Fitness
Velassaru Maldives opens Reformer Pilates and Barre Studio
Velassaru Maldives has announced the opening of its brand-new Reformer Pilates and Barre Studio on 25 July 2025, offering guests an exceptional wellness experience in the heart of paradise. Combining style, comfort, and functionality, the new studio provides a peaceful yet invigorating space for guests to refresh both mind and body.
Open daily from 08:00 to 20:00, the studio is nestled among lush greenery, creating the perfect setting for wellness enthusiasts. Whether guests are experienced practitioners or beginners, Velassaru’s new movement space offers a variety of classes tailored to suit all fitness levels.
Barre Classes: Fun, Fitness, and Flexibility
For those keen to try something new, the Barre classes are open to everyone with no prior experience required. Inspired by ballet training, barre combines elegant movements with Pilates-style exercises, resistance work, and light weights to tone and strengthen the body. Classes are designed to improve balance, build strength, and enhance flexibility, all while moving to energising music in intimate group sessions of up to six participants. Private classes are also available for those seeking a more personalised experience.
Beginner classes start with a warm-up, followed by upper body exercises using free weights. Participants then move to the barre to focus on their thighs and glutes through small, controlled movements. The class concludes with a cool-down session and stretching.
Reformer Pilates: The Celebrity-Favourite Workout
Guests can also enjoy Reformer Pilates, a versatile workout favoured by athletes and celebrities such as Jeniffer Aniston, David Beckham and Novak Djokovic to name a few. Using the Reformer machine, this dynamic practice focuses on improving flexibility, core strength, and balance. Its spring-based resistance engages every muscle group, while the emphasis on controlled breathing promotes mindfulness, delivering a workout that is both meditative and powerful.
Beginner classes introduce the mechanics of the Reformer, breath-led core work, and posture awareness, incorporating exercises such as footwork, leg circles, the short box series (round back and flat back), the long stretch series, knee stretches, and the back rowing series.
Visiting Wellness Practitioner
Adding to the excitement, Velassaru will host renowned wellness practitioner Jyoti (Jazz) Kodwani from 15 August to 15 September 2025. During her residency, Jazz will offer a range of specialised Pilates classes and treatment sessions, catering to a variety of needs:
Discover the benefits of Therapeutic & Functional Pilates, designed to address chronic pain, postural imbalances, and injuries. These healing-focused sessions incorporate rehabilitation techniques, postural correction, and approaches to relieve issues such as back pain and sciatica.
Tailored Pilates classes are also available to meet specific needs. Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates focuses on core strength, pelvic health, and recovery. Runner’s Pilates helps improve stride and prevent injuries, while Athletes’ Pilates builds strength, agility, and flexibility.
Guests can join Jazz for dynamic Reformer Pilates sessions designed to enhance strength, balance, and control, catering to all fitness levels. Alternatively, they can try her Mat Pilates classes, offering low-impact, floor-based exercises centred on core strength. Jazz helps participants refine their technique and build endurance.
The opening of the studio marks another milestone in Velassaru’s commitment to holistic wellness, providing guests with the opportunity to experience something new and to recharge and reset amidst stunning natural beauty. With turquoise waters, powder-soft sands, and cutting-edge fitness facilities, Velassaru offers the ultimate escape for relaxation, renewal, and personal growth.
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.
Featured
Kuramathi Maldives announces private wellness programmes with Imron Zulfikar
Kuramathi Maldives has announced the arrival of esteemed holistic wellness practitioner Imron Zulfikar, who will undertake an exclusive residency at the resort from 15 December 2025 to 3 January 2026. During this period, guests will have the opportunity to participate in bespoke wellness experiences crafted by a recognised expert in integrative health.
Throughout his residency, Imron will conduct a series of private wellness sessions designed to restore balance, promote renewal, and enhance long-term wellbeing. His practice brings together ancient therapeutic traditions and contemporary fitness science, resulting in personalised programmes that support harmony, mobility, and emotional resilience. Signature offerings include:
- Watsu Water Healing Journey: A restorative treatment conducted in warm water, combining elements of shiatsu, massage, and gentle movement to release deep tension, soothe the nervous system, and foster a sense of tranquillity.
- Chakra Balance Therapy: A holistic session that aligns mind and body through crystal healing, guided meditation, and calming massage techniques.
- Meridian Deep Release Massage: A therapeutic blend of deep tissue massage and acupressure aimed at easing chronic tension, improving flexibility, and stimulating energy flow.
- Accu Glow Facial: A rejuvenating facial incorporating acupuncture and customised skincare to activate collagen production, detoxify the skin, and enhance natural luminosity.
- Oriental Slim Detox Massage: A treatment grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine, combining acupuncture and massage to promote lymphatic drainage and support detoxification.
Imron is an accomplished wellness lifestyle coach and holistic fitness specialist with more than ten years of experience in acupuncture, tension release therapies, yoga, Pilates, and personal training. His integrative methodology nurtures physical alignment, emotional balance, and overall vitality.
He has worked with numerous luxury resorts and an impressive roster of high-profile clients, including Serena Williams, Emma Watson, Richard Branson, and members of the UAE Royal Family. Celebrated for his intuitive approach and refined technique, Richard Branson has previously referred to Imron as having “golden hands.”
Kuramathi Maldives looks forward to offering guests this exceptional opportunity to engage in transformative, individually tailored wellness experiences during Imron’s residency.
Featured
From spa rituals to sunrise yoga: Angsana Velavaru champions mindful living
Surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of South Nilandhe Atoll, Angsana Velavaru invites guests to embark on a holistic journey of renewal that nurtures both body and mind.
At the centre of this experience is the award-winning Angsana Spa, inspired by the timeless essence of Asian wellness traditions. Here, the healing power of touch, scent, and nature come together in harmony. Guests can enjoy a range of treatments designed for both relaxation and family bonding, including restorative massages, revitalising body polishes, and signature rituals that incorporate natural ingredients such as coconut, honey, and tropical herbs. Each therapy aims to rejuvenate, soothe, and restore a deep sense of inner calm that reflects the island’s natural rhythm.
Wellness at Angsana Velavaru extends far beyond the spa. The resort’s approach to wellbeing embraces movement, mindfulness, and meaningful connection. Its modern tropical fitness centre provides a tranquil setting for guests to stay active while remaining close to nature. Activities such as aqua aerobics in the Kuredhi Pool and sunrise yoga on the beach combine physical vitality with mindful awareness.
Across the island, guests are encouraged to slow down and reconnect with their surroundings. Guided meditation, breathwork sessions, and sunset yoga create opportunities for reflection and relaxation. These practices are seamlessly woven into the resort’s environment, offering a sense of serenity that lingers long after the stay.
Under the guidance of Wellbeing Director Artemasius Harefa, Angsana Velavaru’s holistic programmes align with Banyan Group’s Eight Pillars of Wellbeing, with a focus on rest, movement, mindfulness, and connection. The result is a collection of experiences designed to inspire balance and renewal, giving guests the opportunity to embrace a more mindful way of living.
“Modern travellers seek more than rest; they seek renewal,” said Artemasius Harefa, Wellbeing Director at Angsana Velavaru. “Our goal is to create experiences that help guests reconnect with themselves and the natural world, turning wellness into a meaningful way of life.”
At Angsana Velavaru, wellbeing is not a moment but a continuous journey shaped by nature, connection, and the healing spirit of the Maldives.
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