A Return to India: From Vibrant New Delhi to the Serenity of Six Senses Vana
Back in New Delhi
I’m thrilled to be returning to India, beginning with several days in vibrant New Delhi before continuing on to the serene Six Senses Vana in the Himalayan foothills. This journey blends the energy of one of the world’s most compelling capitals with the restorative calm of a wellness retreat known for Ayurvedic and Tibetan therapies, mindful movement, nourishing cuisine, and deeply peaceful accommodations.
A Warm Welcome at The Imperial
Arriving early in the morning at The Imperial New Delhi felt like stepping into a familiar embrace. Opened in 1936 and a distinguished member of Leading Hotels of the World, the hotel remains a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture and refined hospitality.
The experience is an effortless blend of colonial-era grandeur and modern comfort, gracious service, exceptional dining, a superb spa, and an inviting pool create an atmosphere that is both elegant and deeply relaxing. It is a place that feels wonderfully timeless, and returning here is always a pleasure.
An Afternoon at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun
Kareem and I spent a beautiful afternoon exploring the iconic Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, a place where history, architecture, and natural beauty meet in remarkable harmony. Completed in 1929, this grand landmark, once recognized as the world’s largest brick structure, still rises with quiet majesty against the foothills of the Himalayas.
Its sweeping colonnades, expansive lawns, and thoughtfully curated museums reflect a legacy of forestry, scholarship, and conservation that has shaped generations of research in India. Nearly a century later, the FRI remains an inspiring testament to the country’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage.
A true treasure for India, and for all who appreciate beauty, history, and the enduring relationship between people and the natural world.
A Return to Stillness at Six Senses Vana
Two weeks once sounded generous, restorative, complete. And yet, somehow, it now feels too short for this kind of retreat. I didn’t realize how much of a pause Kareem and I needed until we arrived at Six Senses Vana, a sanctuary that doesn’t rush you back to balance but quietly invites you to stay long enough to remember what that even feels like.
Over these days, time began to change shape. Mornings opened with yoga in soft early light. Afternoons drifted into treatments that seemed to understand what the body was asking for long before we could name it. Meals became rituals, quiet, nourishing, unhurried. Walks had no destinations, only gentle pathways that encouraged us to slow down.
We didn’t plan. We simply let the days find us.
Something shifts when you stay longer. You begin to settle. Sleep deepens. The breath finds its rightful pace. And you surrender to a rest you didn’t realize you needed.
What began as a break soon became something more, a return to rhythm, to rest, to a softer, clearer version of ourselves.
We didn’t arrive with goals or expectations. We came simply to stay long enough to listen. And now, even as our time here draws to a close, it already feels too short.
We find ourselves wishing to return, even as we’re still here.
And next time, we’ll stay longer.
Reflections from Six Senses Vana with Kareem George
Discovering Balance: Beginning My Wellness Journey at Six Senses Vana
I’ve just taken my first true step into this journey of wellness at Six Senses Vana. Today I learned my dosha, something I had only a passing curiosity about until now, and it feels like unlocking a deeper understanding of myself.
I also met with my doctor, whose warmth and insight immediately put me at ease, and underwent a thoughtful, incredibly informative wellness screening. It was the kind of experience that gently invites you inward, encouraging reflection as much as discovery.
I’m officially ready to begin this wellness journey… and I’m excited to see where it leads.
— Kareem George
A Place That Feels Designed for You: Experiencing Six Senses Vana
At Six Senses Vana, every detail feels deliberate, every corner alive with intention. The retreat doesn’t seek to dazzle, it holds you quietly, intimately, inviting you to slow down and breathe. Beauty here is felt as much as it is seen.
The design is more than architecture. It is emotion, memory, and intention made visible. From Antonio and Tomeu Esteva’s vision to Veer Singh’s creative touch, from Siraj Saxena’s art woven into the walls to the Vana team shaping this sanctuary over more than a decade, every choice reflects care, love, and deep respect for the land. No trees were cut to create this space, it grew within the forest, as if it had always belonged: rooted, humble, and unmistakably Indian in soul.
From the suite’s balcony, mornings unfold like quiet rituals, forest bathing in sunrays and birdsong. Evenings are meant for slow chapters and dusky light. Art, meditation, and mindful spaces enhance each moment: the Bodhi Suite for seekers of stillness, the Sowa Rigpa Centre with hand-painted murals of Buddha blessed by monks, and The Cave, a space that echoes with stories of seekers, silence, and subtle transformation.
This is not design for design’s sake. It is emotion you can walk through. Each step, each detail, brings you back to yourself. Six Senses Vana moves in harmony with nature, nurtures wellbeing, and allows the kind of quiet luxury that leaves an imprint long after you’ve departed.
