, pebbles and candles are used to induce positive memories and feelings.

During the span of two hours, I was not only able to relax but also tapped into my inner child by roasting marshmallows, snacking on cake and chocolate, and blowing bubbles to my heart’s content. All tucked away in Covent Garden.
 
“We try to show that relaxation can be fun,” says director and organiser of the events, Judy Claughton. “People who do a lot of meditation describe the two-hour holidays as the equivalent of a spa for the mind, whereas meditation is more like going to the gym.”
“Holiday-makers” are encouraged to touch, smell, and taste an assortment of olives, fruits, chocolates and other goodies, and to play around with an array of souvenirs and getaway essentials such as sunscreen, paperback classics and maps.

Held about once a month, each two-hour holiday varies. “We take into account the time of year, the number of people who are coming, our venue, and the kind of holiday mood we want to invoke,” said Claughton. “We hold them at very unique venues and every crowd and holiday creates a different vibe.”

For students, Claughton recommends taking a two-hour holiday to gain clarity. “It feels like the most indulgent thing you can do, to stop when you’re really that busy,” she says. “But it’s possibly the best thing you could do to help your work. It just makes you feel more focused... It’s better than going down to the pub for two hours!”

A two-hour holiday is around £15. Book the week of the event by emailing twohourholiday@yahoo.co.uk or visit www.happening-weekends.co.uk