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In a Spa Business magazine exclusive, alternative health guru Deepak Chopra tells Katie Barnes about his latest venture with Leonardo DiCaprio and why he’s focusing on anti-ageing
In alternative therapy circles they don’t come much more famous (or controversial) than Deepak Chopra. The outspoken spiritualist uses quantum theory to explain his beliefs on everything from the nature of God to holistic healing. Scientists heavily criticize him, while others love him: he’s the author of more than 80 books read by millions worldwide.
Chopra’s approach to wellbeing combines the principles of mainstream medicine – the Indian-born American is trained in internal medicine and endocrinology – with ayurveda, meditation and yoga. Although not such a groundbreaking idea today, it was deemed radical in the early 90s when he gained much notoriety after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Since 1994 guests have sought out specialists at his Chopra Center for Wellbeing at La Costa Resort & Spa in California to help them address their health concerns from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. Recommendations on diet, stress management, exercise and emotional wellbeing are offered alongside a wide variety of mind-body healing classes and ayurveda treatments, including a panchakarma detox programme.
Given Chopra’s popularity, it’s surprising he’s only put his name to one wellbeing centre in the last 10 years. That’s about to change, however, as he embarks on a project with Well Building Standard® firm Delos (see SB14/1 p28) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The partnership will see him open the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging as part of one of the world’s greenest resorts that’s being built on DiCaprio’s private island, Blackadore Caye, in Belize (see p38). Here, he reveals details of the deal and what consumers can expect.
When and why did you first get involved with Delos? A mutual friend introduced me to Paul Scialla [owner of Delos] about six years ago. We met for breakfast in New York and he told me about his vision for creating environments that support biological sustainability. I was immediately very interested. I’ve always believed that we need to look at the environment as something that’s a part of us, not separate, and that we should think of it as our extended body.
We had a wonderful meeting and kept in touch about the progress of his company and its work. At a certain point, I decided that Delos fitted in very well with what I’ve been doing my whole life. It’s essentially removing the schism between organism and environment and between nature and nurture. It was at that point that I became very involved with the company.
What does your role on the Delos advisory board entail? I’m a very active advisory board member and Paul and I are constantly in touch about all of Delos’ endeavours. I’m very hands-on with many of the projects, including the Stay Well [healthy hotel rooms concept] and the Stay Well Meetings programme.
Why was Blackadore Caye the right fit for your second facility? Blackadore Caye is the world’s first truly restorative island development, meaning that it’s powered entirely by renewable energy and designed to increase the biological health of species both on the island and in the waters around it. The entire project is centred on health, wellness and sustainability. It’s an honour to be a part of a project this powerful and to be able to contribute to the restoration of the people visiting Blackadore Caye in a very meaningful way.
What’s your vision for the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging at Blackadore Caye? As you can tell from its name, the centre will focus mostly on renewal and anti-ageing. We’ll teach visitors practical ways to change their behaviours and help decrease their biological age through things such as stress management and meditation techniques, pranayama breathing exercises, yoga, exercise, healthy cuisine, emotional wellbeing, restful sleep, mind/body coordination and detox procedures. We’ll also offer our SBTI (self-directed biological transformation initiative) programming.
Even though we all have genetic predispositions, it’s now known that biological ageing is influenced by lifestyle and habits and daily activities such as? meditation, movement, diet, emotions, stress management and quality of sleep. By making conscious choices and focused awareness we choose to have a joyful energetic body, a restful alert mind and lightness of being.
How will it differ from the original Chopra Center? All of the programming, classes and experiences at The Chopra Center in La Costa integrate the healing arts of the east with the best in modern western medicine to help people find peace of mind, physical balance and emotional wellbeing. The centre at Blackadore Caye will do the same, but will focus more on renewal and slowing down the ageing process. This programming will be a great complement to the ‘restorative intention’ of the entire Blackadore Caye development.
Why focus on anti-ageing? Only a few decades ago, conventional medicine viewed the body as a machine whose parts would inevitably break down until it could no longer be repaired. We were taught that random chemical reactions determined everything that happened in the body, that genes largely determined our health and lifespan, and that heart disease, many cancers and other illnesses were incurable.
