A long and healthy life isn't just about what you eat or how you move - it's about how you handle stress, how you speak to yourself, and whether you are able to be present for the life you're living. Drawing on both the ancient eastern roots of mindfulness practice and the modern neuroscience that explains what it does to the brain and body, Amy's daily sessions weave together teaching, guided practice and personal reflection to develop exactly that capacity.

Chronic stress is one of the most significant drivers of poor health - and the mind is where it begins. Amy's sessions work directly with the nervous system, training the brain's capacity for self-regulation, emotional resilience and present-moment awareness. These aren't abstract skills. They are the difference between a life lived at the mercy of your stress response and one in which you have genuine agency over how you think, feel and respond - day to day, and over time.

Drawing on decades of study in human health, nutrition and environmental medicine, woven throughout the week George’s sessions explore how modern life - chronic stress, processed food, disrupted sleep, disconnection from nature - quietly undermines the body from the inside. Conditions that have become commonplace today - IBS, inflammatory bowel conditions, autoimmune disease, metabolic disorders - are increasingly understood to have their roots in gut health, stress response and nutrition. The Ikarian diet addresses many of these drivers directly - and George translates that understanding into practical and personal ways to give your body the conditions it needs to function as it was designed to.

George also leads a daily anti-stress exercise session each morning, drawing on the movement principles that underpin Ikarian longevity. The week also takes you into the island itself - swimming at the natural hot springs, trekking an ancient coastal path to Kambos Beach, walking in forest silence, and an evening of traditional Greek dancing.

Food is medicine, and it is as central to the Ikarian way of life as the colour blue is to the Greek community. With Eleni’s cooking, you could hang the value of this week on eating alone. Every meal throughout the week is prepared on the estate, seasonal and organic. Eleni leads three immersive cooking classes in the longevity kitchen, exploring the philosophy and practice behind the Ikarian approach to food - from fermented foods and gut health to the art of the longevity breakfast. A glass of natural wine from the estate’s own vineyard accompanies every meal , and the week closes with a natural wine tasting produced from vines that have been cultivated on this land for centuries.

Woven throughout the week is something the Ikarians have always understood: that rest is not the absence of activity, but a practice in itself. Time is built in to simply be - on the island, in the farmhouse, in good company.

There is also something quietly powerful about spending a week with a small group of people who are all, in their own way, looking for the same thing. The conversations that happen over meals, on walks, in the unhurried moments between sessions - these are often where the most unexpected shifts occur. Being genuinely seen and understood by people outside of your usual life has a restorative quality that is difficult to manufacture and easy to underestimate. The Ikarians have always known this too - community isn't a backdrop to their longevity. It's one of the reasons for it.