Island sanctuary Vakkaru Maldives celebrates wellness with the appointment of Anju Rathi as the new resident yoga and fitness instructor tasked with enhancing the island resort’s fitness and wellness programmes. The resort’s serene setting and an experienced yoga practitioner are just what guests need to harmonise mind, body and soul on their break from the outside world.

A Master in Naturopathy and Yoga Science, Anju Rathi brings eight years of yoga experience and expertise in various yoga practices and techniques. Expanding on her role, Anju said, “The ancient practices of yoga help to restore mind and body. My job is to use yoga and its philosophy to develop body-mind-spirit awareness, physical flexibility and strength. In addition, I adopt a holistic approach to fitness training and strongly focus on execution to improve overall health and well-being in a calming and encouraging environment.”

Anju, a former athlete and natural born-teacher, is passionate about all kinds of yoga, from Ashtanga, Yin, Hatha and Restorative Yoga to Therapeutic Yoga. She is a specialist in ensuring the programmatic delivery of all yoga therapy and wellness programmes for experienced practitioners and beginners. She views yoga as a means to a healthy lifestyle and has created several transformational mind and body yoga programmes for guests at Vakkaru Maldives, including therapeutic Yoga and Prenatal Yoga.

Therapeutic yoga is a one-on-one Yoga session that takes a whole body or holistic approach to alleviating pain, arthritis or dealing with other health issues. During the session, Anju guides guests through specific yoga postures and techniques to get pain relief and enhance health. While during prenatal yoga, she helps mom-to-be prepare for childbirth by relaxing the body and focusing on safe techniques and poses through all stages of pregnancy. A multi-faceted approach to exercise, prenatal yoga encourages stretching and mental centring with many benefits for both mother and child, including increasing strength, flexibility, and endurance.

As the resort’s fitness instructor, Anju brings a holistic approach to fitness training and creates personalised fitness and physical therapy programmes for guests based on their physical conditions and fitness goals. The training includes cardio and core training, pilates, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), weight lifting and barefoot beach workout.

Speaking about Anju’s appointment, Iain McCormack, General Manager, Vakkaru Maldives said: “Well-being is now at the heart of our lives. At Vakkaru, we are committed to enhancing the guest experience by continually responding to guests’ rising demand for experiences that speak to their overall well- being. With Anju’s transformational yoga, meditation and fitness programmes, we continue to deliver experiences that positively impact our guests’ lifestyles.”

For more information visit vakkarumaldives.com.