Indian wellness retreat
Vana will unveil a new 12,464sq ft (1,158sq m) Tibetan Healing (Sowa Rigpa) Centre in the next couple of months. With experts trained at the Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology in Dharamsala, the Tibetan Healing Centre is the seventh and final wellness space to complement Vana’s holistic approach to wellbeing.
Tibetan healing, also known as Sowa Rigpa, is influenced by ayurveda and Chinese medicine, but holds Tibetan Buddhism at its core, with the mind, compassion and emotions equally weighted as integral elements to the state of wellbeing.
"We feel blessed to have the opportunity to have created the Tibetan Healing Centre at Vana Malsi Estate," said Veer Singh, founder. "Our inspiration to do so came from the enlightened Tibetan Masters and Lamas that have graced us with their support and teachings over the years, as well as a sense of duty towards the Tibetan community around us in Dehradun."
The interiors of the centre have been designed to preserve and propagate the spiritual concept of Tibetan medicine, using linen and ceramics in shades of blue, inspired by the Medicine Buddha. Art at the centre includes paintings by Tibetan traditional artists, depicting the chronicles of the Buddha, as well as pieces by the in-house artist, Siraj Saxena.
The centre is surrounded by a reflection pond, as well as a nearby shrine room, meditation cave and small library for spiritual study, discourse and discussion close.
Dr Sonam Dolkar, a doctor of Tibetan medicine, will lead a team of therapists trained and certified by the Men-Tsee-Khang – The Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology.
Treatments such as Ky nye (traditional Tibetan massage), Dhugs (a compression treatment using medical herbs), Chu lum (water bath), Hor gyi metsa (therapeutic manipulation) and Gom (meditation) address various aspects of wellbeing.
Launched in 2014 by Singh, Vana is a 21-acre estate surrounded by clusters of Sal forest, and is set within its own mango and lychee orchards in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It includes 66 bedrooms and 16 suites facing either the ancient Sal forest or the garden and yoga temple, and features two restaurants and 55 treatment and consultation rooms.
The latte-coloured modernist buildings, designed by Majorcan architects Esteva I Esteva Arquitectura, are designed to work in harmony with nature, are light and airy inside, and are LEED Platinum-certified. The retreat also features 500 pieces of bespoke artwork by Saxena.
In addition to the Tibetan Healing Centre, wellness spaces include the Ayurveda Centre, Yogasala, Wellness Centre, spa, private Watsu pool, gym, heat and wet areas, tennis courts, paths for walking, and two slate-lined pools – including one on the rooftop with views over the forest and into the hills beyond. A unique gathering space called the Bodhi Tree is available for evening discourses.
Each of Vana’s seven wellness offerings has its own dedicated team, concept and space.
Therapies offered include traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture, Chi nei tsang, moxibustion and cupping, along with nutrition consults and Raag therapy. The spa offers classical massages, manual lymphatic drainage, scrubs, wraps and facials.
Vana has created its own range of products, Vanaveda, using essential oils and medicinal herbs, and including products for the skin and scalp, massage oils, aura sprays, Indian essential oils and aroma soya wax candles.
