Mindful Moments

After a decade of focusing on the effectiveness and cardiovascular improving benefits of ‘high-intensity interval training’, 2020 is expected to see a return to slower, restorative movements, bringing spiritual exercises such as yoga, ecotherapy and blue mindfulness back on the cards for the new decade. The healing power of nature is becoming more of a discussion point, and according to a recent Finnish study, natural landscapes stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system in such an incredible way that ecotherapy and aqua-based treatments are now being prescribed for stress and anxiety.

Samujana on Koh Samui embodies this serenity, with twenty-seven indoor-outdoor villas set on hillside plots, each offering floor-to-ceiling views of the Thai Gulf, infinity pools and spacious outdoor terrace decks that provide the perfect setting for practising sunrise/sunset yoga whilst looking out at the sea. Being in, on or by the sea or water has been proven to have a positive effect on physical and mental health, with blue mindfulness referring to how harnessing the power of water can soothe and calm us. The effect of this is that it stimulates a flood of neurochemicals that promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation.

Koh Samui features the beautiful Ang Thong National Marine Park— a pristine archipelago made up of 42 islands. These breathtaking islands are mostly covered with tropical forests and home to an abundance of wildlife and sea creatures, making it the perfect place to hike, snorkel and sea kayak or to simply sail around and take in the stunning vistas. A whole host of water-based activities can be arranged by Samujana including diving, kite surfing, and sailing on their own luxury catamaran Kindred Spirit

Wellness tourism shows no sign of slowing, with the global wellness industry now worth £3.2 trillion. A significant contributor to this is the wellness tourism market, which has grown more than twice as fast as tourism overall, and is now projected to reach £534 billion value by 2022*. This increasing demand has been felt in Koh Samui, prompting a growing investment in health and wellness facilities on the island, with a rapidly increasing influx of world-class traditional and international therapists and nutritionists.

John Dopéré, General Manager of Samujana commented: ‘At Samujana we’ve seen a significant increase in rental requests for wellness holidays due to our ability to completely customise our clients’ stay, and we go to great lengths to make virtually anything possible; whether that be a private sunrise yoga class on the terrace overlooking the sea or detoxing with a ten-day colour juice cleanse. Combined with beautiful surroundings, spectacular views of the Thai Gulf and unrivalled privacy, each resident and visitor can personalise their stay to be as mindful as they want it to be.’

Samujana offers wellness workshops that include one- to ten-day juice cleanses which aims to naturally encourage the body to detox. Championing a 360-degree wellness approach, Amrita wellness programs are also available; designed to provide effective deep cleansing in a harmonious, gentle way by applying two ancient medicinal principles: ‘do no harm’ and ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’. Based on traditional Thai herbs backed by western expertise, nutritional science and personalised body fitness and mind practices, it works to protect the body against oxidative damage from released toxins, and to instead promote toxins’ release from the body.

A range of one- to three-day yoga therapy programmes are also on offer, created to further aid detox and to help the body de-stress. Highlights include plant-based meals and detox yoga and meditation, as well as Tibetan sound healing and reiki healing. In addition to pre-natal yoga and kid’s yoga, the team at Samujana can arrange private wellness experiences such as sunrise or sunset yoga, relaxation pilates, chakra balancing and Kundalini meditation.

The Samujana estate contrasts with many of Koh Samui’s other villas, which mainly tend to be individual properties, and all come with dedicated villa managers and staff, regular maintenance, 24-hour security and the use of the common areas, including a beach bar. Each is beautifully designed to the highest standards, and many have fully-equipped gyms, and indoor spa treatment rooms with optional services including private chefs, personal assistants, and drivers. This allows for owners and visitors to create bespoke wellness experiences within their own villa and means that hardly any request is too complicated for the team on the ground to arrange.

Villas at Samujana are available to rent upon request, while four new villas, out of the 27-villa estate, are currently for sale starting at £2.28m. In addition, there are villa re-sale opportunities available starting at at £761,000.

For more information, please visit: www.samujana.com

Sales/rental enquiries: property_sales@samujana.com

All wellness workshop options can be found here: www.samujana.com/experiences/wellness/