Neeru Jain, an Ayurvedic doctor, is the spa and wellness director at Six Senses Con Dao (Vietnam), an exclusive island hideaway set amid a marine and national park. With a certification in Lifestyle Medicine and Nutrition from Harvard University, she has more than a decade of experience treating patients with lifestyle disorders as well as leading the operations of high-end retreats, wellness centers, and spas. Before joining Six Senses, Jain served as retreat manager at Vana (Dehradun, India). Jain earned her Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) from Delhi University. Here, she shares how her Ayurvedic education influences her own wellbeing.
What does wellness mean to you?
For me, wellness is a way of being—it’s the coherence between my inner microcosm and the outer macrocosm. The more I am aligned with the rhythm of nature with least resistance, the better my inner flow of energy. That’s my true wellness indicator. It reflects in my body, my mood, and my reactions. Wellness is not limited to eating healthy food, exercising, and mediating, while these are surely the tools for me to remain in this state of balance and harmony called wellness. However, it’s more a journey of continued inner evolution—through a state of awareness of how I am feeling in my body, in my mind, and in my heart, the purpose being to live a fulfilled and happy life. So even if we are in the middle of a challenge, a wellness way of living inspires us to remain aware, look out for opportunities of inner growth, and take the right actions, utilizing our fuel and speed to take off and rise higher in our wellness evolutionary curve.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
For some reason, I keep going back to yoga. It may be on account of my Indian roots, but I really resonant with this authentic science. It would be inappropriate to call it a physical activity, as it calms my racing mind while I am focused on bending my body. My emotional state changes naturally with the increased flow of prana, or vital energy. I try to balance my body while focusing on my breath. Where else can the mind wander in this situation? It is truly meditative and a particularly wonderful experience at the resort’s yoga pavilion, where I can get into this meditative state and fully immerse myself in the sounds and breeze of the jungle around me. By the way, asanas and postures are just one of the eight limbs of Yogic science—the path of yoga is the wellness journey in its truest sense, as it emphasizes all aspects of wellness, from advocating the code of social conduct to the level of meditation where you disconnect from your own self and become one with your true self.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
I love masala chaach, buttermilk blended with digestive herbs. As per Ayurveda, this is the secret drink to aid all gut and skin conditions and is the best appetizer and hydrator. You’ll find this being served as an appetizer in some parts of India as a tradition. The best way to prepare it is to blend yogurt with mint leaves, coriander leaves, cumin powder, Himalayan pink or black salt, and slight touch of ginger with added water. You may also enjoy this as a refreshing, cooling drink by adding ice cold water while blending it. And even better, when it’s made with freshly picked leaves, like the herbs I gather from our resort gardens. However, to enhance its therapeutic benefits, I prefer to add this to a preheated metal container to make it naturally warm without directly heating it. This way, it becomes close to our body temperature and better assimilated not just as a probiotic but as a medicine to heal the gut naturally. Food is thy medicine.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
When I started practicing Ayurveda, I never imagined that my patients would take my advice so seriously. I have always been authentic with my guests. Regardless of whose hand I am holding while reading the pulse—a political personality, a film star, or a multibillionaire—for me, it’s the energy that I am reading and a precious life I am contributing to through my wellness advice. It gives me deep contentment when a person with all external power, fame, success, and money realizes the deeper meaning of life. The warm hugs that we share with wet eyes upon conclusion of the session is my greatest wellness achievement.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
When we experience happiness in our bodies it is the effect of happy hormones triggered by a feeling of being rewarded, appreciated, loved, accomplished, and so on. We are continuously seeking these triggers in our external life situations—in our families, friends, bosses, and colleagues. It can leave us dependent and feeling hungry and unfulfilled. My idea of a balanced happiness is having the belief that we already have what we are seeking. We just need to refocus.
What do you think is the most overused word or idea in wellness?
There are so many in today’s world, but I would like to address intermittent fasting. I am seeing people going mad over shrinking their eating windows to a few hours a day. Let’s understand this concept—it’s an attempt to inspire us to follow the circadian rhythm, nothing else. Eat as per the movement of the sun, which is directly connected to our inner sun/digestive fire. Secondly, we all are different. Some of us prefer a heavy breakfast, and some of us are good without it. So, following our natural body constitution is another sign of health. One diet doesn’t fit all. The food requirements change based on our personalities, nature of work, emotional state, season, and so on and so forth. For women, a lot is determined by their menstrual cycle. Intermittent fasting does help with detoxification if we haven’t been following a good lifestyle for long, as it gives the body the required time to clean and detox, but it must be followed in moderation.
Is there a particular wellness company or brand that truly impresses you with their efforts and why?
I am truly blessed to be part of Six Senses. It’s a wellness community in itself. It’s evolving continuously and by being part of it, you are invariably part of an inconspicuous evolution, which is so essential for human growth. All their resorts are located in destinations that enhance natural healing and further aid my innovative wellness initiatives. At Six Senses Con Dao, I admire the commitment to the community and the environment through their efforts towards sustainable living. This originates from the belief that our environment contributes to all levels of our wellness, and it’s our responsibility to continuously improve our environment—a fair give and take.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
For my physical wellbeing, I apply mustard oil to my navel before sleep. We have forgotten the importance of this crucial point through which we were once getting the nourishment of our life for a period of nine months. For my emotional wellbeing, I write in my gratitude journal three things that went well today that I would like to thank the Universe for. I also give myself a warm hug before sleep.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
Nature (another overused word). If we understand our connection with nature in its true sense, we need not look for wellness, as we will be well. I harness the energy of any of the five elements to help re-align my inner chemistry—space, air, fire, water, and earth. Chakra Chants are my all-time favorite. They raise my vibrations from the zone of stress to that of contentment. Trust me, it’s all energy that decides our state of physical, mental, and emotional being. What changes when we are sitting with our best friend versus when we are around the person we hate? It’s energy.
I am blessed in terms of my work location in Con Dao, as I am always close to nature, so it’s easy for me to step out, take a walk, breathe fresh air, enjoy the greenery around me, or take a dip in the water. But If I am too lazy, my go-to trick is to tap on my heart chakra and ask what I am stressed about. I counsel myself as I would counsel my best friend and tune into my favorite song. My heart starts dancing, and I forget what I was stressed about.
How do you celebrate small victories?
I share it with my husband, and we both celebrate with healthy appreciation by sharing stories of how I or we made it happen. Or I buy myself a gift, big or small, it doesn’t matter. It’s more a symbol of inner joy for me, and it makes my inner child so happy. It’s a dopamine rush!
What brings you joy?
The fact that I am enhancing my wellness through my profession, so I don’t cry for work-life balance.
