Spa
Six Senses Spa Laamu welcomes visiting wellness practitioner Doreen Vivian Bakstad
Maldives.net.mv – Visiting wellness practitioner, Doreen Vivian Bakstad will visit Six Senses Spa Laamu, in the Maldives, for a six-week engagement from 16 January through 2 March 2014.
With more than 30 years in the wellness profession, Doreen has trained in a multitude of therapies for the body (soma) and mind (psyche); most notably Swedish massage, Jin Shin Do® Acupressure – “The Way of the Compassionate Spirit,” Hakomi Body – Centered Psychotherapy, Acutonics®, Watsu®, Tai Qi, Qigong and Laughter Yoga.
She incorporates a unique combination of therapies and is gifted at facilitating deep relaxation of both emotional and physical tensions and stress. Her training in psychotherapy and counselling allows her to help others to move out of the analytical mind into the “bodymind,” thus creating a greater self-awareness and understanding, along with renewed vitality.
With open-heartedness and delightful humour, Doreen awakens a remembering in her clients and students of the fullness of who they truly are. During her visit at Six Senses Laamu she will be focusing on Acupressure Massage/Acutonics – a unique, pressure point, oil massage, incorporating tuning forks for blissful relaxation.
Doreen is originally from Canada, but she has made the world her home since 1976, through travelling, seeking to develop her techniques and her therapy practice. Recently, she spent more than 2 years in India and Cambodia performing humanitarian service. She was then given the opportunity on multiple occasions to teach acupressure for which she has developed her own technique along with mindfulness meditation, qigong, aqua-exercise classes and yoga.

Jin Shin Do® Acupressure Classes will be held for individuals, couples and small groups. Guests can learn how to utilise acupressure points in specific combinations for releasing tensions, relaxing muscles and opening energy flows. Classes may be tailored to individual preferences. Each class includes Hara Breathing – a Taoist practice for cultivating excellent health. Options include, but are not limited to: Shoulder/Neck Release; Headache Relief; Back Tension Release; Acupressure for Women; Potent Points for General Balancing; Fundamentals of Self-Acupressure for Wellbeing.
Complimentary Guest Classes in Pal Dan Gum, The Eight Silken Movements, will also be offered as will Laughter Yoga or Laughter Exercise. It is easy to learn, easy to practice and suitable for all ages of twelve or over. What began in a Mumbai park in 1995 with five people, has become a world-wide movement, with over 8,000 laughter clubs in more than 65 countries around the world. Find out for yourself why laughter is the best medicine.
News
Niva Dhigali Maldives to host wellness week with Gemma Merna this June
This June, Niva Dhigali Maldives invites guests to experience wellbeing at its own pace. As part of Wellness Week with Gemma Merna, this private island becomes a space for calm, connection and renewal, with five days shaped to restore the body and mind in a setting that feels open, natural and alive.
Gemma Merna is a Master Intuitive Psychology Coach, hypnotherapist, yoga and Pilates teacher, sound healer, and founder of Mind and Wellness. She blends science-backed practices with intuition, movement, and mindfulness to guide guests in reconnecting with themselves, cultivating clarity, confidence, and calm in a deeply restorative way.
For this Maldives retreat, Gemma has curated a five-day programme combining mindful movement, meditation, sound healing, and reflective workshops. Guests can expect a nurturing yet empowering journey, supported by the island’s natural rhythm of light, sea and open space.
Each day begins framed by gentle ocean breeze and sunrise light, with revitalising yoga flows designed to awaken the body and calm the mind. Guided workshops explore simple tools for releasing tension and inviting ease, from Gua-Sha self-care techniques to sessions that encourage inner strength and mental clarity. Movement finds its own pace with Pilates sessions that balance breath and body, while sunset yoga flows and restorative soundbaths invite quiet reflection as day turns to evening.
Surrounded by the tranquil beauty of the Raa Atoll, Niva Dhigali offers a setting made for presence and renewal. Days are unhurried, horizons stretch endlessly, and the sea is a quiet companion to every moment. Whether practising on the jetty at sunrise or resting under palms after a soundbath on Haali Beach, each day unfolds with ease, allowing guests to reconnect with their body, mind and surroundings.
Pause. Breathe. Enjoy the simple rhythms of the island, carrying the feeling of this week with you long after departure.
