This June, Amanfayun will bring together three renowned specialists in a four-night retreat integrating a personalised approach to movement and realignment. The retreat will combine insights from the expert movement specialist responsible for Aman’s Pilates programme, the gentle manipulation and realignment of osteopathy and the subtle energies and connecting benefits of tai chi. This is the ideal retreat for individuals who feel that their movement has been compromised through stress, injury or simply the day-to-day effects of a desk job. Hidden in a picturesque valley, Amanfayun enjoys a timeless setting surrounded by tea fields, natural forest, quaint villages and a pilgrimage circuit of seven significant Buddhist temples. The Aman Spa at Amanfayun provides a tranquil retreat for relaxation and rejuvenation.
During the retreat, body awareness will be emphasised as it plays an integral role in the process of re-organising muscles for more dynamic movement. This is done through strengthening weaker, neglected muscles and releasing tension in overworked muscle groups, thereby achieving a greater efficiency of movement allowing for more endurance, better posture and greater joint mobility.
Many of the individual sessions will be held within Amanfayun’s Aman Spa which consists of five separate spa houses surrounded by bamboo groves, tea bushes and magnolia trees.
The four-night retreat includes:
• Four nights’ accommodation
• Daily breakfast and dinner
• One postural assessment per person
• Two private Pilates sessions per person
• Two cranial osteopathy sessions per person
• Two tai chi sessions per person
• One 60-minute spa treatment per person
Pilates
A body conditioning system that needs little introduction, Pilates helps build flexibility, strength and endurance as well as long, lean muscles. It emphasises spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing correctly and the development of a strong core to improve coordination and balance.
Aman’s postural assessment precedes any Pilates training and is suitable for everyone, from the desk-bound executive to the champion triathlete. Through this we are able to provide informed and intelligent advice on how to take care of your body and choose an exercise programme that will most benefit your body and improve your lifestyle.
Ivana Daniell is Amanresorts’ Pilates consultant and offers more than 20 years of experience as a movement therapist and Pilates instructor. She developed the postural assessment used by Amanresorts.
Cranial Osteopathy
Cranial osteopathy is an osteopathic treatment that encourages the release of stress and tension throughout the body, including the head. It is a gentle yet extremely effective approach and may be used in a wide range of conditions for people of all ages.
Cranial osteopaths are trained to feel a subtle shape change present in all body tissues – the Cranial Rhythm – which is disrupted by tension. Practitioners compare an individual’s rhythm to what is considered ideal. This indicates any present strain or past tensions the body is carrying. It also gives insight into the overall condition of the body.
John Loftus has almost 30 years of experience as a cranial osteopath. He consults at Aman Spa at The Connaught in London.
Tai Chi
Tai chi is a type of internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. There are a number of forms (sometimes also called ‘sets’) which consist of a sequence of slow, rhythmic and meditative body movements.
Tai chi combines meditation with rhythmic breathing, fostering the flow of chi or ‘energy’ within the body – widely believed to enhance health and vitality. Its practice also aims to cultivate a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of the exercises. Learning to do them correctly facilitates balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control and rhythmical movement. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury.
Lei Ming is a certified Tai Chi Master of Special Grade, an author and a visiting lecturer at Long Island University.