Meditation
Four Seasons Kuda Huraa Introduces Sup Yoga
Maldives.net.mv – The yogis at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa will be enjoying a few lessons themselves this summer. Kat Harding – Australia’s first qualified Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) yoga instructor – is coming island-side to train Kuda Huraa’s mat masters in the art of paddleboard-based poses. Kat will also be available for exclusive guest sessions from August 3 to 9, 2015, the week of the annual Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy: a WSL specialty event between six world champion surfers.
Doyenne of SUP yoga and all-round yoga guru, Kat Harding is set to unite – and elevate – Kuda Huraa’s surf and Spa offering, expanding the opportunity for guests to strengthen their connection, both within their core and with the ocean.
“SUP Yoga is an amazing experience where you are able to synchronise the movements of your body with the ocean,” explains Kat. “Its appeal is in its natural rawness, floating gracefully and using your own strength to balance as you move and flow with the water underneath you.”
While yoga’s origins date back thousands of years – and is practised to unite mind, body and spirit through breath – SUP Yoga is a relatively new hybrid, uniting yoga traditions with surfing and wellbeing through the paddleboard. It’s a discipline that engages the whole body, building strength, flexibility and focus while imparting an incredible sense of joy and freedom.
Kat hails from Noosa, Australia – home of Kuda Huraa’s surf partners, Tropicsurf – continuing the surf pedigree and easy laid-back vibe that the Resort has become synonymous with. Kat’s own yoga journey began as a teen with a Christmas gift of a yoga DVD. Her love of movement flourished, inspiring her to travel and experiment with various yoga disciplines; train as a yoga teacher with Laxmi Yoga (Sally Parkes) in London and Spain; and go on to qualify as Australia’s first SUP yoga instructor. Trained in vinyasa, hatha, dynamic, yin and prana flow yoga, she combines her passions for yoga, surfing, healthy living and nature on the paddleboard. She’s also an e-book co-author, blogger, Fire and Shine luminary, Wanderlust Festival presenter and hosts Australia’s only luxury SUP yoga retreats.
“It’s a real honour to have Kat on board to help us launch SUP Yoga,” concludes Sanju Upadhyay, Manager ofThe Island Spa. “As a discipline it incorporates the best of Kuda Huraa – ocean-inspired activities, yoga and healthy outdoor living – while our warm, shallow lagoon makes the ideal practice ground. Our yogis and guests are in for a real treat.”
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.
Featured
Francesc Miralles and Numthip Puntha to lead wellness residencies at Amilla Maldives
Amilla Maldives is hosting two visiting wellness practitioners during February and March, offering guests access to tailored therapies focused on balance, vitality and overall wellbeing.
Currently in residence, Francesc Miralles is at the resort from 30 January to 20 February 2026. An internationally recognised wellness consultant from Catalonia, he brings more than three decades of experience across Classical Chinese Medicine, physiotherapy and luxury hospitality. His approach integrates therapeutic movement, seasonal wellbeing and food as medicine, supporting guests in building resilience, restoring energy and achieving a sense of calm. During his residency, guests can book personalised sessions including physiotherapy, postural alignment, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy and facial acupuncture, alongside Harmonia classes focused on posture, mindfulness and longevity nutrition.

From 20 February to 25 March 2026, Francesc will be followed by Numthip Puntha, also known as Amp. A highly qualified physiotherapist from Thailand, she specialises in integrative therapies that combine Lifestyle Medicine, Sound Healing and Chi Nei Tsang. Her treatments are designed to support emotional release, detoxification and the restoration of the body’s natural energy flow. Guests will have the opportunity to experience healing massage, lymphatic drainage, Tibetan sound therapy, cranial release, Reiki and Chi Nei Tsang, as well as group sound bath sessions.
These visiting practitioner programmes form part of Amilla Maldives’ ongoing focus on personalised wellness, delivered within the resort’s tranquil island environment. Further information about the resort and its wellness offerings is available via the Amilla Maldives website.
Meditation
Dr Shakkeel AM to offer visiting practitioner sessions at Ifuru Island Maldives
Ifuru Island Maldives is welcoming Dr Shakkeel AM as a Visiting Wellness Practitioner, marking a step in the resort’s plans to develop a curated Visiting Practitioner programme.
Dr Shakkeel, a CIDESCO-certified naturopath and acupuncturist, will be in residence at the resort from 28 January to 30 March. The residency forms part of Ifuru Island Maldives’ strategy to introduce rotating international wellness specialists and expand its holistic wellbeing offering.
With more than ten years of experience in luxury wellness hospitality across the Maldives, India and Bahrain, Dr Shakkeel brings a personalised and integrative approach to wellbeing. His practice is influenced by classical Ayurveda and modern therapeutic methods, drawing inspiration from his grandfather, an Ayurvedic healer.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences and advanced acupuncture training from the Jing Well Academy. Each guest programme begins with a comprehensive consultation, including Tridosha assessment, tongue diagnosis and pulse analysis, to tailor treatments to individual needs.
During his residency, guests will have access to a range of therapies, including therapeutic and cosmetic acupuncture, Kalari Marma therapy, sleep-enhancing treatments, detoxification programmes, posture alignment therapy, immersive Ayurvedic rituals, restorative bodywork and guided meditation sessions.
Ifuru Island Maldives said the residency supports its long-term plan to establish a rotating Visiting Practitioner programme, aimed at offering guests access to internationally experienced wellness experts and structured, results-driven wellness journeys.
Guests will be able to begin their experience with a complimentary Ayurveda or wellness consultation during the residency period.
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