‘Reconnect with Six Senses’ Rituals, Reconnection and Wellness Days

This tumultuous year has forced humans inside and onto screens, stripping away their social lives and adventures, taming their inner “wild child” and dulling their senses. “Reconnect With Six Senses” offers a journey of discovery to reawaken those senses, reconnect with nature and achieve deeper self-connection and harmony through body, mind and heart.

When guests are ready or able to travel, “Reconnect With Six Senses” is an invitation to come to any of the brand’s properties, disconnect from the distractions in life, rekindle outer connections to people and the natural world, discover what’s inside and perhaps even connect at a higher level. Individual elements may vary from one property to another but are always based on the principle of rituals, reconnection experiences, wellness days and exploration of timely topics. From breakfast with monks to fire circles and dancing like no one’s watching during a traditional Fijian meke, this is a vacation that promotes relaxation, pushes the reset button and opens up new possibilities.

Rituals

Guided by hosts or local partners, rituals help maintain timeless links to help guests better understand, respect and appreciate ancient traditions and cultures. They’re a simple way to reach out and open the senses to the wonder that is all around.

For example, in ancient Vietnam an arrival ritual was a tradition included in important celebrations to welcome guests to the local commune or village. To honour this tradition at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, when guests step from the boat onto the jetty, they are invited to strike a gong and set an intention for their stay with a loud and satisfying clang. In other properties in Cambodia, Fiji, Turkey and Bhutan, guests are invited during their stay to a fire circle to release unwanted memories, fears or negative emotions.

When the time comes for guests to leave, a departure ritual such as rice planting is a time to take a moment and give thanks, making a wish for healthy rains so local communities have water to drink and crops to harvest.

Reconnection Experiences

These pick-and-mix experiences vary according to the destination, local community and ecology, and typically last a half or full day. They are designed to tempt guests into rediscovering their sense of adventure, while exploring the flora, fauna and way of life.

For example, across the valley from Six Senses Punakha in Bhutan sits Chorten Nyingpo Monastery. Guests are invited to hike up through a beautiful forest to meet with novice monks, enjoy a traditional vegetarian breakfast and learn about their daily life. Back at the lodge, a mandala offering ceremony helps to refocus the mind through simple meditations. Six Senses Kocataş Mansions in Istanbul proves that it’s possible to reconnect with nature in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. On offer is a morning mix of taste, exploration and exercise in nature to include forest bathing, a harvesting workshop, Alchemy Bar session and farm-to-table lunch. At Six Senses Laamu, guests reconnect with the underwater world during a morning snorkel around the house reef to celebrate the abundance of the seagrass meadows. On land, a citizen science workshop is a chance to identify turtles (Gandalf and Davina are regulars) or manta rays, followed by a sunset and dolphin cruise and a delicious beach BBQ.

Wellness Days

In these unprecedented times, the ability to see the upside or remember to be grateful is waning by the second. Newly launched Wellness Days introduce guests to techniques, treatments and activities, helping them build a stronger body, improve mental clarity and achieve a deeper sense of balance and fulfilment. They allow for time to reset during a full day immersion. Alternatively, guests can also extend the benefits over two to three days. There are three to choose from:

Boost Your Immunity: This looks at key elements such as diet, sleep and movement. Wellness experts help create a personal formula to build a strong body and healthy immune system and provide a plan for to follow back at home. Elements include yoga and breath work, movement session, spa treatment, meditation, gratefulness journaling and sleep tracking.

Mind Your Brain: This focuses on caring for and improving brain health and function. It mixes ancient practices such as yoga and meditation with modern science and biohacks including brain games, developmental drawings and binaural beats. Elements include sunrise yoga, sauna and cold dip, aromatherapy massage, lunch high in omega 3, binaural beats with brain games, conversations and with the subconscious mind.

Love Your Heart: This is a day of reflection to let go of old baggage, set new purpose and learn how to connect with the heart and what brings it meaning. By listening to one’s “sixth sense” and wisdom that already lies within the heart, it is possible to heighten compassion and awareness and feel a much more powerful connection with mother nature and the earth. Elements include a sunrise stretch, hearty breakfast, contemplation walk, spa treatment, hike in nature, loving kindness meditation and fire ceremony.

Each resort has its own comprehensive programme, with a full list available soon on the web page of each resort under the EXPERIENCES and WELLNESS tabs at sixsenses.com.