Find ways to counteract the frenzy of the digital world, says McCarthy / photo: Mandarin Oriental hotel group
It’s no coincidence that the rising interest in wellness as a global-macro trend over the past three to four decades has come hand-in-hand with a parallel trend of digitalisation. We’ve seen the world around us completely transformed by technology at a pace that continues to accelerate exponentially and our bodies and minds are simply not able to evolve fast enough to adapt. We find ourselves out of sync and have no choice but to seek new strategies, tools and practices to help us manage our wellbeing.
This disconnect leads to an interesting paradox. We can pursue wellness by either rejecting technology or embracing it. On the one hand, there’s a yearning to escape from technology and return to nature to adopt a slower rhythm of life. There’s a reverence for the past, a desire to return to a simpler, less connected world. Practices such as meditation, yoga, singing bowls and hydrothermal bathing have all existed in different cultures for thousands of years, but they’re more popular than they’ve ever been as consumers look to the past to find ancient solutions to modern problems.
However, we cannot turn our backs on technology completely. While we enjoy the idea of taking a couple of hours (or god forbid, a couple of days) for a digital detox, the reality is we will need the assistance of technology – better science, tools and data – to help us navigate and solve the wellbeing problems of our increasingly complex world.
This is the great wellness paradox of the 21st century. F Scott Fitzgerald famously said that genius comes from the ability to hold two opposing views at the same time. This is exactly what modern wellness intelligence looks like, simultaneously rejecting and using technology in support of human wellbeing.
How to avoid technology...
1. Schedule time for digital detox Block out hours in your day, days in your week, or weeks in your year, to take a break from technology
2. Reflect on relationship with technology It’s hard to recognise the impact of technology while we’re immersed in it. When we step away, we can evaluate whether it’s supporting our highest goals and objectives
3. Slow down Find ‘slow hobbies’ such as meditation, painting or kite-flying, to counteract the accelerated frenzy of the digital world
4. Immerse yourself in nature Leave the urban environment and immerse your brain and body in the sights, sounds and scents of nature
5. Practice silence Step out of the digital stream of content and allow your mind to recover from information overload
...and how to optimise it
1. Join a community Social networks provide great opportunities to find like-minded people to support you on your wellness journey
2. Use new tools Our devices and apps help coordinate everything – including our wellness habits. Whether you use a sleep tracker, a guided meditation app, or follow an online workout programme, there are tools that can help build a healthy lifestyle
3. Seek inspiration and mentoring online There are great voices sharing wellness inspiration and motivation online that can have a massive positive impact. Choose the people that you follow wisely
4. Do research You can find opinions about anything online. But you can also be more scientific and look for validated research or respected voices to separate the wellness wheat from the chaff
5. Ask an AI If you’re not sure where to begin, new generative AI tools make it easier than ever to ask questions or get tips about diet, exercise, wellness practices and more.
In honour of Global Wellness Day, Mandarin Oriental hosted complimentary ‘tech detox’ events worldwide on 8 June, encouraging guests to disconnect and practise wellness activities that help them find balance.
This December, the company also celebrates 10 years of its annual Silent Night initiative, which promotes the need for quiet reflection in its spas
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 2
Editor's letter: Cool customers
Spas must adapt to unlock new avenues for growth while mitigating the impact of climate change, says Katie Barnes
Top Team: Therme Group
With its focus on affordable wellness, Therme Group is expanding its social spa concept globally. Jane Kitchen speaks to the people behind the brand
Interview: Susie Ellis
The chair of the Global Wellness Summit has been fundamental in defining the industry and continues to drive it forward
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Powered by nature
B Corp-certified skincare company Comfort Zone has added a new body lotion to its Hydramemory range, which is inspired by the water-retaining powers of desert plants
Interview: Roger Tempest
The owner of Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is transforming the 900-year-old estate into a retreat-based business
Sponsored: Lemi: touched by tech
Italian spa equipment supplier, Lemi, is embracing the trend towards tech-driven wellness treatments, while also driving sustainable industry practices
First person: The real deal?
What’s the value of an authentic treatment? Andrew and Karin Gibson take to the hammams of Istanbul to find out
Wellness: Full recovery
SIRO is staking a claim to be the world’s first fitness and recovery hotel brand and is planning 100 properties. Lisa Starr visits the first site in Dubai
Sponsored: Gharieni: Defining the well universe
The launch of Gharieni’s new touchless technology brand
Metawell is perfectly aligned with the future direction of spa
and wellness, says the company’s CEO, Sammy Gharieni
Software: Member benefits
Up to a third of spa-goers now have a spa membership. What support can software systems offer?
Sponsored: Myrtha: Herbal Sauna
Pools and wellness facilities expert, Myrtha’s new Herbal Sauna, brings an innovative and therapeutic experience to the spa, says Stefano Cattaneo
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
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Find ways to counteract the frenzy of the digital world, says McCarthy / photo: Mandarin Oriental hotel group
It’s no coincidence that the rising interest in wellness as a global-macro trend over the past three to four decades has come hand-in-hand with a parallel trend of digitalisation. We’ve seen the world around us completely transformed by technology at a pace that continues to accelerate exponentially and our bodies and minds are simply not able to evolve fast enough to adapt. We find ourselves out of sync and have no choice but to seek new strategies, tools and practices to help us manage our wellbeing.
