Dr Jason Culp, the Research and Development Director for Chiva-Som Health Resort & Spa, Thailand, has devoted his life to seeking a holistic, natural path to wellness. The retreat certainly lives up to its name —‘Haven of Life…’
What is the philosophy of Chiva-Som?
Chiva-Som philosophy is based on the understanding that to achieve and maintain optimal health and well-being, all aspects that contribute to “wellness” must be supported. These aspects include the mind, body, and spirit, which exist in a state of dynamic balance. Our healing modalities are specially-designed to support and enhance well-being on each level, thus providing a holistic health and healing experience.
What makes Chiva-Som unique from other wellness retreats and why is it so successful?
For the past 22 years, Chiva-Som has stayed consistent with its simplistic yet profound message of how to attain your optimal well-being. Our principles of wellness remain the solid foundation in which thousands of our guests have built their life-changing wellness routines. While other wellness retreats become distracted with the latest “fads” in the wellness industry, trying to fit all clients into THEIR way of wellness, we place our attention and effort on understanding the individual needs of each guest and tailoring our retreat programmes to match those needs. Additionally, our success arises from the unwavering dedication of the Chiva-Som therapists, staff, and supporting members of the wellness team to support our guests throughout their wellness journey.
What are Chiva-Som’s most unique programmes?
Five new retreats; Cell vitality, Cranial Relief, Tension Release, Emotional Wellbeing and Sustainable Slimming. The aforementioned wellness retreats were created to address key health disruption that detracts from an individual’s quality of life and commonly go un-addressed until permanent health damage has been done. These retreats are specially-designed to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle routines that positively impact health and potentially alleviate the detrimental consequences of chronic, but common health disturbances.
With regards to post-cancer recuperation, what treatments and approaches do you propose to such guests?
Post-Cancer recovery can be a time of extreme relief, alongside nervous uncertainty. At Chiva-Som, we look to provide a safe haven for replenishing the body, resetting the mind, and restoring the spirit. We see our role in the journey back to optimal wellness as providers of education, support, and self-empowerment. Our experienced nutrition experts provide guidance to adopting a health-promoting diet and lifestyle that promotes energy, restoration, and healing. Our skilled and compassionate therapists provide services that help to restore function that usually gets disrupted by conventional cancer treatments while helping to evoke a state of empowerment, hope, and renewal of spirit.
Upon arrival at Chiva-Som what wellness consultation can guests expect?
Health & Wellness consultation – When you first arrive at the resort, an appointment will be made for you with your personal Health and Wellness Advisor. Your Advisor is a qualified health specialist, fully trained to know which of Chiva-Som’s many treatments and activities will be right for you, and how these may be best arranged for maximum results.
As part of this initial consultation, you will be required to complete a Health and Wellness questionnaire. This ensures that we design a programme that is safe, effective and helps you to target your specific needs and goals.
How does Chiva-Som support guests in finding the right treatments?
During Health & Wellness Consultation. You will share the goals of your stay so that the Health & Wellness Advisor can arrange the treatment and activities schedule. We have a followup consultation to adjust the schedule and a followup about the feedback to help you achieve your goal.
Who will most benefit from a stay at Chiva-Som?
Guests that come to Chiva-Som with a genuine interest in enhancing their wellness will benefit most from the vast array of retreats, products, and services that are offered in the resort. Even those who are not sure of their goals or the means to achieve optimal health will gain insight, direction, and motivation during their stay.
You offer short-term and long-term stays. Please expand on what these entail.
There are 13 retreats that you can choose for minimum 3 night’s stay (some retreats require a minimum of 7 nights for optimal results), up to as long as you feel is necessary to achieve your wellness goals. Wellness retreats can be modified, extended, and enhanced based on your length of stay.
When is the best time to visit Chiva-Som?
Chiva-Som remains consistent in excellence of service all year round. The off-peak season in June – September is also the appropriate time to stay as the weather does not affect the resort activities. Therefore, the best time to visit Chiva-Som is when our honoured guests have the time and availability to commit to their wellness journey.
What advice would you give to someone wishing to embark on a wellness retreat?
Come to Chiva-Som with an open and receptive mind. Let go of your self-judgements, criticisms, and just allow yourself to experience a wellness destination that is designed to promote your optimal health and well-being. Starting on your wellness journey can be daunting, but if you put your trust in the Chiva-Som wellness team, you will find strength to begin and achieve your personal wellness goals.
Who are Chiva-Som’s highly trained therapists?
All Chiva-Som therapists are highly-skilled and rigorously-trained to provide exceptional quality and consistency of service. The Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, Fitness staff, and Holistic therapists have to be trained and practiced with multiple modalities until they reach the highest competency and standard to provide treatment for the guests.Does Chiva-Som provide followup training to ensure habits stick?
Does Chiva-Som provide followup training to ensure habits stick?
Guests regularly keep contact with our therapists and Health & Wellness advisors, updating our staff on key milestones, achievements, and changes to their health and well-being. Many guests join us annually or bi-annually for their general wellness check-in, and to reinvigorate their wellness.What essentials do we need at home in our everyday lives, to get as close to the results as we would at Chiva-Som?
What essentials do we need at home in our everyday lives, to get as close to the results as we would at Chiva-Som?
Chiva-Som encourages our guests to continue living a life filled with joy, meaning and purpose, and authenticity of the self. Chiva-Som, in itself, is a healing environment, since it removes you from your regular routines that may or may detract from health, and replaces them with a routine that promotes health.
To re-create this healing space at home, one must analyse their own immediate environment. When we are honest with ourselves, with what detracts to health, and for what purpose that we keep these detractors in our lives, we can start to shift behaviours to a more health-promoting direction. In conjunction with this insight, we ask that our clients use the knowledge and experience they have gained at Chiva-Som to apply in practical ways to their everyday routine, including dietary adjustments, regular physical activity, adequate sleep and rest practices, as well as joyful living. However, these components and lessons are only sustained when one realizes the true value of living a life of wellness.
What health principles do you live your life by?
Khun Boonchu Rojanastien – the Chiva-Som founder once said that “Above all, enjoy your life.” Therefore, whatever wellness journey that you embark on, the enjoyment of life is paramount.
What do you predict that the future trends of wellness and retreats will be?
At Chiva-Som, we predict that the medical tourism and wellness industry will continue to develop and take on an essential role in global healthcare, contributing to the prevention of chronic disease and restoration of optimal health.
Contact your Insignia Personal Assistant for further details.
