Hollywood a-lister Channing Tatum is famous for starring in numerous blockbusters from comedy drama Magic Mike to the action-packed White House Down. But people in the spa industry will be more interested to hear about his work with Tyler Gage and his role in championing a native healing centre deep in the Amazon rainforest.
Gage is the co-founder and CEO of organic, ‘clean energy’ tea company Runa which sources gauyusa, its key ingredient, from indigenous families such as the Sápara in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Tatum is a brand ambassador and investor in the company.
The Sápara think of the Amazon as a living pharmacy and over the centuries have built up a profound knowledge of the rainforest’s trees and plants, many of which could help in the search of cures for chronic illnesses such as cancer. Talking on YouTube Tatum says: “The people who live in the rainforest hold the key to unlocking the Amazon’s healing potential. But destruction of the rainforest has forced the Sápara and other Amazonian people to the brink of extinction. A civilisation’s worth of medical knowledge could disappear right along with them.”
Recently, Tatum has teamed up with Gage and the Runa Foundation to launch an initiative to help create new value for the tropical forests that benefits local people. Opening in mid-2016, the Naku healing centre will see scientists working alongside native healers to highlight the efficacy of traditional treatments and ingredients.
“We’ll have patients from all over the world suffering from a variety of illnesses already described by western doctors,” says Gage. “The Sápara healers will do their own diagnostic before patients go through the Amazonian healing process.
“We’ll record not only physical but also psychological and wellbeing data, and track their progress for improvement or change. This will lay the foundation for further phytochemical studies and clinical trials.”
The healing centre, located deep in the jungle, is inspired by Sápara building techniques and utilises the latest in ecological design. It will have eight rooms where patients will be given a course of treatments including whole plant remedies, diet guidelines and dream and sleep therapies that the Sápara have used for centuries.
“There’s no phone or internet service at Naku, giving patients the opportunity to disconnect from hectic daily schedules and focus on their personal healing and wellness,” says Gage. “To begin with, all visitors receive a traditional cleansing, or limpieza, to clear out all of the negative energies that we bring from the outside. Cleansing is performed throughout, using a mix of medicinal plant baths, tobacco, herbal saunas and other rituals.”
As the Sápara use such a vast variety of medicinal plants – they have knowledge of more than 500 – Gage says it’s hard to say exactly what direction the treatments will take after that. He explains: “Since Amazonian medicine recognises illnesses as having different causal pathways than western medicine, each person must go through a unique diagnostic process.
“For example, 10 patients suffering from what a western doctor calls Alzhiemer’s, could be seen by the Sápara as 10 different illnesses, each with a distinct cause and a different treatment to be undergone.”
While the healing centre is yet to open, the Naku community has already hosted nearly 200 visitors in the past two years – including Tatum – on a cultural immersion programme. Guests become part of the Sápara community, staying in traditional indigenous lodges and learning about the tribe and the rainforest that they’ve inhabited for hundreds of years.
“Channing loved it,” says Gage. “He hit it off amazingly with the Sápara people and was instantly motivated to help them to turn their vision of Naku into a reality.
“He’s is down to earth, easy going and super creative and working with him has helped us to build awareness and support for Naku.”
One of the most important things people take away from their Naku experience is how reconnecting with nature and community can help with wellbeing and this is something spas could learn from says Gage. “Spa owners already know that it’s important for people to take a break from the rigours of their stress daily lives,” he says, “but being able to have a meaningful cultural experience at the same time enables people to learn about how to be well all of the time, not just when they’re on vacation.”
In addition to Naku, Gage is also working on a similar project in Peru with the indigenous Shipibo people. The Rios Nete healing and research centre is due to open in late 2016.
Gage adds that the spa sector could get involved with such projects in the future. “There’s for potential for collaboration with the spa industry in projects like Naku, as indigenous communities often lack the expertise and human resources to create successful businesses... The spa industry would be a welcome partner in helping us create sustainable hospitality businesses in the Amazon.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2016 issue 2
Editor’s letter: Who will own the well-life consumer?