Understanding the Doshas: A Personal Introduction to Ayurveda at Six Senses Vana
At some point on this journey, the word dosha begins to surface in conversation. Quietly at first. Then with intention.
Rooted in Ayurveda, the ancient wellness system of India, the tri-dosha concept speaks to three fundamental energies, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, that influence our physical, mental, and emotional rhythms. Each dosha is formed from the five elements: Vata from air and space, Pitta from fire and water, Kapha from earth and water. We all carry each of them, but in proportions unique to us, creating what Ayurveda calls our prakriti, our personal constitution.
When the doshas are in balance, the body feels supported and clear. Energy flows. Digestion strengthens. The mind settles. When they drift out of alignment, the body speaks, sometimes softly, sometimes not, through fatigue, restlessness, inflammation, or emotional imbalance. Ayurveda offers a framework not for perfection, but for awareness: a way of listening more closely to what the body is asking for.
Through my wellness screening at Six Senses Vana, I learned that my primary dosha is Pitta, with Vata as my secondary influence, Pitta-Vata. With that understanding, Dr. Jaya and the Vana wellness team thoughtfully designed an integrative program tailored to address those imbalances, guiding everything from treatments to daily rhythm.
This is what makes the experience here so personal. Wellness is not prescribed, it is discovered. And with the right guidance, it becomes less about fixing and more about returning to harmony.
More to come as this journey unfolds.
-Kareem George
Settling In: The Beginning of a Wellness Journey
Namaste.
There is a quiet shift that happens when you truly arrive, not just at a destination, but within yourself. Here, surrounded by nature and intention, that shift comes gently. I am settling in well, easing into a special detoxification diet designed to support the body’s natural rhythms and clear space for what’s ahead.
Each day unfolds with purpose. Treatments are thoughtfully woven together to nurture mind, body, and spirit, creating a rhythm that feels both grounding and restorative. Nothing feels rushed. Everything feels considered.
This early chapter of the journey is about listening, slowing down enough to notice how the body responds, how the mind softens, and how presence begins to replace momentum. So far, it has been a beautiful introduction to a deeper sense of balance, and I’m embracing every moment of it.
More to come as this journey continues.
-Kareem George
The First Treatments: Learning Through Experience
As promised, I wanted to share a bit more about the Ayurvedic treatments that have shaped my first days here, both the one I experienced on Day One and the treatments that followed over the past two days.
The journey began with Udwartana and Dhamyamla Dhara. Udwartana is an invigorating herbal powder massage that stimulates circulation, exfoliates the skin, and supports healthy metabolism. It’s energizing without being overwhelming. Dhamyamla Dhara follows with the rhythmic pouring of warm, medicated liquid, helping to calm inflammation and bring the body back toward balance. Together, the experience creates a sense of lightness and renewal, something I felt almost immediately.
Over the next couple of days, I experienced Abhyanga paired with Patra Pinda Swedana. Abhyanga begins with a warm herbal oil massage that nourishes the body and gently settles the nervous system. Patra Pinda Swedana follows, using heated herbal poultices applied to the body to ease muscle and joint stiffness, support mobility, and soothe aggravated Vata and Kapha. This combination felt deeply therapeutic and grounding.
Both of these experiences were firsts for me, and both were wonderful in their own way. What continues to stand out is how thoughtfully each treatment is chosen, not as a one-size-fits-all approach, but as part of a larger, personalized journey.
The next Ayurvedic treatment I’ll be introduced to is Sthana Vasti. I’m looking forward to seeing where that leads.
More to come as this experience continues to unfold.
-Kareem George
A Landscape That Lives and Breathes with You
There is a story unfolding around every corner here. Not one that announces itself, but one that waits quietly to be felt, serenity layered into wilderness, presence revealed through stillness.
When Kareem and I arrived, we expected calm. What we discovered was something deeper. A place that holds you. A place that opens slowly, as though the forest itself is exhaling and inviting you to do the same.
Six Senses Vana is not built near nature. It is built within it. Spread across 21 acres of forest, not a single tree was cut to create this sanctuary. Every structure, every path, every space exists in conversation with the land, shaped in harmony rather than imposed upon it.
From the moment you step into the Arrival Pavilion, that intention becomes clear. A sculpted root installation by Siraj Saxena greets you, organic, grounding, and unmistakably alive. It feels less like an artwork and more like a welcome from the earth itself.
You feel this connection in the stillness that surrounds your suite, in the way the forest wraps itself around you. You see it in the shifting light across the Himalayan foothills as you drift through a midday swim. Every view is an invitation to slow down. Every shadow, every leaf feels like part of a story the land is quietly telling.