Thanks to the groundbreaking clinical research of Dr Dean Ornish and many other pioneering minds in the medical community, we now know that through comprehensive lifestyle changes, we can prevent and reverse disease – and live longer and in better shape.
We’re eager to teach visitors practical ways to help decrease their biological age and live healthier and happier lives.
Will you be creating any new treatments and programmes? Yes. But it’s too early to be specific.
What have you learned about ageing since starting this venture? Since I began my work in epigenetics overall, one of the most exciting things I’ve learned is that only 5 per cent of disease-related genes are gene mutations that are fully penetrant, which means they’re unstoppable if you are born with them (ie guaranteeing a disease when inherited). The rest confer risk which can be offset by lifestyle changes. Some chronic illnesses including coronary artery disease, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and several autoimmune disorders connected to inflammation can even be reversed.
What excites you most about the new centre? The goal of Blackadore Caye is to put life into perspective and remind visitors what it means to be alive and human and mindful. This is so important to our health, wellness and personal rejuvenation. There will be endless opportunities to engage in meditation, personal health and restoration programmes, while also relaxing on the exquiste beaches of one of the most beautiful islands in the world and enjoying time with loved ones.
Can you tell us anything about the facility itself? It’s just one component of the larger Wellness Center at Blackadore Caye, which will be run by Restorative Islands LLC [under the subsidiary Restorative Hospitality]. It’s too early to share other details, but I can tell you that it will be built with healthy materials and that the architecture of the building will be inspired by divine proportions.
Will it adhere to the Well Building Standard® or other green benchmarks? This will not be a Well Certified™ building. However, much like the entire facility, the centre will be built to promote the health and wellbeing of guests and residents in every way. Evidence-based wellness features will be curated by Delos and included in the architecture of the centre. These will include amenities such as water purification systems, which ensure only the highest quality of water is consumed, advanced lighting systems that use state-of-the-art LED circadian lighting and advanced air filtration systems which minimise allergens and deliver purified air, among many others.
What other new projects are you working on at the moment? Right now, my current projects include research, education and the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging. I’m personally very involved in research on epigenetics and research on the effects of the micro biome.
My main effort is a scientific study called self-directed biological transformation (SBTI). We’re doing a study that shows that a healthy lifestyle – good sleep, daily meditation and yoga practice, exercise, healthy emotions and a good diet – can change the expression of your entire genome at a cellular level. You can shift the markers of ageing into a more youthful direction. You can decrease cell inflammation. You can increase an enzyme called telomerase that can lengthen your life span (see SB13/1 p54). All this can be done in a matter of days. We’re collaborating with scientists from Harvard, Mount Sinai, Scripps, UCSD and UCSF on this study. I don’t think medicine will ever be the same again once it’s done.
What developments do you foresee in the field of complementary medicine? We’ve already discovered that we can transform our own biology. The next frontier will be to discover how deep and lasting such changes are, how much control we have over them individually, and how they can be passed on to future generations through so-called ‘soft inheritance’, in which the parents’ life experiences and behaviour directly influence the genome of their offspring.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 4
Letters:
Concerns raised over massage-on-demand vetting systems
Interview: Michael Tompkins
What’s next for Michael Tompkins as he takes a step back at Hilton Head Health? Rhianon Howells finds out
Promotional feature: Dr Burgener Switzerland
Leading skincare brand Dr Burgener Switzerland combines natural ingredients with advanced technology to produce exceptional results – and the company sees customisation as the way forward for each of its spa clients
Trends: Workplace wellness
Neena Dhillon looks at two award-winning employee wellness programmes and asks how spas can get involved in this burgeoning market
Promotional feature: ESPA
ESPA International has always been a leader in the global spa business but has never been averse to change. The CEO and son of its founder explains how the company he joined 22 years ago is adapting to meet the challenges facing the industry today
Research: Onwards & upwards
ISPA research shows the US spa sector has reached new heights. Colin McIlheney analyses the findings
Promotional feature: Phytomer
Director of international development, Tristan Lagarde, explains how PHYTOMER has become a leader in the field of technological skincare development, and how spas can benefit from the brand’s success
Spa concept: Eforea 2.0
Hilton has refreshed its spa concept to make it more appealing to hoteliers. But what’s changed? Jane Kitchen finds out
Promotional feature: Living Earth Crafts
Brian Paris, spa designer and VP of sales for Living Earth Crafts, explains how the company is helping spa operators become more efficient with space-saving but stylish spa equipment and accessories
Blackadore Caye: a Restorative Island Deepak Chopra is to open his second wellness facility in 10 years in a collaboration with actor Leonardo DiCaprio and wellness real estate firm Delos – the company behind the Well Building Standard®. It will form part of a larger wellness centre and luxury amenities within a green development that’s being built on DiCaprio’s private island in Belize.
