The Pursuit Of Happiness

Faraway in the mountains of the Eastern Himalayas, the luxurious Six Senses Bhutan is bringing a bouquet of holistic wellness services to the world’s happiest country. Join in for a retreat of the body, mind and soul.

Satarupa Paul

If ‘calm’ had a sound, it’d be the deep, lingering timbre of a Himalayan singing bowl. That is what it felt like as Kinley, my massage therapist, gently struck one such hand-carved bell-metal bowl with a wooden mallet, and moved it around my ears. The pure tones emanating from it created a strange tingle that emerged from the back of my neck, travelled down my spine, and settled cosily somewhere around the pit of my stomach. That ASMR effect swiftly manifested in a sensation of absolute calm and a feeling of great relaxation, which put me in a state of tranquil acceptance for all the goodness that was to follow, over the next six days of my wellness sojourn with the recently-launched outpost of the Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas, in the Kingdom of Happiness—that is Bhutan.

That afternoon, I had arrived on a choppy flight at the exquisite Paro International Airport of our picturesque neighbouring country, cocooned in a little nook of the Eastern Himalayas. Known for pioneering the concept of Gross National Happiness, Bhutan draws in architecture, nature, spirituality and Buddhism enthusiasts, with its magnificent dzongs (fortresses), peaceful monasteries, invigorating nature hikes, scores of chortens (stupas), and other such delights. As a first-time traveller to this colourful country, I too looked forward to experiencing all that Bhutan had to offer, but my primary agenda, quite predictably, was the elusive pursuit of wholesome happiness—of the body, mind and soul.

Earlier this year, ‘burnout’ was officially recognised as a medical syndrome by the World Health Organisation. I too, was inching towards this overwhelming condition, courtesy my fast-paced, peripatetic lifestyle that was beginning to take a toll on my physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It was about time that I hit pause, rejuvenated and rebooted myself. And Six Senses Bhutan, with its luxury lodges set across three gorgeous locations, sustainable practices and holistic treatments, presented just the right setup for a complete wellness makeover.