Our wonderful friend Hallie Campbell escapes to the award-winning Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary on a 7 Day Basic Optimal Fitness programme and gives us the low down from her stay.
Kamalaya is a beautifully conceived mini-Eden of tropical lushness. Amusingly, the front desk receptionists are called Eve and Apple, which just heightens the sense of the paradisiacal. The property is perched above a perfect half-moon beach and a glorious stretch of sea that somehow contains every shade of blue you can think of. Its design is perfectly integrated, ensuring privacy while making the most of the glorious views. Even though the resort was fully booked, it didn’t feel crowded at all. The overwhelming vibe is one of serenity. Instead of piped music the soundtrack is of birds singing, waves lulling, palm trees whispering. It’s rather hypnotic and very relaxing. It also makes you realise how noise polluted we are generally. I make a note to make more time for silence in my life.
My Optimal Basic Fitness journey begins with a trip to see the nurse who takes my measurements, weighs me and calculates my BMI using a clever little gadget. Then I have a wellness consultation with Marisa, who talks me through the program and books extra treatments. Then it’s off to the state-of-the-art Shakti Fitness Centre for my fitness evaluation, where I meet the delightful Due, who somehow manages to make squats and push ups and leg lifts fun. I am informed that I have a lot of tightness in my neck and shoulders and that I need to improve my upper arm strength. Happily, I am not as much a physical wreck as I had assumed. For weight loss, she recommends upping my cardio. I am impressed by the kindly, smiling staff’s air of professionalism — they take your program seriously, and it makes you want to do your best.
After the workout, I am ready to let my muscles relax in the infrared sauna. One sits in a sauna type small wood panelled cabin while rays of infrared light caress your body. You get quite warm and sweaty, but it’s brilliant for getting out the toxins, relaxing muscles and helping with weight loss. I decide to try the ‘guided meditation for deep relaxation,’ one of the many extra activities you can do along with your program. The serene setting in an open pavilion overlooking the sea was the perfect spot to detach from the world, and I emerge feeling mentally clear-headed and refreshed. At sunset, I go for my 90 minute ‘Vital Oil Massage,’ in a lovely treatment room perched above the beach, and drift away to the lull of waves and the gentle touch of the therapist.
Kamalaya is all about synergy. Absolutely everything is designed to reinforce a healthier you, from the daily activities (many of them complimentary), to the extraordinary array of treatments available, to the juices and the food. Dinner is as delicious as it was healthy: carrot soup, papaya salad, grilled yellowfin tuna and steamed bok choy. I sleep like a baby.
Day two begins with another fitness training session with Due—challenging but not a total disaster. The Basic Fitness program includes four 60-minute personal training sessions. I am pretty gym-phobic, but she makes me feel at ease. The stretching session afterwards is the best part, and I leave feeling about a foot taller.
Although there are two pools at Kamalaya my favourite is the lap pool at the Shakti Centre, with its glorious sea views. The second I approach a sun lounger, the pool attendant pops up with a towel and cold water. Even though my program is primarily to work on getting fit, I feel as if I am in a luxurious resort, pampered at every stage—which certainly takes the sting out of a strenuous workout. Lunch is mouthwatering grilled tiger prawns, with mung bean risotto (tastes better than it sounds), and fresh fruit.
Later I have a ‘Traditional Thai Massage’ with Pom—ninety minutes of intense deep massage integrated with stretching. I can’t believe how my body unwinds, and by the end I feel like a rubber band, all flexible and no tension anywhere. At dusk I join the ‘loving kindness meditation’ with Rajesh, who is an inspirational guru, bringing the group together in gratitude. It’s a calming and inspiring way to end the day.
Day three I wake up feeling quite lethargic. I think the heat and humidity are getting to me and my muscles feel a bit sore. One does a lot of walking up and down at Kamalaya as it’s on a steep hill. However, after an energising breakfast of fresh fruit and yogurt I head off to ‘Qi Gong,’ another activity guests can join as part of their stay. It’s an ancient Chinese form of physical meditation as you create energy through a set of movements. I find it surprisingly intense—you really have to concentrate on what you’re doing, but it means you are ‘in the moment’ which is the heart of mindfulness.