Dubbed Blackadore Caye: a Restorative Island, the site will offer 68 villas and 48 homes with construction set to begin this year and completion scheduled for 2018.
Delos owner Paul Scialla has founded Restorative Islands LLC to build the resort and Restorative Hospitality – a Delos subsidiary – to operate the facilities and also manage the wellness programming offered at the resort. All buildings on the island will be powered by renewable energy. They will also promote the health and wellbeing of guests by incorporating features such as circadian lighting for better sleep and advanced air filtration systems to minimise allergens.
Architect and designer Jason McLennan will use sustainable building techniques with a view to regenerating the surrounding ecosystem and reversing the effects of climate change.
DiCaprio, a passionate environmentalist, says: “This project is leading a new way in eco-tourism, development and green building and demonstrates that human development can be truly restorative and beneficial for the environment.”
DiCaprio is an investor in Delos and serves on its advisory board, he also reportedly bought one of its first wellness apartments in New York. Chopra and McLennan also serve on the same board.
Blackadore Caye photos: MCCLENNAN DESIGN
There will be 68 villas and 48 homes at Blackadore Caye
Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com
Leonard DiCaprio owns the island
Blackadore Caye will open in 2018
Katie Barnes is the managing editor of Spa Business magazine
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
In a Spa Business magazine exclusive, alternative health guru Deepak Chopra tells Katie Barnes about his latest venture with Leonardo DiCaprio and why he’s focusing on anti-ageing
In alternative therapy circles they don’t come much more famous (or controversial) than Deepak Chopra. The outspoken spiritualist uses quantum theory to explain his beliefs on everything from the nature of God to holistic healing. Scientists heavily criticize him, while others love him: he’s the author of more than 80 books read by millions worldwide.
Chopra’s approach to wellbeing combines the principles of mainstream medicine – the Indian-born American is trained in internal medicine and endocrinology – with ayurveda, meditation and yoga. Although not such a groundbreaking idea today, it was deemed radical in the early 90s when he gained much notoriety after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Since 1994 guests have sought out specialists at his Chopra Center for Wellbeing at La Costa Resort & Spa in California to help them address their health concerns from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. Recommendations on diet, stress management, exercise and emotional wellbeing are offered alongside a wide variety of mind-body healing classes and ayurveda treatments, including a panchakarma detox programme.
Given Chopra’s popularity, it’s surprising he’s only put his name to one wellbeing centre in the last 10 years. That’s about to change, however, as he embarks on a project with Well Building Standard® firm Delos (see SB14/1 p28) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The partnership will see him open the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging as part of one of the world’s greenest resorts that’s being built on DiCaprio’s private island, Blackadore Caye, in Belize (see p38). Here, he reveals details of the deal and what consumers can expect.
When and why did you first get involved with Delos? A mutual friend introduced me to Paul Scialla [owner of Delos] about six years ago. We met for breakfast in New York and he told me about his vision for creating environments that support biological sustainability. I was immediately very interested. I’ve always believed that we need to look at the environment as something that’s a part of us, not separate, and that we should think of it as our extended body.
We had a wonderful meeting and kept in touch about the progress of his company and its work. At a certain point, I decided that Delos fitted in very well with what I’ve been doing my whole life. It’s essentially removing the schism between organism and environment and between nature and nurture. It was at that point that I became very involved with the company.
