Tibetan Medicine (Sowa Rigpa), 14 nights
Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan system of medicine, sold as a five-, seven- or 14-night programme in the Himalayan foothills at Dehradun.
14 nights, sharing a room
- Length
- 14 nights
- Lengths
- 5 · 7 · 14 nights
- Discipline
- Sowa Rigpa
What this actually is
The programme
Six Senses Vana is a retreat in Dehradun, in the Himalayan foothills, selling a Tibetan Medicine programme of five, seven or 14 nights. The property says Sowa Rigpa is delivered there by Tibetan doctors and therapists from the north of India, and describes Vana as one of the few places in the world where the system is formally offered in its 'complete avatar'.
The property describes Sowa Rigpa as rooted in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and Buddhism. At 14 nights it lists a Tibetan consultation and wellness screening, 14 Tibetan treatments, 12 GOM Tibetan meditation sessions and six natural healing or Tibetan therapies.
The property says every stay includes full board with guided nutrition, daily activities, a wellness consultation and screening, transfers, attire and one private treatment or session a night. Its doctors plan an itinerary after the arrival consultation. Elevation Menu treatments cost extra.
Is this your kind of stay?
Who it may suit, and when to consider another option
Use both columns as travel-planning guidance. Final medical suitability must be discussed with your own doctor and the qualified team at the property.
✓Consider this if
- Stress or anxiety — the property lists settling anxiety and soothing stress among the programme’s benefits
- Poor sleepers — the property says the programme positively affects sleep quality
- Meditators — 4, 6 or 12 GOM sessions by length, and the page says 'our retreat encourages mindfulness'
- Solo travellers — the property says many of its guests travel to the retreat alone
✗Consider another option if
- Anyone who needs a phone around the retreat — the property allows devices only in guest rooms or the Sketchbook meeting space
- Anyone who wants to take photographs around the retreat — the property allows photography only within guest rooms
- Guests who require personal security, pre-arrival inspections or other security protocols — the property says it cannot welcome them
- Under-16s — the property opens its full range of wellness offerings from age 16, saying some are not appropriate for younger children
A day, hour by hour
The day, as the property publishes it
The fact sheet says group activities run from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, to join as you like; the sample day is not specific to this programme.
- Hike to BarlowganjSign-up, book 24 hours ahead. 'Example Day 5' of the property’s general retreat schedule, open to all guests and not specific to this programme.
- Pratah Yoga — posture, breathing, awareness
- Power Walk
- Gom Meditation
- Mindful TeaSign-up activity.
- Madhyan YogaLight movement of joints and body.
- Prajna — Yoga Nidra
- Walking Meditation
- Raag Therapy 'Peace'
- Sandhya Yoga — breathing, relaxation
- Sowa Rigpa: Ancient Science of Tibetan HealingA talk.
Where you stay
Six Senses Vana
Opened as Vana in January 2014 and part of Six Senses since 2023, it is a full-board retreat whose core offering, in its own words, is based on Ayurveda, yoga, Tibetan medicine and natural healing therapies.
It is in Dehradun, about 90 minutes by road from Rishikesh. It is not adults-only: guests aged six and over are welcome, with a children’s club. Some excursions, such as the Rishikesh Aarti, can cost extra. Devices are allowed only in your room or the Sketchbook meeting space.
The full profile →Who looks after you
Supervision, by qualification and number
Clinical and practitioner teams are described by role and qualification rather than by individual name, because staffing changes. The property will confirm the current team and explain how practitioners are assigned before or on arrival.
- Clinical supervision
- The property says Sowa Rigpa is delivered by Tibetan doctors and therapists from the north of India, trained at the Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamsala; its homepage also lists a specialist trained at Chagpori, Darjeeling.
- The team around you
- Tibetan doctors and therapists. The property’s natural healing therapies include Traditional Chinese Medicine, reflexology, physiotherapy, acupuncture and Raag therapy.
- Consultations
- A Tibetan consultation and wellness screening at every length, and a departure consultation from five nights.
Counted, so you can compare
What is actually in it
Counted inclusions make it easier to compare the rhythm and value of different programmes alongside their prices.
- 14Tibetan treatments
At 14 nights; 5 at five nights and 7 at seven.
- 12GOM meditation sessions
GOM Tibetan meditation sessions at 14 nights; 4 at five nights and 6 at seven.
- 6healing or Tibetan therapies
Natural healing or Tibetan therapies at 14 nights; 2 at five or seven nights.
The money
Starting price
14 nights, sharing a room
What the price includes. Accommodation, full board, a Tibetan consultation and screening, 14 Tibetan treatments, 12 GOM meditation sessions, six natural healing or Tibetan therapies, one private session a night, activities, transfers and attire.
The detail
What the programme includes
Included
- Tibetan consultation and wellness screening
- Tibetan treatments — 5, 7 or 14, by length
- GOM Tibetan meditation — 4, 6 or 12 sessions, by length
- Natural healing or Tibetan therapies — 2, 2 or 6, by length
- Full board with guided nutrition: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
- One private session a night
- Group programme of yoga, meditation, cuisine lessons, functional fitness, talks and music
- Departure wellness consultation, for stays of five nights or longer
- Daily use of what the property calls smart Biohacks, including compression therapy
- Attire for within and outside the retreat, with footwear and summer and winter accessories
- Return transfers to and from Dehradun airport
Not included
- Elevation Menu treatments, such as the 60-minute Abhyanga
- Laundry and pressing
- 18% GST
Questions