It’s difficult to explain what that does to you, but you feel it nonetheless. In the soft rhythm of early morning birdsong. In quiet walks along stone paths. In the rustle of a troupe of monkeys playing in the orchard. In a passing breeze carrying a scent you can’t quite name, yet somehow remember.
This is not simply a retreat set in nature. This is nature itself, holding space for you.
Wellness in Balance: Movement, Healing, and Learning at Six Senses Vana
One of the most meaningful aspects of the wellness journey at Six Senses Vana is how personal it is. Every program is thoughtfully tailored, not only to individual goals, but in harmony with one’s dosha. Nothing here feels generic. Everything feels considered.
Fitness plays a central role in my program, grounding the experience through movement and strength. Alongside it, acupuncture has become an essential part of the journey. Working with world-class practitioners like Dr. Shreyas has been both restorative and deeply educational. Each session offers insight not only into the ancient wisdom of acupuncture, but also into the physiology that supports it. I’m learning as much as I’m healing.
What makes the experience especially compelling is how seamlessly these practices come together. Physical effort is balanced with therapeutic care, learning is paired with presence, and every day unfolds within surroundings that are both inspiring and calming.
And then there is the food, beautifully prepared, nourishing, and deeply satisfying. Each meal supports the work being done, reinforcing the idea that wellness is not a single practice, but a harmony of many.
Here, wellness is not something you chase. It’s something you settle into, guided, supported, and uniquely your own.
-Kareem George
A Quiet Kind of Luxury: Inside Our Stay at Six Senses Vana
For those curious about what it feels like to stay at Six Senses Vana, this space offers a beautiful glimpse into the heart of the experience. Our room has quickly become a sanctuary, simple, comfortable, tranquil, cozy, and intentionally understated. Nothing feels excessive. Everything feels just right.
The design invites rest. Soft textures, calming tones, and thoughtful details create an atmosphere that encourages you to slow down the moment you step inside. The bed, especially, deserves its own mention, deeply comfortable, the kind that welcomes you fully at the end of a long, restorative day.
Mornings begin gently here. Waking to the forest just beyond the windows, with birdsong filtering in, feels like a quiet invitation to start the day with presence rather than urgency. Evenings are equally blissful. A soothing bath, soft light, and the sense of being held by stillness make settling in at night feel like a ritual rather than a routine.
This is a different expression of luxury, one rooted in calm, comfort, and connection to nature. A place that supports rest not just through design, but through feeling.
-Kareem George
A Daily Rhythm of Yoga, Meditation, and Music at Six Senses Vana
Namaste from our retreat. As the days unfold at Six Senses Vana, I’ve come to appreciate how intentionally each moment is shaped, especially through the yoga and meditative practices that gently guide the rhythm of the day. Here, wellness isn’t segmented into activities. It’s woven into time itself.
Mornings begin with Pratah Yoga, an early practice that feels less like exercise and more like an invitation. Gentle movement, breath, and quiet focus awaken the body without urgency, allowing clarity and energy to surface naturally. There is a calm confidence that comes from starting the day this way, centered, present, and grounded.
Midday brings a shift inward with Madhyan Dhyan Yoga, guiding the mind from concentration into deep meditation. These sessions take place in a cave, centered around the steady flame of a single candle. The setting strips away distraction and sharpens awareness. In that stillness, the mind settles, and presence feels effortless. It has been one of the most striking experiences of my time here.
Restoration continues through Yoga Nidra, a practice that invites the body into profound rest while the mind hovers in a space between waking and sleep. The effects are subtle but lasting. Sleep deepens. The nervous system softens. Balance begins to return without force.
Sound plays its own quiet but powerful role through Raag Therapy, rooted in Indian classical music. Certain melodies are designed to influence mood, energy, and emotion. For me, this stirred an unexpected sense of nostalgia, bringing me back to my college years studying South Indian flute. It was a reminder of how deeply sound can reconnect us to memory and self.
As daylight fades, Sandhya Yoga marks the transition into evening. Practiced at twilight, this slower, restorative session releases the weight of the day and prepares the body for rest. There is something sacred about this hour, a moment to pause, reflect, and return inward.
Prajna Yoga Nidra deepens the experience further, moving beyond relaxation into awareness. It invites intuition and clarity to surface, offering space not just for rest, but for insight.
Taken together, these practices form more than a daily schedule. They create a rhythm that mirrors the natural world, rising, turning inward, restoring, and releasing. Each day here has been deeply restorative, but more than that, it has been quietly instructive. This is not wellness as performance. It is wellness as remembrance.
-Kareem George
Healing Until the Very End at Six Senses Vana
As this transformative journey at Six Senses Vana gently nears its end, new layers of healing continue to unfold.
