Natural therapies to reset

Resetting your nervous system through wellness sees an upward tick among affluent Indians, and practitioners are ready to tackle 2025 burnout

- Yashita Damani

Modern spas are swapping scented candles for cellular rejuvenation.

These seven science-backed treatments go beyond indulgence to offer real relief: from chronic pain to hormonal imbalances. The new spa consumer is informed, intentional, and hungry for measurable results. From hyperbaric oxygen to red light therapy, these cutting-edge treatments don't just feel good- they do good.

Welcome to the era of results-driven relaxation; coded in biology, not just beauty. Nervous system regulation, hormone alignment, and mood-boosting modalities for discerning wellness audiences who seek more than surface-level relaxation and want evidence-backed reasons to invest in their health.

The pandemic accelerated this shift as people sought safer, non-pharmaceutical ways to manage their well-being. As a result, spa therapies are evolving into serious modalities for health restoration rather than mere 'indulgences.'

Massages meets medicine

Touch, once considered intuitive, now comes with a diagnosis. We interviewed Dr Sreelal Sankar, Head of Ayurveda at Ananda in the Himalayas, whom, when asked about specific therapies at Ananda backed by scientific studies or clinical evidence for pain, anxiety, or chronic stress, shared how from an Ayurvedic perspective, pain, anxiety, and stress are viewed differently.

“Pain is seen as a process rather than a state, signifying that changes are occurring in the body, and transformation, repair, or healing is taking place, whether physical or mental. When someone experiences pain, it serves as a signal from the body that something is not right and the body is addressing it.” Once the process has concluded, the pain typically disappears.