Founder of Sen Wellness
What is Sen Wellness?
Sen Wellness is a wellness business with a holistic healthcare clinic in London’s medical district and an eco-conscious retreat centre near Tangalle, on Sri Lanka’s south coast.
What is your background and how did you develop the Sanctuary, your retreat centre in Sri Lanka?
I am a trained osteopath and acupuncturist and began my training in Sri Lanka before moving to the UK aged 18, where I furthered my studies. In 2007 I founded the Sen Wellness Clinic in London, and I have always dreamed of returning to Sri Lanka to create an authentic retreat centre. My philosophy is that nature is the best healer, and my vision was born out of my desire to support and facilitate deep transformation for people. We proudly opened the doors to Sen Wellness Sanctuary in December 2014.
Why do you believe health is the biggest investment of all?
I have had many patients come to me near or at the end of long, successful careers having overlooked their health for decades. Sadly they only realised the precious value of their health much later in life when they are forced to.
Health is the foundation for a fulfilled life.
However, with the modern lifestyle, it is something that we have to prioritise and actively work at. Health should be viewed as something to invest in from the outset.
Tell us about the retreats you run in Sri LankA.
Retreats at the Sanctuary are much more than just a yoga or ayurvedic retreat, although these are essential elements. We have taken great care to create a safe and nurturing space. The sensitivity of the architectural design and its harmony with the natural surroundings and the kindness and attentiveness of our team enable deep healing and transformation to take place.
On all of our retreats, each guest has a private consultation with our resident Ayurvedic Doctor who prescribes a comprehensive, tailored programme of daily treatments and herbal medicines depending on their constitution and any imbalances.
As well as this highly personalised treatment programme, essential ingredients of our holistic retreats include twice daily yoga and meditation, cleansing and detoxification (including a digital detox).
We also advocate immersion in nature; we are located by a beautiful, often empty, stretch of unspoilt beach with a protected turtle nesting sanctuary, as well as time and space to be, deep relaxation, connection, community, balanced and nourishing meals, and abundant and restful sleep.
Can you share some information about your sustainability principles and conservation projects?
We are an eco-conscious retreat centre, and one of our core values is to make a positive contribution to our environment and the local community, now and for generations to come.
Located within Rekawa Nature Reserve, we take our role as guardians of this special and ecologically sensitive area seriously. Since 2012 we have worked closely with independent environmental experts to get advice on how we can operate in harmony with our natural surroundings and to that ensure our sustainability work has real impact.
In October 2020 we launched our Green Manifesto, which outlines the sustainability pledges we are committed to reaching by October 2021. They include eliminating single-use plastics from our site, setting up a rainwater harvesting system, and installing solar panels to power the Sanctuary’s electricity with renewable energy.
We will also donate and plant 50% of the trees required to offset the carbon emissions of each guest’s air travel to and from Sri Lanka, within our reforestation project, where our guest donates the other 50%. Our reforestation project was initiated in 2019 with the aim of planting 10,000 mangrove trees within the nature reserve. Mangrove trees absorb up to three times as much Co2 from the atmosphere as other tree species, promote biodiversity, and will also benefit the 50 local families who depend on Rekawa Lagoon for their livelihoods.
Tell us also about your local practice in London.
I established the Clinic in the heart of London’s medical district in 2007 and also set up the Sen Wellness Foundation in the same year. Over the years, the Clinic has gone strength to strength, developing a reputation as a world-class holistic treatment centre.
Under the Foundation, we run a donation-based children and family osteopathic service every Friday afternoon and are humbled to have helped hundreds of babies, children, and mothers over the past 15 years who would otherwise not have access to high quality and professional osteopathic care. The Clinic has also been a platform for many new practitioners starting out, helping them to gain confidence and develop into their full potential.
How can people experience a session with you and learn more about your work online?
I am offering osteopathy and acupuncture at our central London Clinic, and you can get in touch via www.senwellnessclinic.co.uk. Alternatively, for those overseas I offer distance energy healing.
What is your view of consciousness and how can we raise our consciousness, as individuals and a collective to create a better world?
It isn't easy to give a specific definition since consciousness is free of thinking, knowledge and the ego-driven mind. I can only share my personal experience and how I feel and connect with consciousness.
When I feel connected with nature, walking in the mountains, by the sea, or watching nature unfold, that is consciousness to me.
When I see a musician or top sportsman play, or I look at a beautiful piece of art, I am witnessing a connection to something greater, that goes beyond to create, that is consciousness.
When I hear a divine message from this great power out there, downloaded to us here on earth through Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and the great yogis, that is consciousness.
To access consciousness as a normal human being, we need a dedicated practice which lessens the hold of our ego-mind and enables us to go beyond. Nature immersion, meditation, movement and breath aligned practices like yoga and qi gong, and fasting are the tools that I use to connect and recommend. If more individuals raise their consciousness and collective consciousness expands, this will spark profound personal and systemic transformation for the greatest impact.
Sam KanKaNAMGE – Wellness Guide
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