How do you manage impending burnout, where your brain feels wrapped in cotton wool and simple tasks become a challenge (without your schedule ever slowing down)?
Traditional Thai Medicine is one trending solution. Citizen Femme’s wellness director Becki Murray set out to discover the technique at Layan Life at Anantara Phuket, Thailand.
In a world that constantly demands more – more work, more productivity, more energy – burnout has become a silent epidemic. And, our traditional solutions have hardly measured up to the problem. We tend to simply take our two-week holiday every year (if we are even that lucky) and then jump straight back onto the work treadmill again. As a wellness director, I’m acutely aware of the problem and am thrilled to see emerging trends for wellness travel that can make a real impact on your long-lasting health and wellbeing – without necessarily being hardcore detox or yoga retreats.
One of the most exciting options is the rise of Traditional Thai Medicine – the cousin of potentially better known (in the West at least) Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. I set off on an adventure of personalised stress-relieving discovery to find out more about the ancient healing technique, by visiting the newly opened Layan Life by Anantara for our Spa of the Month.
THE LOWDOWN
Layan Life by Anantara is the new wellness arm of Anantara Phuket in Thailand, a retreat that already provides a rather gorgeous holiday experience on the island’s northwest coast, with its original spa, beachside pool, multiple restaurants and hideaway villas. (And, don’t worry – even when you book a tailored wellness package, you can still enjoy these facilities as much as you want as part of your stay).
The new longevity centre – which is just a short buggy ride from your room on the original complex – is a seriously impressive and airy two-storey space that emerges out of the surrounding greenery. Decked in a mind-soothing cream and wood-based colour palette throughout, level one is all about fitness and bodywork, plus some water-based pampering. It has a state-of-the-art Technogym gym, Pilates and yoga studios (where you are likely to get the best stretch of your life), hot and cold vitality pools with massage jets, a Himalayan salt sauna and aromatherapy steam room. Then you ascend to the dedicated medical and holistic zone, and things are taken up a notch. Here, a whole fleet of practitioners are on hand to deliver an inch-perfect combination of Traditional Thai medicine and the very latest longevity technologies including cryotherapy, IV therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers (because this is TTM placed firmly in 2025 and beyond).
Within your chosen retreat – which can stretch from three to ten days – you can expect to experience at least ten wellbeing therapies, ranging from traditional herbal remedies and relaxing massages to physiotherapy and aesthetics, setting the stage for a truly personalised approach to rest and recovery that helps treat imbalances, not just your symptoms. In fact, the sanctuary embraces a ‘Whole of Life’ approach, based on the belief that our choices today lay the foundation for our future, with therapies tailored to help you better deal with the unique challenges of each phase of your life. That means in just a short stay you will not only ease the heavy weight of stress from your shoulders, but get to know your own strategies for rest and recovery to employ when back home juggling a busy schedule.
WHAT IS TRADITIONAL THAI MEDICINE?
On arrival at Layan Life by Anantara – after resisting the urge to just flop for the week in my gorgeous pool villa – my first steps were my Medical, Wellness and TTM consultations – the three-pillars of my retreat. In each, a thorough background of my health and goals were recorded to help tailor my treatments, and I got to experience my first crash course in what Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) is – and what it can do for you.
As my friendly therapist explained, TTM is a holistic healing system developed over centuries in Thailand, which incorporates influences of herbal medicine, Ayurveda, Thai massage, and spiritual healing that’s influenced by Buddhist philosophy. Central to TTM is the belief that balance of your mind, body and spirit needs to be maintained among the four elements of the body: Din (earth/structure), Nam (water/fluids), Lom (wind/movement) and Fai (fire/metabolism). Illness, it is suggested, arises when these elements become imbalanced.
Significantly, Traditional Thai Medicine differs from Western medicine because instead of focusing on curing symptoms, TTM sees ailments as one part of a broader puzzle, with an aim to get to the overarching root cause or, better yet, to stop issues occurring in the first place. That can be especially important when trying to deal with mental fatigue and burnout. TTM does also share concepts of energy glow and herbal medicine with the perhaps better known Traditional Chinese Medicine, but distinguishes itself with unique practices like “Luk Pra Kob” (herbal compress therapy) and an emphasis on seasonal body types to help target inflammation, digestive issues, and even hormonal imbalances. I was definitely excited to get stuck in.
THE WELLNESS PROGRAMME
Helped by a Zoom-based pre-arrival consultation before I got on the plane, I quickly realised I wanted to concentrate on reducing inflammation in my body during my retreat (what in TTM is identified as having too much ‘fire’). That meant Traditional Thai Medicine was definitely going to form a core part of my packed schedule, with therapies and techniques to combat stress and my difficulties sleeping – without just making me feel relaxed for a millisecond in the moment.
The highlight of the whole experience was the Pao Ya Therapy – a must-try experience for anyone who, like me, tends to hold stress and irritation in the gut. The unique treatment sees the application of warm herbal oil to your abdomen, followed by the placement of a poultice of digestion-boosting herbs that are briefly ignited – yes, actually set on fire – on your stomach. There’s no need to panic; in fact, it’s quite relaxing, with the gentle warmth aiding the release of tension and promoting digestive health before your therapist massages your stomach. You are hoping for a connected-up red ring to show that your digestive system is working properly – although mine definitely needed a little work!