What does your role on the Delos advisory board entail? I’m a very active advisory board member and Paul and I are constantly in touch about all of Delos’ endeavours. I’m very hands-on with many of the projects, including the Stay Well [healthy hotel rooms concept] and the Stay Well Meetings programme.
Why was Blackadore Caye the right fit for your second facility? Blackadore Caye is the world’s first truly restorative island development, meaning that it’s powered entirely by renewable energy and designed to increase the biological health of species both on the island and in the waters around it. The entire project is centred on health, wellness and sustainability. It’s an honour to be a part of a project this powerful and to be able to contribute to the restoration of the people visiting Blackadore Caye in a very meaningful way.
What’s your vision for the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging at Blackadore Caye? As you can tell from its name, the centre will focus mostly on renewal and anti-ageing. We’ll teach visitors practical ways to change their behaviours and help decrease their biological age through things such as stress management and meditation techniques, pranayama breathing exercises, yoga, exercise, healthy cuisine, emotional wellbeing, restful sleep, mind/body coordination and detox procedures. We’ll also offer our SBTI (self-directed biological transformation initiative) programming.
Even though we all have genetic predispositions, it’s now known that biological ageing is influenced by lifestyle and habits and daily activities such as? meditation, movement, diet, emotions, stress management and quality of sleep. By making conscious choices and focused awareness we choose to have a joyful energetic body, a restful alert mind and lightness of being.
How will it differ from the original Chopra Center? All of the programming, classes and experiences at The Chopra Center in La Costa integrate the healing arts of the east with the best in modern western medicine to help people find peace of mind, physical balance and emotional wellbeing. The centre at Blackadore Caye will do the same, but will focus more on renewal and slowing down the ageing process. This programming will be a great complement to the ‘restorative intention’ of the entire Blackadore Caye development.
Why focus on anti-ageing? Only a few decades ago, conventional medicine viewed the body as a machine whose parts would inevitably break down until it could no longer be repaired. We were taught that random chemical reactions determined everything that happened in the body, that genes largely determined our health and lifespan, and that heart disease, many cancers and other illnesses were incurable.
Thanks to the groundbreaking clinical research of Dr Dean Ornish and many other pioneering minds in the medical community, we now know that through comprehensive lifestyle changes, we can prevent and reverse disease – and live longer and in better shape.
We’re eager to teach visitors practical ways to help decrease their biological age and live healthier and happier lives.
Will you be creating any new treatments and programmes? Yes. But it’s too early to be specific.
What have you learned about ageing since starting this venture? Since I began my work in epigenetics overall, one of the most exciting things I’ve learned is that only 5 per cent of disease-related genes are gene mutations that are fully penetrant, which means they’re unstoppable if you are born with them (ie guaranteeing a disease when inherited). The rest confer risk which can be offset by lifestyle changes. Some chronic illnesses including coronary artery disease, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and several autoimmune disorders connected to inflammation can even be reversed.
What excites you most about the new centre? The goal of Blackadore Caye is to put life into perspective and remind visitors what it means to be alive and human and mindful. This is so important to our health, wellness and personal rejuvenation. There will be endless opportunities to engage in meditation, personal health and restoration programmes, while also relaxing on the exquiste beaches of one of the most beautiful islands in the world and enjoying time with loved ones.
Can you tell us anything about the facility itself? It’s just one component of the larger Wellness Center at Blackadore Caye, which will be run by Restorative Islands LLC [under the subsidiary Restorative Hospitality]. It’s too early to share other details, but I can tell you that it will be built with healthy materials and that the architecture of the building will be inspired by divine proportions.
Will it adhere to the Well Building Standard® or other green benchmarks? This will not be a Well Certified™ building. However, much like the entire facility, the centre will be built to promote the health and wellbeing of guests and residents in every way. Evidence-based wellness features will be curated by Delos and included in the architecture of the centre. These will include amenities such as water purification systems, which ensure only the highest quality of water is consumed, advanced lighting systems that use state-of-the-art LED circadian lighting and advanced air filtration systems which minimise allergens and deliver purified air, among many others.
