Absolute Sanctuary, Koh Samui 

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I was beyond excited to be invited to stay at Absolute Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand. The resort has a stellar reputation for wellness retreats that focus on health, lifestyle, fitness, and weight management. It is part of the Absolute You Group, which has seven studios in Thailand and four in Singapore.

Those of us living in Bangkok are familiar with the Absolute You studios. I had previously joined a pilates reformer class with a friend and was impressed with the studio and teachers. As I continue my journey seeking out Asia’s best health and wellness retreats, I was eager to see what’s on offer here in Samui.

‘You become what you surround yourself with. Energies are contagious.

Choose carefully. Your environment will become you’   Unknown.

This quote ran across my Instagram feed. It grabbed my attention, and I stopped scrolling. I love it when the universe sends me a message. Or perhaps it’s just some algorithm that knows me better than I know myself. Whatever! Your environment will become you—I’m sold!

For me, the focus of 2022 has been making positive lifestyle changes. I’m looking for motivation for my fitness and a routine that can work with my lifestyle. I don’t want this to be just a five-night stay; I want it to be transformational!

When I visited, the resort was at 60% occupancy and felt vibrant and lively but not crowded. I went out of my way to take photos without others to respect their private journeys.

Do you need help with your fitness?

I am about to have a significant birthday and as I enter my next decade, I am keen to do something about my declining physical condition. Whilst this may not all be age-related and was certainly exacerbated by my sedentary lockdown years, where way too much time was spent working at a computer. I refuse to believe that life is all downhill from here!

I applaud anyone who emerged fitter and stronger from the past few years. I was not one of them.  

Are you carrying more weight than is healthy?

With a lack of a consistent fitness routine, I’d gained more weight than I felt comfortable with. My metabolism became sluggish, and with it, I found everything slowed, including my zest for life. The only part of me fired up was my ever-continuing hot flushes. Honestly wasn’t I getting too old for continued menopause symptoms?

Body Composition Analysis

My arrival Body Composition Analysis (measured by stepping on a sophisticated set of scales) made for a dismal reading. Overweight and heading towards obesity, muscle mass analysis low… 

My only good news was my good visceral fat levels, low blood pressure, and the fact that I was in a beautiful place that could kick-start a new me!

What Wellness Program do you need?

I had difficulty choosing which of the myriad wellness programs would best suit me. I was tempted by Yoga, Women’s Holistic Health, Anti-stress and Burnout, Fitness Weight Management, Lifestyle Change, Pilates Reformer Bootcamp, and Detox programs. Decisions, decisions!

In consultation with the Absolute Sanctuary team, I decided to take the newest program, Just Me.

My Just Me program

The program outline says, “Take Time To Do What Makes Your Soul Happy,” which sounded good.  It looked like a great way to have a schedule of yoga, pilates, spa massages, self-reflection, and relaxation. Perfect, sign me up.

Meditation

Each day started with 30 minutes of meditation at 8 am. On my first day, my attention was more on the extremely raucous chickens in the surrounding gardens, intent on disrupting my practice. Still, by the end of my stay, someone had either ‘dealt’ with the chooks or, as I suspected, I’d become better at entering the zone!

I had no idea how many different forms of meditation there could be but over these five days, my breath work deepened.

While everyone else slept in on the last day, I had a private meditation class.  Jana taught me some simple techniques to continue my meditation at home.

Absolute Yoga Centre

The twice-daily group classes offer a range of yoga. I feel there is a yoga class for everyone here, from Restorative Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga, Detox yoga, and Flow classes.  

My first yoga class was a beautiful, gentle Detox class with Tammy. I do my usual, and when the question ‘Anyone carrying any injuries I should know about?’ is asked, my hand shoots up with my ailments.  Well, I don’t want them to think I’m just not bothering, do I? Between a dodgy knee and a weak wrist, I’m not quite the yogi of yesteryear.

I needn’t worry; with a skilled teacher and the right class, I can still do yoga! 

Although I am chuffed and thinking I’m back, I can do yoga here, Jana, the next yoga teacher, firmly informs me that the Flow Class in the evening is aimed at advanced students and might be too much for me! I have a little sob with her about how my body was stronger, fitter, and more able before COVID, and she tells me this is quite normal and is encouraging that I will return to some of my old yogic form.

By the end of my stay, it’s a fist pump moment when I attend and enjoy an Advanced class! 

Pilates at Absolute Sanctuary

There are two Pilates studios at the resort. The Reformer Studio has 10 reformer machines, and I have joined daily workouts. I started with a Foundation Class to ensure I could use the reformer machine safely. The classes varied from Abs & Arms,  Butt & Thighs, and Fit & Tone. 

At the Functional Studio, you will find all sorts of pilates equipment for private pilates classes that I have never seen before. Twice a week, they hold a Core Suspend class, which looks like a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed Pilates and found it helped me achieve my goal of being toned and leaner. The classes were great for a broad range of ages and fitness levels.

Fitness Centre

I decided to join an additional Personal Training session outside my Just Me program, which cost me 2000 THB. I wanted to devise a personal training program that I could conduct on my own. The opportunity to have a completely personalized program is one of the big attractions of Absolute Sanctuary.