This disconnect leads to an interesting paradox. We can pursue wellness by either rejecting technology or embracing it. On the one hand, there’s a yearning to escape from technology and return to nature to adopt a slower rhythm of life. There’s a reverence for the past, a desire to return to a simpler, less connected world. Practices such as meditation, yoga, singing bowls and hydrothermal bathing have all existed in different cultures for thousands of years, but they’re more popular than they’ve ever been as consumers look to the past to find ancient solutions to modern problems.
However, we cannot turn our backs on technology completely. While we enjoy the idea of taking a couple of hours (or god forbid, a couple of days) for a digital detox, the reality is we will need the assistance of technology – better science, tools and data – to help us navigate and solve the wellbeing problems of our increasingly complex world.
This is the great wellness paradox of the 21st century. F Scott Fitzgerald famously said that genius comes from the ability to hold two opposing views at the same time. This is exactly what modern wellness intelligence looks like, simultaneously rejecting and using technology in support of human wellbeing.
How to avoid technology...
1. Schedule time for digital detox Block out hours in your day, days in your week, or weeks in your year, to take a break from technology
2. Reflect on relationship with technology It’s hard to recognise the impact of technology while we’re immersed in it. When we step away, we can evaluate whether it’s supporting our highest goals and objectives
3. Slow down Find ‘slow hobbies’ such as meditation, painting or kite-flying, to counteract the accelerated frenzy of the digital world
4. Immerse yourself in nature Leave the urban environment and immerse your brain and body in the sights, sounds and scents of nature
5. Practice silence Step out of the digital stream of content and allow your mind to recover from information overload
...and how to optimise it
1. Join a community Social networks provide great opportunities to find like-minded people to support you on your wellness journey
2. Use new tools Our devices and apps help coordinate everything – including our wellness habits. Whether you use a sleep tracker, a guided meditation app, or follow an online workout programme, there are tools that can help build a healthy lifestyle
3. Seek inspiration and mentoring online There are great voices sharing wellness inspiration and motivation online that can have a massive positive impact. Choose the people that you follow wisely
4. Do research You can find opinions about anything online. But you can also be more scientific and look for validated research or respected voices to separate the wellness wheat from the chaff
5. Ask an AI If you’re not sure where to begin, new generative AI tools make it easier than ever to ask questions or get tips about diet, exercise, wellness practices and more.
In honour of Global Wellness Day, Mandarin Oriental hosted complimentary ‘tech detox’ events worldwide on 8 June, encouraging guests to disconnect and practise wellness activities that help them find balance.
This December, the company also celebrates 10 years of its annual Silent Night initiative, which promotes the need for quiet reflection in its spas
Jeremy McCarthy has worked in the spa industry for 34 years. As group director of spa and wellness for Mandarin Oriental, he oversees spa, wellness and leisure operations at 35 luxury hotels globally. Contact him with your views on Twitter @jeremymcc
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 2
Editor's letter: Cool customers
Spas must adapt to unlock new avenues for growth while mitigating the impact of climate change, says Katie Barnes
Top Team: Therme Group
With its focus on affordable wellness, Therme Group is expanding its social spa concept globally. Jane Kitchen speaks to the people behind the brand
Interview: Susie Ellis
The chair of the Global Wellness Summit has been fundamental in defining the industry and continues to drive it forward
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Powered by nature
B Corp-certified skincare company Comfort Zone has added a new body lotion to its Hydramemory range, which is inspired by the water-retaining powers of desert plants
Interview: Roger Tempest
The owner of Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is transforming the 900-year-old estate into a retreat-based business
Sponsored: Lemi: touched by tech
Italian spa equipment supplier, Lemi, is embracing the trend towards tech-driven wellness treatments, while also driving sustainable industry practices
First person: The real deal?
What’s the value of an authentic treatment? Andrew and Karin Gibson take to the hammams of Istanbul to find out
Wellness: Full recovery
SIRO is staking a claim to be the world’s first fitness and recovery hotel brand and is planning 100 properties. Lisa Starr visits the first site in Dubai
Sponsored: Gharieni: Defining the well universe
The launch of Gharieni’s new touchless technology brand
Metawell is perfectly aligned with the future direction of spa
and wellness, says the company’s CEO, Sammy Gharieni
Software: Member benefits
Up to a third of spa-goers now have a spa membership. What support can software systems offer?
Sponsored: Myrtha: Herbal Sauna
Pools and wellness facilities expert, Myrtha’s new Herbal Sauna, brings an innovative and therapeutic experience to the spa, says Stefano Cattaneo
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.
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
In a world where imbalance often accumulates quietly, Wildsmith unveils its newest
wellbeing innovation: Silent Loads, an approach designed to meet the needs of modern spa
guests with precision and depth. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Myrtha Wellness Founded in Italy in 1961 by visionary Giorgio Colletto, Myrtha Wellness has become a global pioneer [more...]
