From chakra reading to meditation and cold plunges, ancient healing rituals are making a comeback. So can tapping into these old-era remedies really make a change? We put it to the test.
I have a confession; I’m not much of a wellness person. Slow movement bores me, journaling feels like unnecessary admin and as someone with a default of cynicism and overstimulation, tapping into my ‘spiritual’ side feels fraudulent.
Which is why, on one afternoon during a recent stay at RXV Wellness Village, I felt ridiculous staring at the different crystals I needed to use to create a mandala. Used in various traditions, particularly in Buddhism and Hinduism, mandalas are aids for meditation and spiritual practice. My practitioners could sense my reservations (am I that awkward?) and assured me that it would help focus and calm my mind, and guide me to a deeper self-understanding.
Reading my chakras, I was made aware of tension in three key places: my throat, third eye, and crown. The tightness in my throat is a physical echo of the constant internal chatter I carry. Around my third eye, there was a fogginess, a mental static that made it hard to focus. At the crown of my head, a subtle pressure, a reminder of the overstimulation of online life. Naming these sensations didn’t feel mystical – it simply made me conscious of the stress I’d been carrying in specific parts of my body, and gave me a map to focus my attention during the meditation.
The wellness travel space is evolving, and we’re seeing a shift away from spas and yoga classes to intentional, restorative getaways. From Ayurvedic massages and herbal therapies to mindfulness rituals like forest meditation or almsgiving, these immersive experiences promise more than relaxation – they offer a structured way to slow down, recalibrate, and reconnect with body, mind, and even spirit.
It seems I’m not the only one craving escape from social-media fatigue and digital burnout, and seeking real and rare experiences. The Global Wellness Summit’s Future of Wellness 2025 Trends report ranks “analogue wellness” as the year’s top trend. According to a recent Traveloka survey of 12,000 travellers across APAC, “rest and recharge” was the top travel motivation for 26 per cent of respondents, outweighing shopping and visiting cultural sites. This signals a new kind of luxury – one defined by presence, purpose and peace.
Prior to arriving at RXV, I had a consultation with one of the wellness team to talk about my health objectives. I’d flagged that I was keen to focus on my emotional wellbeing, reset my central nervous system, as well as gut health and the pain in my hips and lower back. It transpires that – thanks to the body composition scan and the ungodly sight of the outline of my figure – my posture is so bad I could be on my way to scoliosis. Perfect.
To remedy my ailments, I had an itinerary tailored to my needs. There were the main treatments: a traditional Thai Court-Type massage, used to force the wind element and blood to flow towards the sore muscle areas; a gut massage modified from the traditional Chi Nei Tsang treatment developed by the White Cloud Taoist Monks who believe that the abdominal area is the centre of vital energy; a rose crystal lymphatic facial, which combines traditional Chinese Gua Sha with a facial acupressure massage to help improve the microcirculation of blood and lymph.
But there were also the smaller, equally important moments. At the end of each meal was a special tea – a blend of herbs, spices and fruits specially designed to help digestion, sleep or mood – that came with a five-minute timer, to wait for it to marinate. Since I was travelling solo, I’d use spare moments sitting with myself in silence or with my nose in a book, actively avoiding scrolling TikTok.
There was also the daily hydrotherapy room: rooted in both Ayurveda and naturopathy, it is a holistic treatment. It featured a revitalising spa bath, an oxygen bath, a soda bath, and a cold bath. There was an infrared sauna, also equipped with an hourglass timer, a steam room, and a sensory shower, which has four settings that mimic spring rain, tropical rain, cold mist and a Caribbean storm, with sound effects to match. Surprisingly calming to just meander back and forth in.
I’m someone who typically rushes into things, crashes out over minor inconveniences, and is often all-consumed by whatever is on my mind. To sit under the rule of a timer for 15 minutes, close my eyes, shut off my brain, and melt into the sauna’s wooden panels worked wonders for the mentals.
Slowing down and feeling anchored is a rarity in today’s fast-paced life. Dr Judith Griffiths, Sport & Exercise Psychologist and Director at the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) says that the appeal of wellness travel is that it “offers to take you into a new environment, out of the chaotic 9-5 life that we’re living. It disrupts our automatic routines and gives us more time to reflect. We’re doing more individual self-work than what we’d usually be doing.”
“It’s not just escapism; it gives people space to reorient, reconnect and rediscover themselves,” she says.
RXV is just one thread in a rich tapestry of wellness experiences. Across the world, travellers can immerse themselves in practices rooted in centuries-old traditions. Today’s visitors are seeking authentic, meaningful immersion over surface-level indulgence. They want to slow down, learn from traditions, and leave with tools they can integrate into daily life back home. The appeal lies in structure and intention: each ritual offers a framework to pause, breathe, and reconnect with mind, body, and spirit — a counterbalance to the always-on, chronically online world.
Back in Sydney, the routines of daily life quickly return – but a few simple rituals have stuck. I focus on breathing from my stomach instead of my shoulders; I’m taking up Pilates to strengthen the smaller muscles I’ve neglected, and ensure daily phone-free periods.
They don’t transform my world, but they do slow it down just enough to notice tension and reconnect with my body. The lessons from RXV aren’t dramatic; they’re small, deliberate, and surprisingly grounding – a reminder that even brief rituals can help the mind, body, and soul find their rhythm.
