Working with a number of highly respected doctors and wellness professionals, Six Senses Douro Valley (Lamego, Portugal) created an innovative approach to wellbeing with its Six Senses Integrated Wellness program, which involves the spa’s in-house experts measuring and analyzing key physiological biomarkers to help provide spa-goers with a personalized program. Mehmet Oz, M.D., one of the doctors involved in developing the revolutionary program, visited the spa and sampled the program firsthand. Here, he shares his thoughts on the experience.
Q. What makes the Integrated Wellness Program so special?
A. It’s a superb comprehensive program to assess the baseline health of spa-goers. The screening system combines several different noninvasive tests of the body, ranging from subtle aspects of the heartbeat to the oxygen level in the blood to the electrical conductance of the skin to offer clues on where to focus your efforts towards optimal health. Practitioners can help spa-goers understand how stress or inflammation or insomnia is affecting the body and offer customized approaches to accelerate healing. It finishes with Fusionetics, the best system to understand physical fitness and flexibility so we can avoid injuries. By customizing the program, spa-goers can take advantage of the many therapeutic options available, such as massage, nutrition, sleep, and physical training.
Q. How did you come to be involved with the program?
A. A good friend visited the spas and liked them so much that he became
an owner. I love how it helped him appreciate the wisdom of its approach.
Q. What role did the destination play in your experience?
A. It provided a holistic, healthy, and healing environment. I love how the spa is embedded in this sacred land, and yet it didn’t impose itself on the terrain, but rather gently married the surroundings. The outdoor experiences included hiking and tree climbing, spectacular ways to learn about yourself and the world around you.
