15 Nov 2021
Joali Being launches as The Maldives' first nature immersive wellbeing retreat
BY Megan Whitby
A sustainable wellbeing island retreat has launched today in the Maldives, dedicated to personalised wellness journeys, reconnecting to nature and instilling a feeling of weightlessness to all who visit.
Named Joali Being, the retreat is the sister site of Joali’s first outpost – named Joali Maldives – which opened in 2019 with a signature Espa Life spa.
Joali Being has been conceived with a sense of synergy so all elements work together to help guests leave feeling healthier and happier, even if they decide not to deeply engage in wellbeing services.
The location’s philosophy and approach is underpinned by four wellbeing pillars – mind, skin, microbiome and energy – developed in conjunction with Professor Gerry Bodeker of Oxford University, a Harvard-trained expert on traditional and integrative medicine and wellness.
Also on board was Spa Strategy’s Claire Way who oversaw strategy, concept and design and drew inspiration from the island’s setting.
A sense of wellbeing is infused throughout the retreat, including its 68 private villas which are equipped with a personal butler, private pool and offerings such as customised minibar setups, tuned meditative balancing musical instruments, wellbeing games and more.
Joali Being features a 39-treatment-room spa – named Areka – offering scientific therapies, diagnostic services, educational programmes and specialised therapeutic and alternative healing treatments.
The spa is also home to a vast hydrotherapy hall including a sensory deprivation room, Russian banya, water therapies, halotherapy suite and hammam. Plus, guests are also offered access to a Sound Therapy Hall and a Discovery Sound Path – both conceived by Svar Academy in India.
Partnered with Italian wellness equipment supplier Lemi, Areka includes expansive fitness offerings, a Pilates studio, Ocean Sala and an over-water meditation deck.
A fundamental aspect of Joali Being’s offering is its dedicated herbology centre named Aktar. Here, guests address wellbeing concerns with a resident herbalist who specialises in preparing natural remedies using herbs, spices and essential oils.
Guests can also access naturopaths, therapists, movement experts and nutritionists to help guide them on their individual journey of wellbeing.
Programmes last between five days to three weeks and all begin with an Intelligent Movement Analysis and an Integrative Health Assessment.
“Joali Being is a wellbeing retreat unlike any other in the world; it’s a transformative destination aimed to inspire and ignite the very deepest of mindful connections to one’s self, one another and one’s environment by enhancing our relationship with the surrounding natural world, our bodies and our minds,” says general manager Özgür Cengīz.
The retreat’s architectural concept was guided and executed by multidisciplinary design studios Autoban and Atolye4N – both of which also led the design concept of Joali Maldives. Biophilic design principles formed the core of the design direction in an ode to Joali Being’s commitment to preserving, respecting and connecting with the local landscape.
Susanne Fisch has been appointed to helm the facility as spa and wellness manager, supported by industry consultant and founder of Spa and Wellness Collective, Melany Martinez Thomas, who is Joali’s director of wellbeing for both the company’s properties.
With a curated library and a calendar of interactive workshops, guests will also be able to discover the benefits of herbal teas and learn to make natural body creams, face masks and massage oils. In addition, a boutique will offer a handpicked selection of dried herbs, oils and natural cosmetics for purchase.
The retreat also encompasses a Learning Centre and a schedule of educational workshops and experiential classes with wellbeing experts, culinary maestros and herbalists.
To round out the offering and cater to the microbiome pillar, Joali Being offers fresh earth-to-table cuisine through a range of dining concepts where all menus are curated by the retreat’s on-site nutritionists.
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