Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1532915
P H OTO BY S Y LV I E G I A N E L L A ust a few short years ago, Talana Bestall, now a wellness pioneer, was working in London, burning the candle at both ends. Following a stint in fashion PR at Karla Otto for brands including Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton, she then transitioned to hospitality, launching properties for legendary hotelier André Balazs (of The Standard and Chateau Marmont fame). "In hospitality, people seemed to have more perspective and were kinder," she recalls. "It was a world of hedonism in a different sense." Bestall's job was fun, and she loved building brands, but she was also an overworked new mom struggling to find work-life balance. On a whim, she joined Aquazzura's founder and creative director, Edgardo Osorio, a dear friend, on a trip to the spiritually charged beaches of Careyes, Mexico—and everything changed. Bestall had spent some time in high- vibrational spots like Bali as a child, and she always practiced some version of wellness in her own life, but she was unprepared for the impact a session with a healer named Yolanda would have on her. "She changed my whole perspective on life," says Bestall, who quickly realized she wasn't living as dimensionally as she could be. Suddenly, she had grand ideas for the future—both personally and professionally. Luckily, the stars aligned. Bestall had recently been brought on to help launch Six Senses Ibiza, a new resort on the lesser-traveled northern tip of the Spanish island. In a destination known for hard partying, it was a kind of pristine escape, a quieter, less developed vision for what Ibiza could be. And it was the perfect place for the hospitality expert's new brainchild—Alma Frequency Festival. "Alma began as an idea—a place for connection, discovery, and a bit of magic," she says. By mid-2022, she had launched RoseBar, a longevity clinic offering high-tech metrics and treatments for healthier living led by Dr. Mark Hyman, on style setter J property. And, later that year, with her rolodex of healers and practitioners, she threw the first-ever Alma festival—which translates to soul in Spanish—as… not quite a retreat. The three-day gathering developed more as a Coachella for enlightened seekers. While workshops with visionaries—from biohacking expert and author Ben Greenfield to The Class creator Taryn Toomey to meditation teacher Light Watkins—populated the event, Bestall intentionally eschewed rigid scheduling, preferring to give people the freedom to explore at their whim. "I asked myself, If I went on a retreat, what would I want it to be like?" she says of the free-flow structure. "It has grown into something really beautiful—it feels like a New York City dinner party!" And the evolution continues. In 2025, Alma is reinventing a bit, relocating to Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps for what Bestall describes as "a different depth of experience." There are also whispers of expansion to the US, and Bestall is launching Aníma Ivica, a curated supplement line (and editorial platform) in June. "If Alma is the full-on macro experience, then Aníma is like nuggets of wisdom to get you through your day," she muses. "We wanted to distill the essence." Today, Bestall doesn't just conceptualize the events. She walks the walk, living between London and Ibiza, with annual trips to Bal Harbour. Taking care of herself now is especially important as she's expecting another child this year. "So much is on the horizon," she enthuses, "and I'm dreaming big." "A lma began as an idea—a place for connection, discovery, and a bit of magic."— TA L A NA BESTA LL Talana Bestall wants you to step outside your comfort zone—and she's leading by example. BY NORA ZELEVANSKY alma matter BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M