In pursuit of wellness
Achieving holistic health through meaningful activities and lifestyle choices has become a priority for many of us. Eve Tedja talks to wellness experts, a retreat founder, and a purveyor of wholesome food to find out how we can be masters of hearty living
Judy Chapman Karma Spa Ambassador What is the defining trait of the global Karma Spa?
Karma Spa has always placed the well-being of its therapists first. I honestly believe we can’t really give much of ourselves unless we take care of ourselves first – it’s all connected. We don’t just train our spa team on how to deliver a great massage, but we also encourage them to participate in our yoga programmes as well as arrange workshops on nutrition and personal development. We always use local ingredients produced by local partners and brands, be it at Karma Spa at the Karma Minoan in Crete or Karma Kandara in Bali.
How do you see the wellness trend developing in hospitality?
The current trend sees wellness and spa programmes driving hotel room bookings, as mental and emotional well-being are on the radar. And the next frontier will be energy medicine such as healing or reiki. Some trends to watch include sound healing and its transformative power on our cellular well-being. Wellness sabbatical is going to be big as well. With our increasing mobility, we can improve our well-being from any destination or retreat. Furthermore, with increased urbanisation (it’s predicted nearly 70% of the world will reside in urban areas by 2050), urban wellness will be exciting with one-stop wellness clubs and green hotels coming up.
Claude Chouinard Co-founder of Oneworld Retreats What’s unique about Oneworld Retreats experiences?
I used to organise tours to remote destinations across the world but I’ve always found Indonesia and especially Bali, fascinating. When we started Oneworld Retreats in 2003, I brought my experience as a tour leader and intimate understanding about what people need into it. For me, a retreat is a place where a person is nurtured and taken care of in a supportive surrounding so that they can be who they truly are. Firstly, we created a seven-day Escape the World retreat programme, tailored for those who want to touch base with themselves through yoga and meditation as well as discover aspects of the Balinese culture in a stress-free environment.
Every year, we try to cater to different needs in 15 different retreat programmes that we develop with our experts. We now have yoga, ayurveda, vedic meditation, women-only retreats, among others. Oneworld Retreats aims to be the creator of life experiences.
How do you think retreat experiences will evolve?
When we talk about wellness, we talk about its physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental dimensions. Our focus will be more on learning and personal development where lectures, workshops and classes are also part of the experience. We believe when you come and live those experiences, you will learn from it and you will grow.
Brenda Ritchmond
Co-founder of Bali Buda Café & Store What inspired you to create the concept for Bali Buda?
We founded the first Bali Buda in Ubud 25 years ago. It was started in order to create a market for organic produce from a group of farmers, now known as the Bali Organic Association. Real Food by Real People simply means we are honest and accessible, not a business that is run for the sake of business but one that cares about what we produce, who we produce it for, and all the people who are involved.
Can you tell us about the products and where it comes from?
In Bali, we cooperate closely with approximately 30 farmers to grow our chemical-free produce. We also work with other local food producers throughout Bali, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and a small number from other islands. All together we have a range of around 2,140 products, 89% of which are local. During the past 20 years, we have been able to revert over 40,000 hectares of land back to organic farming practices and we are now very grateful that the current governor of Bali is also inspired to work towards our mission of an island-wide organic Bali.
Plant-based diets are increasing in popularity. Does it necessarily mean that it’s good for the planet?
In order to make a difference, we need to understand differences. We need to look carefully at every product and every action with this first in mind before making a decision and implementing it. A plant-based diet and calorie restriction has been scientifically proven to be of most benefit to the health of people at a certain time of their lives and logically would be more sustainable for the planet. But, I will say that any specific diet is not for everyone at every time of their lives. This is why Bali Buda caters to all food choices.
Richard Williams Wellness and spa consultant How does your wellness educational background help you to design a great experience?
I was very fortunate to have trained under some great teachers whilst living in Melbourne. I spent two years at The Southern School of Natural Therapies studying massage modalities. I trained with one of the leaders in Australia in Myofascial release and Craniosacral therapy. I was also able to study with Deepak Chopra and became an accredited meditation practitioner. It was followed by years of working and operating spas in Australia and in Asia such as Chiva-som International Health Resort and The Peninsula Hotels. This places me in great stead to offer my experience as a consultant.
What will be the next big trend in spa and wellness in Asia?
It’s becoming less about spa and more about a wellness lifestyle. In hospitality, this means fully embracing what wellness services can provide, from lighting design and minimising noise to sustainable choices in regards to plastic usage and waste. We will see healthy mini-bars, services offering meditation and mindfulness, educational offerings on nutrition, embracing technology and how it can best serve the client, as well as fitness services beyond the traditional gym.
Some are already trending and increasing with momentum such as sleep services, wellness travel; cultural experiences, voluntary working holidays, raw foods, and juice fast retreats. Mindfulness will go to the next level with meditation and sleep apps. Sound healing will become the new massage, as science discovers the benefits of sound and vibration for the body. Bringing nature to the guest experience using technology will also grow because not everyone has the time to go ‘forest bathing’.