For that reason, I was also recommended to try the Goy Mod Look Therapy – another deep Thai abdomen massage that I think more people should brave in the UK if they can find a practitioner, despite being a little like a sport’s massage for your belly. Afterwards, I felt lighter and stretched out in a way that energised my body – rather than leaving me feeling heavy like some massages can.
Then, gut issues tackled, it was onto some relaxation, including – spaced throughout my stay – a Thai Herbal bathing ritual that softened my skin and my mind in equal measure; a sound healing session with singing bowls with the same practitioner who I experienced energy healing Reiki with; a full body stretch that was on-par with some of the best massages I’ve experienced; and a calming treatment called Sweet Herbal Dreams, which saw warm aromatherapy herb compresses applied to acupressure points to relieve muscle tension and lull me to a restful night’s sleep. It’s fair to say that each TTM treatment left me feeling inspired and invigorated in equal measure, rounded off nicely by a hearty cup of herbal tea after every one.
Your wellness programme isn’t complete though without the chance to experience complementary longevity treatments too, which are mixed into your schedule (if you want them to be) to tackle your concerns from all angles. For example, I had the IV-vitamin infusion for energy straight off the plane to tackle my jet lag (and it really worked), with the panoramic garden views a lovely way to start my stay. Next, were my cryotherapy sessions, which involved brief exposure to sub-zero temperatures (wearing a rather fetching fluffy hat and mittens) and just as I thought I couldn’t take the cold anymore, it was over, leaving me with endorphin levels as high as they are after a great spin class, plus the benefit of boosted circulation and reduced inflammation too.
With energy sky-high (despite a non-stop schedule), I may have passed on the colonic for clearing out your gut, but did brave the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which sees you relax in a tube for 45 minutes breathing in 100 per cent pure oxygen. It was strange at first – I felt a bit like an astronaut – but once again, the sensation when I emerged was like the relaxation of three massages rolled into one and I haven’t slept so well in ages.
THE ROOMS
During your retreat at Layan Life, you can stay at one of the numerous room offerings at Anantara Layan Phuket resort, each a dreamy space for lazy afternoons between appointments at the wellness centre – if you can bear to get out of the oh-so-cosy king-sized bed, that is. And you’re pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to where you rest your head. For just the right amount of privacy, we’d recommend the Deluxe Pool Villas, which open out into decking with their own plunge pools and sundecks, all surrounded by lush greenery.
For breathtaking sea views, another option is a Grand Sea View Pool Suite, offering unbeatable vistas from your own pool, or for larger groups there are the stunning residences, offering the next-level of R&R. Starting from two bedrooms and going all the way up to seven, these are truly your own personal hideaways, complete with infinity pools, live-in butlers, and even home cinemas in some. It’s the height of luxury, with the beach and jungle landscape as your backdrop.
THE DINING
As part of your retreat, you’ll be introduced to the specialised ‘Food for Life’ programme created by the expert wellness chef Filippo Tawil. Available at Breeze – the main restaurant that spills onto the beach – this is healthy food that is still very much designed to bring joy and colour into your diet. All dishes are free from gluten, dairy and processed sugars, and feature a balance of high-quality macronutrients, but most importantly they are full of flavour, with a wide selection of traditional Thai dishes given a healthy twist to delight your taste buds. I personally couldn’t get enough of the sprout salad with pumpkin at lunchtime and the vegetarian pho at dinner.
However, while you can eat from this menu and go as far as to have a nutritional plan drawn up by your practitioners to help with certain issues, this isn’t a retreat where you are given what you are given. While you get advice on the best foods to limit or dose up on (for example avoiding or boosting spices to balance your elements), there are also plenty of opportunities to indulge.
That includes the daily breakfast buffet that offers a comprehensive range of all your traditional favourites, especially brilliant açai bowls; the weekend brunch that caters for all cuisines (and hearty appetites); and the feast of award-winning sushi available at Zuma. Then, for a really memorable evening, you have to make time for Dara’s indulgent Thai cuisine that is uniquely themed around the constellations. Once you have eaten your fill, there’s an opportunity to stargaze using the restaurant’s own telescope on the roof, where you can see planets including Mars, aided by a knowledgeable expert.
WHAT TO DO
You could spend all day in and out of the treatment rooms at Layan Life and be completely content, but there’s plenty of other things to enjoy too if you wish. You have the original Anantara Phuket spa to indulge in really pampering treatments, such as more conventional soothing facials and massages, and the Active Zone is a further area of activity on site, which offers an open-air functional gym, climbing wall, archery and even a zip-line through the trees. You can try your hand (and feet) at Muay Thai boxing – one of Thailand’s most popular sports – and tennis, to really get your heart rate racing.
For the more ocean-minded, head to the water, for a simple dip in the sea, on a paddle board (something I’d recommend doing just after the sunrise, before breakfast) or on a traditional Thai boat. And, there’s a full programme of other activities available if your itinerary doesn’t feel quite packed enough, including unique experiences such as Thai sword dancing. One thing is for certain, this is a concentrated wellness retreat that will never feel boring. There’s simply too much to try and to discover, both about the joys of Traditional Thai medicine and yourself.
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