Wellness tourism is diversifying dramatically as today’s cross-generational tribe of enlightenment seekers strive for mental, spiritual and physical well-being. For almost 30 years, Six Senses has pioneered extraordinary wellness initiatives that take guests beyond the destination into new discoveries.
Visitors to its 27 properties around the world surrender to the ministrations of therapists, practitioners, and forward-thinking experts who bring an extensive and evolving roster of treatments, taking guests as deep as they wish to go.
Driving the Six Senses well-being agenda is Wellness Pioneer Anna Bjurstam. With over 25 years of experience, Bjurstam is at the forefront of what it means to be mentally, physically, and spiritually well. A role underpinned by curiosity and knowledge, she infuses her healing approach to bring balance and harmony to holistic wellbeing.
Bjurstam shares insights into what will shape the sphere of wellness into the year ahead.
2024
WAVING GOODBYE TO WEARABLES
“Tech has been transformational in helping us tune into our body’s patterns and processes. Today we seem to track everything from fertility to fitness. However, should humans be beholden to AI for all eternity? This dependency on devices can give a less accurate reading than if we were to tune into our bodies and listen to the signals it sends us. Many of us can testify to tech telling us we’ve had a bad night’s sleep and as a result end up feeling fatigued and foggy for the rest of the day. Wearables are useful for handy intel, especially when worn for a limited time to gather data or as a part of ongoing research, but there’s always room for finding intuitive methods to bring people back in tune with their biology and body’s natural rhythm.”
Non-invasive analysis (such as wearables) can be a first step to making long-lasting improvements. For example, the sleep tracker at Six Senses is a handy bedtime partner as it records how light, noise and temperature affect the guest’s sleep. However, programs at Six Senses teach guests to listen to the body as biology intended, guiding them on how to feel harmony within their biological system, taking a holistic approach to self-healing by helping to align the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic. Beyond offering data, Six Senses builds relationships through consultations and care. For example, massages are tailored to the right touch and yoga asanas or workouts are adapted to the right mood. These tried and tested methods help guests feel more comfortable in themselves as they learn how to expose, unlock and ultimately reverse dis-ease, however it manifests.
SPIRITUAL WELLBEING: EMBRACE THE MOMENT
“The rise in ‘spiritual travel’ underlines increased interest in pursuing a more meaningful way of life. Gone are the days of striving for picture perfect moments to populate a social media feed and instead, rather refreshingly, we notice more people are stripping away distractions to uncover simplicity, focus and a heightened sense of self-awareness. A deeper connection to something bigger than oneself… their place, purpose or the people that surround them. What was considered niche is now highly popular with guests of all ages and children love the tactile nature of our singing bowls and labyrinths too.”
Six Senses recognises that travel is not just a journey outward but a journey inward. Spiritual wellbeing brings together evidence-based brain science (awe walks), social wellness (communal tables and conversation cards), the power of unplugging (digital detox), and mindfulness (meditation in many forms) to encourage guests to disconnect from daily distractions. This allows them to fully connect with the present moment, discover their north star, and awaken to inspiration and forgotten passions that spark their spirit. In addition to introducing sound healing and singing bowl rituals at all 27 Six Senses properties worldwide, many properties incorporate sacred geometric patterns such as labyrinths to connect with the energy of the space. A clarifying full moon ritual or fire ceremony can also help to cleanse the energetic and spiritual body, release what no longer serves and usher in new meaning or purpose.
SOS: SAVE OUR SLEEP
“The hiatus of holidays offers opportunities for a good night’s sleep, but more than that, they give space to address problematic sleep patterns. The major challenge here is the many variables that can affect sleeping soundly; everything from diet, exercise and caffeination, to screen time, stress and other lifestyle factors.
“Sleep tourism began trending at the end of 2022 and is set only to continue. Last year, the American Psychological Association highlighted how 37 percent of US adults seek ways to address cognitive functioning, stress and anxiety management1. In the year since, little has changed. Sleep continues to rank the second-highest health and wellness priority for consumers and perhaps as a direct result of increasing dependance and demands from digital devices, the Global Wellness Institute notes an increase in 17.5 percent of us suffering with good quality and consistent sleep patterns2.”
Six Senses has always believed that travel starts with the bed, formalising its initiative in 2016 with the launch of Sleep With Six Senses – a blueprint for better rest. Developed in collaboration with Dr. Michael J Breus, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, the initiative begins with an online questionnaire before arrival ascertaining the guest’s sleep patterns. On arrival, a sleep ambassador provides guests with the tools needed for the best possible sleep while adjusting the hotel room to their stated sleep preferences. Such things as organic bed linen, pillow menus and Naturalmat mattresses made from 100 percent natural and sustainable materials, combine with dishes designed to promote sleep, yoga nidra, meditation, nutrition advice and low intensity training, all designed with peace and sleep in mind.
LIVE LONG. LIVE WELL.
“Healthspan is the new wellness buzzword: it’s no longer about how long you live, but how well you live too. Those in their 50s and beyond are much more active, as Gen X accounts for 30 percent of the $282 billion adventure market, and about 38 percent of the lifestyle and jetsetter market3.
“Whereas longevity was once considered fringe, evidence is mounting that humans can effectively slow down the rate of aging. Everything from biohacking to Blue Zones have become the topic of mainstream conversation and Sunday supplements. However, the quest for longevity is a personal journey and while Six Senses cannot promise a magic elixir or Holy Grail, it can offer science-backed insights and lifestyle inspiration. We’re working with proven longevity strategies to induce autophagy (longevity fasting) and decrease senescent cells (zombie cells) and checking out how we could apply the latest studies in mTOR to regulate cell growth and AMPK to regulate energy intake and expenditure to influence the composition of body fat.”
