Spa Treatments That Bring You to Dreamland

Sleep is the new prescription at wellness-minded resorts around the region. Here are five treatments and programs that will have you dozing off in no time.

Snooze Control

Six Senses’ signature Yogic Sleep retreats use restorative spa treatments and yoga nidra—a state of deep relaxation between waking and sleeping—to reduce stress hormones and reprogram the body. This can now be paired with the Sleep with Six Senses program, which was introduced at Thailand’s Six Senses Yao Noi late last year. Expect a special bed fitted with a high-tech sleep sensor and organic sheets, lighting designed to enhance the release of melatonin—a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness—and more.

Australian Dreamtime

Staying in eco-cabins on more than 200 hectares of pristine Queensland forest with limited digital access and zero sugar, caffeine, and alcohol is bound to induce a better snooze, but Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat’s Triple S program tackles the problem head-on by focusing on the relationship between sugar, stress, and sleep. Guests here learn to break the cycle of bad habits like too much screen time and insulin-raising foods that contribute to insomnia. Later this year, Gwinganna launches Australia’s first Somadome, a high-tech meditation pod designed to induce 20 minutes of deep slumber for people on the run.

Post-treatment bliss in Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat’s spa sanctuary. Photo courtesy of the brand mentioned

Samui Slumber

Kamalaya, a leading wellness resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui, offers five-, seven-, and nine-night sleep enhancement programs, with daily treatments such as the soothing shirodhara—in which warm Ayurvedic oil is gently poured onto the forehead—and mind-body mentoring sessions with former monks as part of the package. As a bonus, all Kamalaya guests can add a sleep program onto their existing retreats.

Floating on Air

Taking place in a bamboo yoga pavilion at the edge of a serene rice field, the new 60-minute Sacred Nap is one of the most sought-after spa experiences at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. Simply put, you float in a purple silk hammock that is suspended from the ceiling, as the resident wellness mentor, Ibu Fera, recounts the life story of Buddha amid the sounds of nature. The sensation of gently swaying as though weightless feels so relaxing that most guests report it’s the best sleep they have had in years.

Sacred Nap sessions are held in an all-bamboo yoga pavilion at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. Photo by Chris Horan

Cool-Headed

Atmantan, India’s newest contemporary health resort and a rural sanctuary in the state of Maharashtra, brings its guests “sleep services” that run the gamut from Ayurvedic therapies such as shirovasti (medicated oil treatment for the head) to acupuncture and magnesium-rich meals. Also included are nutritious meals tailored to your Ayurvedic body type, limited caffeine and digital access, and touches such as a sleep ritual aromatherapy bath and chiropractic-designed bedding.

This article originally appeared in the August/September 2017 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Pillow Talk”).

Share this Article

Related Posts

Hotel of the Week: Six Senses Bhutan

A network of intimate, top-notch lodges promises an alluring mix of luxury and adventure in the remo...

Five of Our Favorite Stories from 2021

We look back at a few highlights of DestinAsian’s print issues published over the course of the pa...

Six Senses to Splash Down in Norway

An eco-chic retreat is taking shape at the end of a fjord roughly halfway between Trondheim and Trom...

Six Senses Fort Barwara Debuts in Rajasthan

The eco-chic hospitality brand’s first Indian outpost offers up a balance of historical charm and ...

Seeing Queensland through an Aboriginal Lens

Home to the second-largest Aboriginal population in Australia, Queensland today offers an impressive...

Checking In: Centara Reserve Samui

Fresh from a two-year-long makeover, an old favorite on one of Thailand’s most popular resort isla...