Fitness
OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru launches expanded wellness programming for 2026
As wellness continues to shape how travellers plan and prioritise their journeys in 2026, OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels is redefining the restorative island escape with the launch of expanded, immersive wellness programming at OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort.
Set on a private island in the South Ari Atoll, the boutique resort reflects OUTRIGGER’s lifestyle-led approach to hospitality at a time when travellers are seeking a more restorative 2026. Anchored by Navasana Spa as a central wellness hub, the enhanced offerings invite guests to embrace a “new year, new me” mindset through movement, mindfulness and island-inspired rituals.
“OUTRIGGER is about creating space for guests to slow down and feel grounded in their surroundings,” said John Allanson, General Manager of OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort. “Here in the Maldives, the natural rhythm of island life guides the experience, and our expanded wellness offerings allow guests to engage with that rhythm in a way that feels personal and intentional.”
At OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru, wellness extends beyond the spa and into the fabric of the resort experience. Navasana Spa now offers a curated mix of dynamic fitness and mindful practices designed to support both energy and restoration.
A dedicated fitness and yoga studio hosts aerial yoga, sunrise yoga with panoramic island views, bungee fit, rebound training and TRX suspension, alongside chakra healing, sound healing and full moon meditation sessions held in calming oceanfront settings. Hammocks, mats and sound bowls create a space that encourages both movement and introspection.
Wellness-forward dining highlights fresh tropical fruits and island-sourced ingredients, with flexible menus designed to accommodate a range of dietary preferences and wellness goals.
A new highlight of the resort’s wellness expansion is The Alchemy Bar, an interactive space that invites guests to engage directly in self-care rituals. Workshops include coconut oil cooking, herbal poultice making, candle crafting and organic soap creation, offering a tactile, memorable layer to the wellness experience.
Guests can also explore a curated selection of herbal teas, bath and sleep kits and aromatic candles, allowing wellness practices to extend beyond the stay.
For guests seeking a more structured approach, OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru introduces two multi-night wellness programmes, available in three-, five- or seven-night formats.
- Holistic Fitness Package: Designed for guests focused on motivation and movement, this programme blends personalised fitness sessions with Pilates-based exercises and flexibility training, tailored to individual goals and preferences.
- Healing Retreat Package: Beginning with a wellness consultation and screening, this programme emphasises gentle, supportive practices including daily yoga, therapeutic sound healing and targeted treatments that encourage emotional balance and deep relaxation.
With just 81 modern and sleek villas, OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru offers the privacy and calm ideal for wellness-focused travel. The island’s lush interior, turquoise lagoon and thriving house reef provide a natural backdrop for sunrise meditation, aerial yoga or quiet moments of quiet reflection. Guests can further enhance their stay through PADI-certified diving, silent sunset cruises and reef exploration, all aligned with the resort’s restorative ethos.
Featured
Yoko Kawaguchi to lead holistic wellness residency at Vakkaru Maldives
Vakkaru Maldives has announced the residency of acclaimed holistic practitioner Yoko Kawaguchi at Merana Spa, taking place from 17 March to 30 April 2026. The residency forms part of the resort’s ongoing focus on wellness, restoration and mindful living.
Grounded in Japanese healing traditions, Kawaguchi’s therapeutic philosophy centres on personalised care designed to calm the nervous system, release emotional tension and support the body’s natural restorative functions. Her integrative approach combines auriculotherapy (ear reflexology), aromatherapy, Reiki energy healing and targeted massage techniques to create treatments tailored to individual needs.
Guests may select from a range of core therapies offered during the residency. Highlights include the Tranquil Mind Ritual, which blends scalp massage, ear reflexology and energy work to ease tension and encourage emotional clarity. The Aroma Reiki Healing Touch treatment combines aromatherapy back massage with carefully selected essential oils and Usui Reiki to address both physical and emotional blockages. Auriculotherapy sessions focus on stimulating reflex points in the ears to support hormonal balance, immunity, nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing, with optional ear seeds available to extend the benefits beyond the treatment.
Alongside individual sessions, Kawaguchi will offer complimentary consultations and a programme of group wellness experiences. These include guided Reiki self-healing meditation and ear stretching massage sessions designed to promote relaxation and mental clarity, providing guests with simple techniques to support their wellbeing during and after their stay.
Hosted within the serene surroundings of Merana Spa, the residency offers guests an opportunity to pause, reset and engage in a deeper wellness journey, aligned with Vakkaru Maldives’ philosophy of understated luxury and holistic balance.
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