In these final days, I’m being introduced to Ayurvedic and Tibetan treatments that feel less like services and more like sacred rituals, rooted in centuries of wisdom, intention, and deep respect for the mind-body connection.
It’s a powerful reminder that true wellness isn’t rushed. It reveals itself slowly, deliberately, and often when you least expect it.
Grateful for every moment, every practice, and every lesson this retreat has offered.
— Kareem George
Healing in Layers: Deepening the Wellness Journey at Six Senses Vana
At Six Senses Vana, healing doesn’t arrive all at once, it reveals itself in layers.
I find myself both humbled and deeply impressed by the exceptional level of care extended to every guest here, and by the remarkable breadth of treatments available. The practitioners are not only highly skilled; they are kind, intuitive, and unmistakably masters of their craft. Each interaction feels thoughtful, personalized, and rooted in centuries-old wisdom.
As my retreat continues, my days are guided by intention: a carefully curated diet (now slightly relaxed—hooray!), acupuncture sessions, and daily yoga and training routines. Alongside these foundations, I’ve been introduced to a series of profound Ayurvedic therapies that have further deepened my experience.
Sthana Vasti (For the Eyes)
Sthana Vasti is a localized Ayurvedic therapy in which warm, medicated oil is gently retained over a specific area of the body. Designed to relieve pain, stiffness, and inflammation, it delivers deeply nourishing, targeted healing while calming the nervous system.
This treatment has not been the most comfortable, but it has been undeniably effective. I’ve already noticed an improvement in my vision, a reminder that true healing often requires patience and trust in the process.
Yogayam (Thai Massage on Steroids!)
Yogayam is a therapeutic yoga practice that blends mindful movement, breath awareness, and subtle alignment. The goal is balance, restoring harmony between body and mind while improving flexibility, circulation, and overall vitality.
It’s a practice that encourages presence and connection, leaving you feeling both grounded and elevated. Let me know if I seem taller the next time you see me.
Pizhichil with Abhyanga
Often referred to as the “royal treatment,” Pizhichil with Abhyanga is as luxurious as it is restorative. Warm herbal oils are continuously poured and massaged over the body in rhythmic, flowing strokes.
The result is deeply relaxing, muscles soften, circulation improves, and the nervous system feels profoundly soothed. Grounding, rejuvenating, and honestly… dreamy.
Shirodhara
Few treatments rival the tranquility of Shirodhara. A steady stream of warm, medicated oil is gently poured over the forehead and scalp, creating an almost meditative state.
Known for its powerful impact on the mind, Shirodhara helps ease stress, anxiety, insomnia, and mental fatigue. The experience invites stillness, clarity, and a deep sense of calm that lingers long after the treatment ends.
At Six Senses Vana, wellness is not rushed. It is intentional, layered, and deeply personal, an unfolding journey that honors both ancient tradition and modern understanding.
— Kareem George
Six Senses Vana WOWED Us Again
Six Senses Vana WOWED us again with an absolutely spectacular surprise birthday dinner for our dear “Joyce Ji”!
From the very first moment, the evening felt nothing short of magical. Set on a completely private rooftop terrace overlooking the treetops of the surrounding forest, the atmosphere was ethereal. A crisp evening breeze, a softly crackling bonfire, and the enchanting melodies of a sitar created a sense of stillness and celebration all at once.
The cuisine was as thoughtful and refined as one would expect at Vana, beautifully prepared, nourishing, and deeply satisfying. And, of course, the company made it unforgettable. There is something uniquely meaningful about celebrating life’s milestones in a place devoted to wellness, presence, and connection.
And yes, before you ask, wine was offered as a special exception to our retreat diets for this celebratory evening. While we graciously declined, we certainly didn’t go without indulgence. The highlight was an impossibly silky, rich dark chocolate cake that was, remarkably, both gluten-free and sugar-free, a true Vana masterpiece.
Happy Birthday, dearest Joyce Ji. Sharing this transformative Vana experience with you has been a joy. Wishing you many, many more years filled with excellent health, prosperity, and inspiring travels.
— Kareem George
Final Days at Six Senses Vana: A Tibetan Healing Journey
My wellness journey at Six Senses Vana has been nothing short of transformative. During my time here, I was introduced to several powerful Tibetan healing practices, including the deeply restorative Ku Nye massage, a treatment that works not only on the body, but gently realigns the spirit.
As my retreat draws to a close, there is a bittersweet awareness that these are the final days of an experience that has slowed me down, grounded me, and reminded me of the importance of intentional self-care. Vana has a way of meeting you exactly where you are, offering space for reflection, healing, and quiet renewal.
This journey through ancient wisdom and mindful living is one I will carry long after I leave the foothills of the Himalayas.
These are the final days… but the impact will last far beyond them.