What other new projects are you working on at the moment? Right now, my current projects include research, education and the Deepak Chopra Center for Renewal and Anti-Aging. I’m personally very involved in research on epigenetics and research on the effects of the micro biome.
My main effort is a scientific study called self-directed biological transformation (SBTI). We’re doing a study that shows that a healthy lifestyle – good sleep, daily meditation and yoga practice, exercise, healthy emotions and a good diet – can change the expression of your entire genome at a cellular level. You can shift the markers of ageing into a more youthful direction. You can decrease cell inflammation. You can increase an enzyme called telomerase that can lengthen your life span (see SB13/1 p54). All this can be done in a matter of days. We’re collaborating with scientists from Harvard, Mount Sinai, Scripps, UCSD and UCSF on this study. I don’t think medicine will ever be the same again once it’s done.
What developments do you foresee in the field of complementary medicine? We’ve already discovered that we can transform our own biology. The next frontier will be to discover how deep and lasting such changes are, how much control we have over them individually, and how they can be passed on to future generations through so-called ‘soft inheritance’, in which the parents’ life experiences and behaviour directly influence the genome of their offspring.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 4
Letters:
Concerns raised over massage-on-demand vetting systems
Interview: Michael Tompkins
What’s next for Michael Tompkins as he takes a step back at Hilton Head Health? Rhianon Howells finds out
Promotional feature: Dr Burgener Switzerland
Leading skincare brand Dr Burgener Switzerland combines natural ingredients with advanced technology to produce exceptional results – and the company sees customisation as the way forward for each of its spa clients
Trends: Workplace wellness
Neena Dhillon looks at two award-winning employee wellness programmes and asks how spas can get involved in this burgeoning market
Promotional feature: ESPA
ESPA International has always been a leader in the global spa business but has never been averse to change. The CEO and son of its founder explains how the company he joined 22 years ago is adapting to meet the challenges facing the industry today
Research: Onwards & upwards
ISPA research shows the US spa sector has reached new heights. Colin McIlheney analyses the findings
Promotional feature: Phytomer
Director of international development, Tristan Lagarde, explains how PHYTOMER has become a leader in the field of technological skincare development, and how spas can benefit from the brand’s success
Spa concept: Eforea 2.0
Hilton has refreshed its spa concept to make it more appealing to hoteliers. But what’s changed? Jane Kitchen finds out
Promotional feature: Living Earth Crafts
Brian Paris, spa designer and VP of sales for Living Earth Crafts, explains how the company is helping spa operators become more efficient with space-saving but stylish spa equipment and accessories
Blackadore Caye: a Restorative Island Deepak Chopra is to open his second wellness facility in 10 years in a collaboration with actor Leonardo DiCaprio and wellness real estate firm Delos – the company behind the Well Building Standard®. It will form part of a larger wellness centre and luxury amenities within a green development that’s being built on DiCaprio’s private island in Belize.
Dubbed Blackadore Caye: a Restorative Island, the site will offer 68 villas and 48 homes with construction set to begin this year and completion scheduled for 2018.
Delos owner Paul Scialla has founded Restorative Islands LLC to build the resort and Restorative Hospitality – a Delos subsidiary – to operate the facilities and also manage the wellness programming offered at the resort. All buildings on the island will be powered by renewable energy. They will also promote the health and wellbeing of guests by incorporating features such as circadian lighting for better sleep and advanced air filtration systems to minimise allergens.
Architect and designer Jason McLennan will use sustainable building techniques with a view to regenerating the surrounding ecosystem and reversing the effects of climate change.
DiCaprio, a passionate environmentalist, says: “This project is leading a new way in eco-tourism, development and green building and demonstrates that human development can be truly restorative and beneficial for the environment.”
DiCaprio is an investor in Delos and serves on its advisory board, he also reportedly bought one of its first wellness apartments in New York. Chopra and McLennan also serve on the same board.
Blackadore Caye photos: MCCLENNAN DESIGN
There will be 68 villas and 48 homes at Blackadore Caye
Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com
Leonard DiCaprio owns the island
Blackadore Caye will open in 2018
Katie Barnes is the managing editor of Spa Business magazine
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.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
