January was a difficult month for many people across the United States. The country experienced extreme weather, a devastating bout of fires and, most recently, the largest tragedy in U.S. aviation since 2001.
15.01.2025 - 17:01 / cntraveler.com
When my taxi rolled up to Aleenta Phuket Phang Nga Resort & Spa, a luxurious beach hideaway north of Phuket—and far from Thailand's overcrowded beach towns like Patong—I was a shell of a human, on the verge of burnout. My body was teetering toward a full system shutdown; my gut was a mess. My under-eye bags could double as carry-ons.
The night before, I’d been in Bangkok stuffing my face with chef Gaggan Anand’s voluptuous swimmer crab curry at Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh. The indulgence had led to a bizarre dream where a genie-like figure asked me, “Have you ever been in love before?”
“I have not,” I replied.
“You were 1,000 years ago, and you will be again soon,” it said.
I woke up drenched in sweat, my hotel bed a metaphysical hot seat. What did it mean?
It was a wild send-off, followed by a quick AirAsia flight to Phuket, where I would dive into Aleenta’s seven-night Cleanse Life program—something I’d signed myself up for a few months prior as a way to kick off the new year. After my dream, I hoped and wished that whatever this “cleanse” entailed, with all of its promised blood tests, wellness assessments, and chakra analysis, I’d have a quick fix and be on my merry way.
At the Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga, a seven-night Cleanse Life program is designed to offer a mind-body restart. Writer Jenn Rice went to see if she could achieve just that.
On arrival, the verdict laid down by Aleenta staff was swift: My physical health was fine, except for the ten pounds I needed to lose, based on BMI. I chuckled, noting that my job as a food journalist is an occupational hazard.
But my chakras? A disaster.
“Your heart is cold, and your root chakra is flighty,” Kanchalika Meesuk, the resort’s resident master healer and holistic doctor (with an alternative medicine license) informed me. My heart chakra was blocked, which was translated to mean that I feel unworthy of love. Unsure of whether or not I bought into the entire premise, I had to admit that it tracked: I have a huge fear of intimacy and closeness in relationships. “Honestly, a health issue would be easier to fix than doing real work on yourself,” Meesuk said. In retrospect, I agree.
At that moment, sitting in the stark, white medical room inside the resort, ugly tears poured down my face—prompting Meesuk to give me a motherly hug. My prescription for the next week was to find balance: “Until you love yourself, you can’t love anyone else,” she said. The words stung. I was eerily eminded of the genie in my dream. Maybe it had a point—the plot twist was that I'd be my own love interest.
I unpacked at my grand deluxe pool villa, or as I later called it, my “wellness box.” Was it a coincidence that my room number matched my birthday? Completely private, with walls
January was a difficult month for many people across the United States. The country experienced extreme weather, a devastating bout of fires and, most recently, the largest tragedy in U.S. aviation since 2001.
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