After a delightfully indulgent ‘Asian Foot Massage’ where my grateful toes are given a makeover, I head back to the gym for another personal training session. I feel more confident and strong, less likely to wimp out, which is often my response to gym workouts. Kamalaya’s fitness staff are a far cry from the drill sergeants I have had in the past. They get results without making you feel you’re a boot camp recruit.
Later there’s an aqua aerobics session at the pool which I join as I love being in the water. It’s fun to bob around and still get some exercise, and it’s refreshing after the heat.
Day four and I am feeling more energetic, so I go for the early, ‘Gentle Yoga’ class, which is perfect for a beginner like me. The asanas are all do-able and it’s an ideal start to the day, waking the body up and getting some stretching. Afterwards I’m thirsty and order a coconut water, which comes in a real coconut not a plastic bottle. Kamalaya is seriously eco-friendly.
Soon it’s time for my ‘Revival’ fitness session—this time with Mic who is a physiotherapist and a body alignment expert. He shows me the correct form for the exercises I am doing—a huge help. I try the rowing machine and in no time with his guidance I get into a nice flowing rhythm and hardly realise I am burning a lot of calories.
On day five I decide to go for a slightly more challenging yoga class. The ‘Vinyasa Slow Flow’ suits me perfectly, and I’m pleased to discover my body responding so well. I feel more energised and flexible, more able to do the movements with ease rather than strain. I assume this is due to the stretching, massages and infrared sauna treatments.
Today as part of my program, I have ‘Myofascial Release Therapy’, a 60-minute session with Mic again. He specialises in treating the fascia—the ‘second skin’ that holds our muscles together. His treatment helps to reach this area which basic massages can’t. By working on the fascia, the muscles can relax and become less tight. It’s a little painful at times, but the next day I feel quite light and not stiff anymore.
I wake up on day six wondering how the time has passed so quickly. I go for a morning stretch class, feeling at home at the resort as I walk along the flower scented pathways to my various appointments. The staff’s welcoming cry of ‘sawadikaa’, the traditional Thai greeting, makes me feel part of the scene. I’m able to get up the hill without stopping now, a small but pleasing accomplishment.
Later I indulge in an ‘Oriental Herbal Detox Scrub’ with Penny, who scrubs me with ground lotus seeds, (how exotic!) and later applies a deliciously jasmine scented lotion, leaving my skin soft, scented and glowing.
In the afternoon I head down to the pretty crescent beach, more for strolling than swimming as the water is very shallow. I collect shells in the tidal pools as baby shrimp scuttle out of my way. It feels a million miles from my city life.
Making the most of my last day I get up early for the ‘Pranayama’ session, a form of yogic breathing that is both meditation and energising. I have my final fitness session, this time I opt for Yoga in order to refine the basics I learned in the free class. It’s amazing the difference one on one instruction can make - I now feel I am doing a proper downward facing dog rather than a mongrel!
I go to the nurse for my follow up results and am thrilled to learn I am 3 kilos lighter and have lost a few centimetres off my thighs and waist. Physically I feel great, with lots of energy. But truly, the results are so much deeper than that.
It’s been a few months now since I returned and the Kamalaya wisdom has stayed with me. It’s in little things, like making the time to do some sun salutations each morning, to walk more rather than using the car, to pause and take a deep breath when feeling stressed—it all adds up to a more serene, healthier life. I don’t feel the need to drink wine every night or snack crisps when I’m anxious. I still hate the gym, but am getting cardio by walking my dog farther and faster. Instead of cups of coffee to start the day, I still have the Kamalaya warm water and lemon drink which seems to help with digestion and weight maintenance. I’m buying more organic and cutting way back on red meat. It all feels right.
Kamalaya is a beautiful dream, but unlike most dreams it stays with you even when you’re wide awake.
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