Six Senses is devoted to nurturing gradual meaningful changes that enhance both physical vitality and mental wellbeing. Programs are crafted to support a journey of gentle transformation, personalised to everyone’s unique needs, goals and lifestyle. Guided by experts, guests can uncover what resonates best and create a pathway toward renewed energy, heightened clarity and lasting emotional and physical resilience. Treatments range from cryotherapy and oxygen therapy to light therapy and hyperbaric chambers. Six Senses believes it is the combination of these high-tech advances with traditional high-touch therapies, such as sound healing and Ayurveda, that can create a real impact.
2025
THE POWER OF TOGETHERNESS
“We live in an age of a loneliness epidemic. Many more people are living solo or adopting a transient lifestyle as they travel, making it harder than ever to find human connection. As we learn from Blue Zone regions, where people have lived long into later life, rich social interactions are vital for longevity. People are increasingly seeking to find their tribe, build bonds with likeminded individuals and feel part of a community, no matter where they are in the world.”
Six Senses London will open with an integrated Six Senses Place: a new kind of social club where wellness, community and celebration meet, and sustainability is central to design and operations. The concept brings together a diverse community of people who care about making personal change and changing the world, but free of guilt or spoilsports. Members will have access to the Six Senses ecosystem to meet, eat, treat and heal with access to the spa, health and wellness provisions both when in their local Six Senses or others around the world. The idea is to enable members to build, maintain and sustain long-term changes as part of their home routine, allowing them to continue to benefit from the programming they need to stay healthy all lifelong.
PLEASURE SEEKING
“Many things give us a hit of happiness, but not all sources of dopamine were created equal. Simply put, good dopamine makes us feel good, while bad dopamine has the opposite effect. This vital neurotransmitter is essential for regulating responses such as movement, emotion, motivation, and the feeling of pleasure, but modern stress is playing havoc with our nervous systems.
“Too often, we operate on autopilot and do not register behaviors that could be negatively impacting our nervous system. Such things include reaching for our phones the moment we wake or jumping for junk food and neglecting exercise when tight for time. On the contrary, being aware of things that make us feel good like being surrounded by loved ones, taking ourselves to extraordinary places and exploring our passions can allow us to find the feel-good factor in more positive places. By increasing our cognisance of activities that influence our dopamine response, we can naturally regulate our nervous system and promote better hormone harmony as we build healthier habits.”
Nervous system regulation can come from any somatic experience or body-oriented therapy. At Six Senses, Watsu is offered as a form of water therapy in a heated pool, as a subtle and gentle form of therapy where the body intuitively rebalances the mind. Beyond traditional wellness retreats, Six Senses is also offering creative retreats including mindful writing to release rigid narratives and allowing stories to flow from a place of openness and an Ikagai retreat to create space for personal discovery and explore purpose. There is always room for celebration, such as the transformational wellness festival Alma, where visionaries, healers and spiritualists guide a program of longevity practices, spiritual reconnection, movement and dance.
HORMONAL HEALTH
“Hormones play a pivotal role in all facets of our health, from mood to energy and libido to hunger, yet only come into our consciousness when we experience an imbalance. Fluctuation is normal – women experience this as we navigate the menstrual cycle. Men too can expect similar symptoms – such things as fatigue, mood swings, loss of muscle mass and more – as testosterone plummets with age.
“The World Economic Forum recognises the gender health gap, with one key area being the lack of persistent data on female hormones and health, and the lack of available data reaching women4. What’s pertinent is that such research is sparking conversation hopefully having a positive effect on destigmatising the seasons of life and allowing people to embrace the beauty of aging.”
A new range of programs at Six Senses are set to offer insights and support from experts in their field on topics such as female hormone cycles, fasting, blood sugar science and measurement, body composition changes, and sexual wellness. Working with nutrition and functional health experts, including Dr. Mindy Pelz from the Reset Academy, the aim is to address the key issues of nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, mindset and lifestyle, offering space and time to listen to the body’s signals away from the distractions of everyday life.
DIET DINING
“Appetites are on the decline as injectable weight loss programs peak in popularity. As dining habits evolve, 2025 could see nutrient dense small plates hitting a rising number of restaurant menus as the way we fuel ourselves evolves in response to a new way of eating. Such dishes would be designed to nourish the body, whilst responding to reduced hunger for hearty meals.”
A key component of the Six Senses Integrated Wellness approach, Eat With Six Senses is based on three guiding principles: natural ingredients, local and sustainable, and less is more. This philosophy – where food is as nutritious as it is delicious – means guests enjoy food and drink that leaves them feeling better than when they arrived. Menus take a cleaner and simpler approach to preparation, focusing on quality, balance and fresh whole food made from scratch. Produce is often grown within resort organic gardens and mushroom huts and, in many locations, the eggs and milk come from onsite farms.
Six Senses – part of IHG’s fast-growing Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio, now the second largest in the world – continues to push the boundaries of possibility through a powerful, integrated, and personalised approach to wellness. Techniques and practices both native and new to the 21 countries in which Six Senses resides. These genuine actions promoting personal health and the health of the planet enable Six Senses to reconnect guests with themselves, others, and the world around them.