It’s the wild west out there and there’s a land grab going on as interested parties make their play to own the well-life consumer. It’s not clear yet how this will pan out as the industry matures, or where spa stands in the pecking order, but the threats are clear
Spa people: Tyler Gage
Runa’s Tyler Gage working with Channing Tatum on an Amazon healing centre
Spa people: Todd Hewitt
For the first time in four years, Shangri-La appoints a global head of spas. Spa Business talks to Todd Hewitt, the man to fill the role
Spa people: James White
Thermal spa researcher and consultant to head up major overhaul of Maruia Hot Springs in New Zealand
Interview: Irene Forte
Daughter of hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and niece of designer Olga Polizzi tells Jane Kitchen why the Rocco Forte Hotel’s new spa concept is a family affair
Design: Natural wonderland
Neena Dhillon visits the striking new Keemala resort and spa in Phuket and finds out about its unique design
Science: Skin deep
Modern research is redefining the way we think about skin. Neuroscientist Dr Claudia Aguirre explains what the findings mean for spas
Promotional feature: Clarins
Clarins’ head of Spas, My Blend and Retail, Prisca Courtin-Clarins, talks about the strides the company is making in highly prescriptive skincare, and the development of hotel spa concepts with the My Blend brand
Promotional feature: Massage Heights
There’s a clear gap in the UK spa market for an affordable local offering that places an emphasis on top-quality treatments and services. Is Massage Heights, the successful US franchise chain, the solution?
Promotional feature: Neaumorinc
From a director of spa at Four Seasons to an entrepreneur who introduces exciting new beauty brands to five-star facilities, Shawna Morneau’s experience on both sides of the industry is enabling her consultancy to have an impact worldwide
Promotional feature: Dr Burgener Switzerland
Dr Burgener Switzerland to launch Haute Couture, a revolutionary skin treatment that personalises product and treatments to each person’s skin, using cutting-edge technology
Sensory zone: Set adrift
Niamh Madigan talks to researcher Justin Feinstein who thinks floatation could be a shortcut to meditation
Fitness: Defying gravity
The founder of AntiGravity® Aerial Yoga tells Niamh Madigan about the technique and a new suspension massage he’s developing for spas
Promotional feature: Gharieni
As Gharieni prepares to celebrate 25 years in the industry, founder and CEO Sammy Gharieni talks about the company’s culture of innovation, and how there will so many more exciting products to come
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
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Hollywood a-lister Channing Tatum is famous for starring in numerous blockbusters from comedy drama Magic Mike to the action-packed White House Down. But people in the spa industry will be more interested to hear about his work with Tyler Gage and his role in championing a native healing centre deep in the Amazon rainforest.
Gage is the co-founder and CEO of organic, ‘clean energy’ tea company Runa which sources gauyusa, its key ingredient, from indigenous families such as the Sápara in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Tatum is a brand ambassador and investor in the company.
The Sápara think of the Amazon as a living pharmacy and over the centuries have built up a profound knowledge of the rainforest’s trees and plants, many of which could help in the search of cures for chronic illnesses such as cancer. Talking on YouTube Tatum says: “The people who live in the rainforest hold the key to unlocking the Amazon’s healing potential. But destruction of the rainforest has forced the Sápara and other Amazonian people to the brink of extinction. A civilisation’s worth of medical knowledge could disappear right along with them.”
Recently, Tatum has teamed up with Gage and the Runa Foundation to launch an initiative to help create new value for the tropical forests that benefits local people. Opening in mid-2016, the Naku healing centre will see scientists working alongside native healers to highlight the efficacy of traditional treatments and ingredients.
“We’ll have patients from all over the world suffering from a variety of illnesses already described by western doctors,” says Gage. “The Sápara healers will do their own diagnostic before patients go through the Amazonian healing process.
“We’ll record not only physical but also psychological and wellbeing data, and track their progress for improvement or change. This will lay the foundation for further phytochemical studies and clinical trials.”
The healing centre, located deep in the jungle, is inspired by Sápara building techniques and utilises the latest in ecological design. It will have eight rooms where patients will be given a course of treatments including whole plant remedies, diet guidelines and dream and sleep therapies that the Sápara have used for centuries.
“There’s no phone or internet service at Naku, giving patients the opportunity to disconnect from hectic daily schedules and focus on their personal healing and wellness,” says Gage. “To begin with, all visitors receive a traditional cleansing, or limpieza, to clear out all of the negative energies that we bring from the outside. Cleansing is performed throughout, using a mix of medicinal plant baths, tobacco, herbal saunas and other rituals.”
