Georgia Humphreys trials a new escorted tour in Thailand promising benefits to body and soul

"You like meditation, yes?" asks Puki, a middle-aged woman from Chiang Mai, who is smiling sweetly at me.

I don't know how to answer her.

Even though I've used phone apps to dabble with the mind-calming practice, the truth is I've never quite got the hang of it.

But now I find myself in the mountains, wandering around Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of Northern Thailand's most sacred temples, just under an hour's drive from the city of Chiang Mai.

Sat outside the towering, glimmering, gold stupa, Puki is meditating in front of relics belonging to Lord Buddha. It looks so peaceful, I decide to join her, and after a few minutes, the humdrum of visitors has faded away. Maybe this is what the fuss is all about?

My glimpse into Puki's world of mindfulness is part of a bigger G Adventures Wellness Thailand tour, designed to recharge the body and nourish the mind.

It starts with an intention-setting ceremony in Bangkok, where participants are invited to reflect on a personal focus for the trip. Over the course of nine days, travelling to Chiang Mai, Pai and Koh Samui, I quickly discover temples aren't the only reason Thailand is still a place to spiritually connect.

On our first full day of the tour, in Bangkok, we head to The Watpo Thai Traditional Medical School to learn the Thai massage basics. We receive an hour massage from a professional too, to get a sense of the health benefits for ourselves. I am taken aback by how intense the pressure feels, especially on my legs and arms, but I feel incredible - if a little achey - afterwards.

Pai is a small town nestled in a lush green valley on the banks of a river, a three-hour drive up into the countryside from Chiang Mai. The backpacker favourite has a laid-back, hippy vibe; think chilled-out bars, art gallery cafes and handicraft shops.

At Pai Yoga Shala, an open-air studio surrounded by palm trees, instructor Kookai lays out yoga wheels, a circular-shaped prop which supports yoga practice by rolling out your spine and opening up the chest and front side of the body, before we wander outdoors, to a platform in the middle of a field, to do more deep stretches and breath work.

When we reach Koh Samui, we try out sunrise acro-yoga, a mix of acrobatics and yoga, at beachside Peace Resort. Teacher Kom is incredibly encouraging and puts me at ease by massaging my lower back to relax me and warm my muscles. He tells me to lean back, sitting onto his feet, before directing me into a variety of poses. Arms outstretched, it's like I'm flying. I feel wonderfully free and uninhibited, my mind clear.

Moh, our wonderful tour leader, tells us this trip is all about balance. While we have lots of nourishing Thai curries and stir-fries during our trip, we also have some treats. At the night market in Chiang Mai, we sample sickly-sweet mango sticky rice - made with glutinous rice, fresh mango and coconut milk, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds - plus gooey roti oozing with chocolate and banana.

But Thai food is generally very healthy – especially as chefs have access to so many fresh ingredients. In Pai, we meet Lek, who runs Charlie & Lek restaurant. She takes us to the biggest fresh market in the town, open from 5am every day, where she points out the most important herbs in Thai cooking. There are piles upon piles of pink galangal (good for any stomach pain), yellow turmeric and wild ginger.

Back at restaurant VV Cafe, where she runs cooking classes, we learn how to prepare a zingy pad thai - made with rice noodles, veg, chicken and/or tofu, tamarind sauce – and a sumptuous massaman curry.

Yoga, massage and good food are at the core of a healthy body - but nothing beats being surrounded by nature. In serene Koh Samui, we hire paddleboards from iSUP Samui, based in the north east of the Island.

After learning the ropes on dry land, we wade into the water, kneeling before making it to standing. We stay near to the shore at first, with our guide, Ian, pointing out the sights -–the Big Buddha Temple, neighbouring island Ko Tao in the distance, a rainbow peeking out over the Bophut Hills.

I sit cross legged on the board, floating on the water. I focus on my senses – the taste of the sea salt on my skin, the sound of tourists laughing as they throw a ball to each other in the shallows, the feeling of the sea moving ever so gently beneath me. I remain still for a good few minutes.

Yes, my surroundings won't always be this dreamy. But afterwards, walking back onto the sand, I feel euphoric. My intention to start meditating more might not be so hard to fulfil after all.

How to plan your trip

G Adventures (gadventures.com; 020 7313 6944) offers a nine-day Wellness Thailand tour, visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai and Ko Samui. Prices start from £1,349 per person including internal flights.