WELLNESS IN INDIA
A Catapult into Wellness
I had the fortune of experiencing one of the best wellness retreats; Six Senses Vana in Dehradun, India.
As soon as you step in Six Senses Vana, with a crimson dot adorning your forehead and clad in comfortable kurta pajamas, this serene place embraces you. It remains a sanctuary until the moment you depart, receiving a red-string blessing tied around your wrist. Here, all barriers fade away, and you can be your authentic self, fostering connections with others and nature without any obstacles.
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Here, it’s all about connection – to nature, to yourself, to others – and finding peace and pleasure in simple things, so bye bye smartphones. Hence taking photos is not allowed, but since i am a Travel Designer they got me a professional photographer to snap some pictures of me in Six Senses Vana.
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Thank you for a truly amazing, memorable, and transformational stay.
APPROACH
The retreat’s spiritual approach to wellness blends Ayurvedic and Tibetan principles with dosha-balancing and nutritionally-optimised cuisine to get you feeling just great.
SIX SENSES VANA
The first dedicated Six Senses wellness retreat offers a journey of self-discovery, health, and healing in the Himalayan foothills of India. Ayurveda, Yoga, Tibetan Medicine, and Natural Healing Therapies combine with a rich daily activity schedule, deep commitment, and personalized support. Nourishing food, including an Ayurvedic specialty restaurant, experiences for all senses, and a kind-hearted team complete the retreat.
THE STAY
Every stay includes full-board accommodation and guided nutrition; daily retreat activities such as yoga, meditation, workshops, and functional fitness; wellness consultation and screening; daily treatment; airport transfers; and attire to wear. To elevate the experience, private add-ons include Ayurvedic or Sowa Rigpa therapies, acupuncture, reflexology, realignment, or pampering Subtle Energies treatments. Intention-based programs require a minimum duration of the retreat. These include Sleep, Detox, Yoga, and Tibetan Medicine for five nights, Weight Management and Ayurveda for 14 nights, and Ayurveda Panchakarma for 21 nights.
INCLUSIONS
• Arrival and departure wellness consultations and wellness screening
• All meals including breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner
• One private treatment/session per night per guest
• Attire to wear within and outside Six Senses Vana, footwear, summer and winter accessories
• Airport transfers from Dehradun Airport
• No service charge or gratuities added
WEEKLY RETREAT PROGRAM
What sets Six Senses Vana apart is its extensive activity program, to join as you like. which runs from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
For example, each day includes four yoga classes (Pratah, Madhyan, Nidra, Sandhya), at least one form of meditation (some seated, some walking), Raag therapy (a different theme each day), fitness sessions (aqua, body balance, weights, circuits), chanting, and music offerings. The week also includes an Alchemy Bar, cuisine and apothecary lessons, movie screening, and talks on the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Alignment, Reflexology and more.
WELLNESS PROGRAMS
These include Sleep, Detox, Tibetan and Yoga for five nights, Weight Management and Ayurveda for 14 nights, and Ayurveda Panchakarma for 21 nights.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The 66 rooms, 16 suites, and four casas are comfortably appointed to evoke a sense of harmony. As a mindful oasis, accommodations feature balconies or terraces and wall-toceiling windows, and look over the tall, slender trunks of the Sal forest, the gardens, or the mango orchards, making for meditative views.
DINING
With 2 restaurants, food at Six Senses Vana is guided by our Eat With Six Senses philosophy, artistically displayed, medicinal, and delicious – based on your body type and the objectives of your retreat. All ingredients, of course, are locally sourced, seasonal, fresh, and organic. After all, in India, food has always been seen as an offering to the divine. Nutritional information is available on all menus to help you make informed choices but they are not prescriptive unless it is essential for a particular retreat objective.
APOTHECARY
Prescribed by their doctors and based on the principles of Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine, and naturopathy, the apothecary creates decoctions, infusions, herb mixtures, and tropical applications that are grown in, not flown in, indigenous, and intentional.
EXCURSIONS
If you are staying at the Retreat for seven days or more, we recommend stepping out on an excursion. Led by Vana's experts, venture out to experience the Rishikesh Aarti, nature trails, and hikes in the beautiful Mussoorie and Uttrakhand foothills, including Santala Devi Temple, Barlow Ganj, and Jabarkhet Nature Reserve.
HOW TO GET THERE
Transfers from Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport takes around 60 minutes via a scenic route.
The drive from Delhi to Dehradun takes approximately five to six hours depending on traffic: the staff at Vana can assist in arranging a vehicle with a driver.