Their gym is small but contains everything needed: treadmill, elliptical, bike, dumbbell rack, and stretching station.

Swimming Pool & Steam Room

The pool area at Absolute Sanctuary is gorgeous. The infinity pool is surrounded by sun loungers and umbrellas, and The Vitamin Bar offers a variety of drinks. Do not miss the Happy Hour juice deal between 2 and 4 pm.

The steam room is great for those keen to detox.  

Body Realignment

The Personalised Supportive Therapy hour, bio-mechanical assessment with Dr William, and subsequent treatment was a highlight of my stay. I defy anyone not to benefit from being straightened out and have told my entire family they must come for this alone!  I arrived with a list of my aches & pains, which were treated using a variety of physical therapy techniques.

My knee and wrist issues have greatly improved, and I was given advice for an at-home program of self-massage and hydra therapy treatment.

Reiki Healing

I concentrated most of my energy on physical fitness rather than emotional well-being.  I have previously documented my search for my inner zen Wren. However, I could not resist the opportunity to have a Reiki session with Uschi.

Reiki is an energy healing that promotes relaxation. Before lying down, Uschi and I briefly chatted about my life. During my session, I envisioned a door in motion and pink lights and felt an intense heat around my head. By the time the session ended, I was in deep relaxation and felt a reassuring sense of calm.

We chatted afterwards, and Uschi related some things that came up for her as she was conducting my Reiki session. Pink is the healing colour of nurturing, emotional healing, and harmony …

W𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 C𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞

Perhaps the heart of Absolute Sanctuary is the restaurant called The Love Kitchen. At least, this is where my memorable interactions with the other guests took place.

Broth Soup Corner & Guest Lounge Community Area

The broth and ginger tea area is in a relaxed and cosy corner of the restaurant. Here, you can find a book to borrow and other guests to chat with, whether sharing your experience of the day or asking for spa treatment recommendations. The guests are lovely, supportive, and genuine people. You can come here with friends or family, as many did, but if you come alone, you will not feel alone for long.

Weight Loss

Three extensive menus are available: wellness, Detox, and Weight loss. People I spoke to, like me, were really impressed with the range of food on offer and how good, clean, and healthy it was. I never ate the same meal twice.

Each program has a tailored menu, so I did not find out about the weight loss menu until well into my stay. Given my goal of losing weight, I asked if I could switch my menu. But I was told a firm no! My program indicated I was here for Wellness cuisine. I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to be told twice that I CAN have pudding.

I was very happy to find out that three wellness meals daily, no snacking, and lots of fitness resulted in a 1.8kg loss in five days. I was so chuffed. Even more good news is that the following weeks since the retreat have resulted in further weight loss.

Healthy Thai Cooking Class

Included in my package was a cooking lesson. This was different from other Thai cooking classes I have been to as I chose from the menu what I wanted to learn to cook. I have often found Thai food to have a long, daunting list of ingredients that I have walked away thinking I will never have the time or inclination to cook.

Not here! We cooked three dishes within thirty-five minutes, including the preparation. I left with the knowledge and the recipes to reproduce these meals at home.

Spa

I loved having a daily massage to relax and recover after my fitness workouts. The spa therapists are a skilled and happy bunch. Thank you to Khun Maew and Mam, who, between them, spent many hours working on my body.

Suite Room

I can’t finish without mentioning Absolute Sanctuary’s beauty. It has recently been restyled and has 38 rooms. My suite room was utterly gorgeous. It had a large seating area to relax in. The bathroom was fabulous too, with both a bath and a shower. My alarm was set for 6.30 am each day, and I slept well every night.

For me, this was a perfect resort size: large enough to offer a variety of programs and small enough to offer a personalised plan.

Was it transformational?

Yes! Absolute Sanctuary realigned my body and revitalised my interest in a fitness routine. I also developed further skills in meditation, yoga, and pilates and look forward to continuing with these. Wow, I can’t believe how quickly I relaxed and recharged during my five days. I had time and space to reconnect with my inner Zen Wren.

A few days later, my friends are saying, “You look good. What have you been up to?” “Well,” I say, “How long have you got?”

If you are looking to detox, pamper, de-stress, manage your weight, change your lifestyle, indulge in yoga or pilates, or simply enjoy a meaningful holiday, check out Absolute Sanctuary. You too could be on your way to becoming a fitter Zen Wren version of yourself.

The details

For all the details and more, check out

Website: www.absolutesanctuary.com

Address: 88 Moo 5 Tambol Bophut, Amphur Koh Samui Surat Thani 84320 Thailand

Tel: +66 7760 1190     
E-mail:  bookings@absolutesanctuary.com

Check out more about Absolute Sanctuary here at Embrace Wellness Travel by Poss and Ruby and with Frequent Travellers Rosalind and Alan’s post: Absolute Sanctuary.

Disclosure: Little Wandering Wren was a guest of Absolute Sanctuary and received a Hosted Wellness Stay. All opinions are my own.