a day ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
In Koh Samui, spa resort Kamalaya's new Cognitive Wellness Program offers an array of targeted treatments for a healthy mind – but the magic's in giving guests a chance to truly unwind
One of the first people I meet at Kamalaya is a twenty-something banker from
New York who's just ended a call with her high-achieving fiancé.
'He asked what I was doing with my time here,' she says with a bemused shrug. 'He thought this was all cocktails and jet skis. I told him, 'Uh, I'm reflecting. That's the point of this place.''
I mull over her words as I make my way to the newly constructed Cognitive House, perched halfway up Kamalaya's forested hillside. With its teakwood railings, terracotta-tiled roof and soft sage walls, it feels more like a meditation pavilion than a space dedicated to neuroscience. Inside, therapies typically found in clinical settings – infrared helmets, neuropeptide drips, electrical stimulation – are administered in tranquil, warmly lit rooms that overlook a canopy of swaying palms.
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In April, the long-revered wellness sanctuary on the southern coast of Thailand's Koh Samui launched its Cognitive Wellness Program – a full-spectrum initiative aimed at sharpening focus, easing mental fatigue and clearing brain fog. Spearheaded by general manager Gopal Kumar and a team of neuroscientists, the programme marks a natural evolution of Kamalaya's whole-body philosophy.
A treatment room at Kamalay's Cognitive House. Photo: Handout
'Our policy has always been: 'what's next in wellness?'' Kumar told me. 'We've long worked to
detox the body, improve circulation and restore balance. The brain was a natural next step.'
My eight-day programme included 19 targeted treatments. Among them: Transcranial Photobiomodulation Therapy, which uses near-infrared light to stimulate blood flow and reduce inflammation in the brain; Brain Stimulation Therapy, delivered via ear-clip electrodes that brought on a surprising level of calm; and Neuro-Sync Sound Therapy, in which gamma waves triggered a cascade – for me, anyway – of vivid, long-forgotten memories.
An IV of neuropeptides, often used in stroke recovery, left me sharper than I'd felt in weeks. During Neuroactive Fitness Training, I pounded on blinking lights with my hands and feet in a full-body concentration drill – far more engaging than zoning out on a treadmill. At checkout, I leave with a list of recommendations to keep the stimulation going: daily Sudoku, free-form drawing, even walking backwards to activate less-used brain pathways.
Something shifted during my stay. A writing project that had stalled for months began flowing again. Maybe it was the peace and solitude, the lack of distraction, the early morning shots of turmeric, kale and gotu kola (centella asiatica), and yes, the chance to reflect. But I suspect the attention put on my mental state had a lot to do with it.
Though its focus on brain health is new, Kamalaya's roots run deep – both spiritually and architecturally. The retreat was founded two decades ago around a sacred meditation cave once used by Buddhist monks. From here, Kamalaya cascades down the hillside in artful terraces, ending at a pebbly, secluded beach.
