VR spa founders Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser

A digital immersive spa, created by Luxury Escapism, has opened in Brooklyn, US.

Over two hours, guests can sample more than 10 relaxation stations including the Fuzzidarium – a room with fluffy interiors, virtual reality and vibrations at 50hz to match a cat’s purr – to promote wellbeing.

Guests can also experience a vibrating strobe-light waterbed, sound baths and perception bending glasses. In addition, there’s a live VR sandbox tool – Celestial Flow – where guests manipulate particles using their hands.

The US$40 (€36, £31) experience is designed to help guests reimagine relaxation with immersive technology, tactile stimulations and ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) activations.

Luxury Escapism was founded by Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser as an evolution of their three-day pop-up in New York in 2018 – The Oddly Satisfying Spa (see SB19/1 p20).

“We designed our treatments to help attendees find meditative states of mind,” says Lobser, the spa’s lead creative technologist.

The Hyowon Healing Center in South Korea is taking mental wellness a step further than most by offering people a chance to experience a mock funeral to help them appreciate their own lives.

Participants in the en-mass events are given a chance to write their last testaments before putting on shrouds and lying in a closed coffin for 10 minutes.

It attracts both young and old people and some businesses are even using it to motivate employees. Up to 25,000 people have reportedly tried it out since the centre opened in 2012.

Photo: Inked Pixels/shutterstock

Fred Tsao

Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute is offering a four or seven-day Traditional Spinal Alignment retreat at its wellness destination in Suzhou, China.

The chiropractic-led experience is claimed to correct vertebral alignment, improve mental and emotional wellbeing, resolve muscle tension and inflammation and improve mobility and posture. It includes rehab sessions, anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes and spa treatments.

The retreat is one of Sangha’s 21 new wellness programmes. Other highlights include a seasonal gut health management retreat and a cardiac programme focused on heart health.

Fred Tsao, Octave Institute founder, says: “The purpose of the institute is to introduce a new cycle of living that achieves mind, body and spiritual wellness”.

The programme includes anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes

Each Head Talks specialist focuses on a different aspect of mental wellbeing

The Como Shambhala Urban Escape spa at the Metropolitan London hotel, UK, has launched a mental wellbeing Speaker Series in association with mental health support specialists Head Talks.

In each session, speakers share their own personal wellness journey, while discussing ways to overcome the myriad of daily challenges that disrupt our path to wellbeing – including the importance of sleep, carving out time for joyful experiences and tackling mental exhaustion.v

Highlights include a session on parenting hosted by clinical psychologist Dr Genevieve von Lobb which will provide guidance on topics such as cyberbullying, social media stress, eco-anxiety and intense academic demands.

There will also be a talk by Charlotte Reed, author of May The Thoughts Be With You, who will share details about how she handled depression and anxiety by writing and illustrating positive thoughts.

Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.

Jeremy McCarthy

Spas at Mandarin Oriental hotels took a vow of silence for its fourth annual Silent Night programme recently.

The normal treatment menu was offered until 5pm, after which time there was no talking or music to create a sense of peace and encourage introspection. A brief consultation at the begging of the spa journey is all that was permitted.

“A lot of the value of a spa experience comes from simply disconnecting from technology and experiencing time for yourself in silence,” says group spa director, Jeremy McCarthy.

“Silent Night has been hugely successful – it makes people think, and it makes people appreciate what spas bring to our society. Spas are one of the last safe havens where people can go to have this quiet time away from technology, and the reaction we get from our guests is very positive.”

Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.

Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro

Anantara Phuket has partnered with acupuncturist and TCM practitioner, Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro to offer a Quit Smoking for Life programme.

Dr Loureiro has 20 years’ experience of clinical practice in London and Portugal and the programme utilises auricular therapy – ear acupuncture – to minimise cravings and calm the nervous system. Sessions last 30 minutes and cost THB7,500 (US$248, €222, £189).

He says: “Quitting smoking with my treatment is very easy, but there are still routines [habits] that participants need to change in the following three days – replacing smoking before or after a meal with a glass of water or a carrot or a piece of fruit for example.”

Dr Loureiro will also be offering traditional acupuncture workshops, holistic facial rejuvenation using 24-carat gold needles and epigenetic testing.

The spa is an ideal setting for guests to change habits

Dr Vicente Mera

Spanish destination spa Sha Wellness Clinic is offering bio-identical hormone replacement therapies (HRT) for men over 40.

The treatment is a part of a seven-day Healthy-Ageing programme which covers multiple spa therapies and medical disciplines such as cardiology, neurology, urology, hepatology and sleep and is designed to reduce the effects of hormone decline and ageing in later life.

The therapy differs from conventional HRT for menopausal women. Dr Vicente Mera, head of international medicine and anti-ageing, explains: “Traditional HRT consists of a systematic supplementation with synthetic hormones. The new therapy is a personalised bio-identical hormonal replacement, which includes a curated and tailored combination of hormones and does not require self-medication.”

The hormone supplement is claimed to reduce fatigue, relieve bloating and improve sleep, memory and cognitive function.

Once a month, Agua spa at London’s Sea Containers hotel will dedicate an evening to socialising, to bring people together through health, wellness and social interaction – much like the original Roman bathing community spirit.

Spa Social was born from the growing wellness scene in the city and the event includes exclusive access to facilities, a 10-minute head massage, mud packs for self-application in steamrooms, champagne and healthy spa food.

The spa night is dedicated to wellness and socialising