A 45-minute flight north of Delhi, when the plane begins its descent to Dehradun, a deep green carpet veined with dry rivers stretches to infinity.
In the distance, the blue wash of the Himalayan peaks blends into the azure.
It is in this sylvan landscape at the foot of the mountains of Uttarakhand, a border state with Tibet and Nepal, that the Vana wellness resort was established 10 years ago.
Passed under the Six Senses flag last year, it remains one of the best retreats in Asia to disconnect, free yourself (from excess weight, mental loads, insomnia, etc.), then find tone, balance and harmony of body and mind.
This is not a classic hotel.
You stay there exclusively to follow a wellness program, from 5 to 21 days.
Its concept is based on three pillars: yoga, Ayurveda and, more original, “sowa rigpa” or traditional Tibetan medicine, not recognized by the WHO but very popular in the region.
What is
sowa rigpa
?
When in 1959, the Dalai Lama and many of his compatriots left Tibet for India, they first found refuge in Mussoorie (30 km from Dehradun).
A community settles in the surrounding area where it cultivates its religion (Buddhism), its traditions and its beliefs.
For Tibetans, the principles of life are based on the 5 elements and the 3 humors (Lung, Tripa and Pekan).
“Sowa rigpa” (literally “science of healing”), whose medieval founding treatise is a compilation of Chinese, Indian and Greek medicine, aims to restore the balance of the body's energies, guaranteeing good physical and psychic.
Its approach is based on 4 axes: diet, behavior, pharmacopoeia and care.
The Vana sowa rigpa center team was trained at Men-Tsee-Khang, the Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala.
Cell phones and selfies prohibited
Contemporary buildings with organic shapes and large openings fit perfectly into this lush and soothing setting.
Six Senses / Press photo
Upon arrival at Six Senses Vana, everything is done to avoid the slightest source of stress for guests.
Surrounded by a sals forest, the eco-responsible resort is nestled in an 8-hectare garden, between bamboo groves, litchi groves, a contemplative park lined with teaks, mango trees, giant camellias, bougainvilleas... The contemporary buildings with organic shapes and large openings, adorned with wood and warm natural materials (wool, earth, wicker, etc.) fit perfectly into this lush and soothing setting.
On the threshold of the hotel, the first instructions from your GEM ("Guest Experience Maker" - between concierge and guardian angel -) who watches over you throughout your stay: no cell phones, computers, or photos in the common areas so as not to bother others!
At the time of booking, a brief questionnaire was sent to us by email to find out our expectations and objectives, our eating habits, our allergies and contraindications, our medical history but also our clothing size and shoe size.
Because in Vana, we arrive without a suitcase... or almost!
A wardrobe available free of charge
In Vana everyone is dressed the same way.
Six Senses / Press photo
In our room, a suitable, pretty and comfortable wardrobe (soft pants, kurta, caftan, shawl, pareo and... Crocs - the only fault of taste! -) is stored in the dressing room.
In Vana everyone is dressed the same way.
Like in a sect?
At first glance, the idea may seem strange... But in the end, the concept is rather well seen.
“We noticed that the hosts were worrying about what they were going to wear:
How should I dress for dinner?
Do I have the right dress code?
Enough clothes to do yoga, go to a restaurant, replace an outfit stained by massage oil?
To avoid these cumbersome questions, we offer them a free cloakroom, renewed every evening
;
that everyone wears and appreciates
,” says Dr. Prashant.
A graduate in Ayurveda, the practitioner carries out the “wellness screening” (a non-invasive analysis to assess your general condition) and the entry consultation (interview on your lifestyle and the improvements to be made).
This allows him to determine the diet and refine the tailor-made program that we will follow from the basis we have chosen: detox, sleep, yoga, Tibetan medicine (5 nights minimum), Ayurveda (14 nights minimum) , weight loss (14 nights minimum) or Panchakarma (21 days minimum).
For nutrition, it mainly involves recommending certain foods, proscribing others, favoring associations and combinations, prescribing natural herbal teas and juices, dining earlier... The brief is sent directly to the kitchen of the two restaurants , one Ayurvedic and one international, both really tasty.
Pottery, flute and dance classes
The Six Senses Vana offers a multitude of sporting and artistic activities every day.
Six Senses / Press photo
In addition to full board, personalized daily treatment (mixture of Ayurveda – provided by experienced “therapists” from Kerala – and “sowa rigpa” – non-invasive –) and private yoga or meditation sessions, the Six Senses Every day, Vana offers a multitude of sporting and artistic activities, conferences, workshops, relaxation methods... with free access and without reservation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You can take a pottery class in a group, learn the flute, play badminton, take part in an Ayurvedic cooking or herbal tea making workshop, work on your breathing, do yoga, take a sound bath, listen to a Hindustani music concert , take part in a conference/discussion on Buddhism… The list is prodigious!
Facilities include two swimming pools, a hammam and a very well-equipped gym.
And with an additional fee, it is possible to add natural therapies to the daily routine: acupuncture, watsu, reflexology, osteopathy... The caring philosophy and spiritual dimension of the place gradually infuse.
The processing method is gentle and durable.
As a young woman wrote in the guestbook: “
A wonderful break without makeup, without pomp, without social networks… refocused on the essentials.
Happiness.
»
Six Senses Vana
, Mussoorie Rd, Malsi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
Go
The Exclusif Voyages agency (tel.: 01 42 96 00 76; Exclusifvoyages.com) offers a 5-night stay in a double room, full board, for a “Detox” treatment including wellness consultation, 3 yoga or fitness classes or private meditation, 7 specific treatments, 1 yogi colon wash.
From €6,470 per person, return flights Paris-Dehradun via Delhi and transfers included.