NIRAAMAYA RETREATS SURYA SAMUDRA

HIGHLIGHT

Natural and holistic treatments that engage the mind, body and soul with an emphasis on mindfulness.

WELLNESS PHILOSOPHY

Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra is a traditional Kerala-style beachfront property nestled within lush greenery. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea, the resort is naturally secluded and peaceful, and located away from the overcrowded beaches of Kovalam. With a leading position in wellness, the resort preaches the importance of mindfulness, which is the ability to be fully present and aware of your surroundings without being overwhelmed by what’s going around you—something I certainly don’t cultivate enough in my extremely busy life. I was thus encouraged to partake in treatments that balance the mind, body and soul. The award-winning spa offers a wide selection of international and traditional Ayurvedic therapies tailored to different lifestyles. But since I was looking for an internal transformation, I chose the mindfulness coaching programmes—a series of sessions designed to help guests escape the rigorous stress cycles of their daily lives. Developed and led by mindfulness coach and neurolinguistic programming practitioner M A Shaheerudheen, each session is personally tailored to each guest, and integrates a mindful living session (psychotherapy that aims to help you de-stress, realign and increase self-awareness), a personality analysis designed to understand your true essence and emotional patterns, as well as reiki healing and yoga nidra. Like many individuals who have grown accustomed to the chaos of our everyday lives, I had initially pegged this wellness immersion as something to be forgotten as soon as I boarded my flight back home. I even worried about being able to truly let go and live in the present, something I had trouble doing even while on holiday. But that’s the beauty of mindful living. The resort aims to support you with valuable tools, advice and guidance to help you make positive and lasting life adjustments even after you leave, ensuring you’ll always leave feeling better than when you first arrived. While I knew after the trip I’d not be able to attend weekly Ayurvedic therapies or speak to a mindfulness coach on the regular, I was able to practise what I’d learnt through Wellness Moments, a series of mini lessons that taught me to refocus, reconnect and let go of all the negativity I had at that moment. To obtain a peace of mind in this stressful day and age? Now that’s something not even money can buy.