As the Sápara use such a vast variety of medicinal plants – they have knowledge of more than 500 – Gage says it’s hard to say exactly what direction the treatments will take after that. He explains: “Since Amazonian medicine recognises illnesses as having different causal pathways than western medicine, each person must go through a unique diagnostic process.
“For example, 10 patients suffering from what a western doctor calls Alzhiemer’s, could be seen by the Sápara as 10 different illnesses, each with a distinct cause and a different treatment to be undergone.”
While the healing centre is yet to open, the Naku community has already hosted nearly 200 visitors in the past two years – including Tatum – on a cultural immersion programme. Guests become part of the Sápara community, staying in traditional indigenous lodges and learning about the tribe and the rainforest that they’ve inhabited for hundreds of years.
“Channing loved it,” says Gage. “He hit it off amazingly with the Sápara people and was instantly motivated to help them to turn their vision of Naku into a reality.
“He’s is down to earth, easy going and super creative and working with him has helped us to build awareness and support for Naku.”
One of the most important things people take away from their Naku experience is how reconnecting with nature and community can help with wellbeing and this is something spas could learn from says Gage. “Spa owners already know that it’s important for people to take a break from the rigours of their stress daily lives,” he says, “but being able to have a meaningful cultural experience at the same time enables people to learn about how to be well all of the time, not just when they’re on vacation.”
In addition to Naku, Gage is also working on a similar project in Peru with the indigenous Shipibo people. The Rios Nete healing and research centre is due to open in late 2016.
Gage adds that the spa sector could get involved with such projects in the future. “There’s for potential for collaboration with the spa industry in projects like Naku, as indigenous communities often lack the expertise and human resources to create successful businesses... The spa industry would be a welcome partner in helping us create sustainable hospitality businesses in the Amazon.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2016 issue 2
Editor’s letter: Who will own the well-life consumer?
It’s the wild west out there and there’s a land grab going on as interested parties make their play to own the well-life consumer. It’s not clear yet how this will pan out as the industry matures, or where spa stands in the pecking order, but the threats are clear
Spa people: Tyler Gage
Runa’s Tyler Gage working with Channing Tatum on an Amazon healing centre
Spa people: Todd Hewitt
For the first time in four years, Shangri-La appoints a global head of spas. Spa Business talks to Todd Hewitt, the man to fill the role
Spa people: James White
Thermal spa researcher and consultant to head up major overhaul of Maruia Hot Springs in New Zealand
Interview: Irene Forte
Daughter of hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and niece of designer Olga Polizzi tells Jane Kitchen why the Rocco Forte Hotel’s new spa concept is a family affair
Design: Natural wonderland
Neena Dhillon visits the striking new Keemala resort and spa in Phuket and finds out about its unique design
Science: Skin deep
Modern research is redefining the way we think about skin. Neuroscientist Dr Claudia Aguirre explains what the findings mean for spas
Promotional feature: Clarins
Clarins’ head of Spas, My Blend and Retail, Prisca Courtin-Clarins, talks about the strides the company is making in highly prescriptive skincare, and the development of hotel spa concepts with the My Blend brand
Promotional feature: Massage Heights
There’s a clear gap in the UK spa market for an affordable local offering that places an emphasis on top-quality treatments and services. Is Massage Heights, the successful US franchise chain, the solution?
Promotional feature: Neaumorinc
From a director of spa at Four Seasons to an entrepreneur who introduces exciting new beauty brands to five-star facilities, Shawna Morneau’s experience on both sides of the industry is enabling her consultancy to have an impact worldwide
Promotional feature: Dr Burgener Switzerland
Dr Burgener Switzerland to launch Haute Couture, a revolutionary skin treatment that personalises product and treatments to each person’s skin, using cutting-edge technology
Sensory zone: Set adrift
Niamh Madigan talks to researcher Justin Feinstein who thinks floatation could be a shortcut to meditation
Fitness: Defying gravity
The founder of AntiGravity® Aerial Yoga tells Niamh Madigan about the technique and a new suspension massage he’s developing for spas
Promotional feature: Gharieni
As Gharieni prepares to celebrate 25 years in the industry, founder and CEO Sammy Gharieni talks about the company’s culture of innovation, and how there will so many more exciting products to come
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Lovinfit Group Lovinfit Group was founded in Parma, Italy in 2016 by a team of doctors, wellness and sports profess [more...]
