Want to feel in your prime in your 50s and 60s? Absolute Sanctuary Prime Years Program in Koh Samui, Thailand, could well be the answer! I’ve always thought I would age gracefully and skip into my 60s, but it has been much more difficult than I had assumed. I anticipated some physical changes but hadn’t expected to be so challenged by the emotional aspects of the many transitions at this phase of my life.
‘Life is a funny old thing: there is no rehearsal. By the time you reach 60, you are supposed to have figured it all out. Things creep up on you, and suddenly, I found myself changing from standing tall in a yoga tree pose and being able to touch my toes to becoming wobbly and uncertain. And no one tells you this will happen!‘ Little Wandering Wren
I’m a massive fan of taking time out from my busy schedule for a wellness retreat, and this is my second visit to Asia’s Premier Fitness Wellness Resort. Read on for my thoughts and experience of my six-night stay as an invited guest of Absolute Sanctuary.
Who is the Prime Years program for?
The Prime Years Program is offered to individuals in the 50-65 age group. It’s new, and along with the Golden Years Program for those 65 and older, it promises a bespoke wellness experience to empower individuals physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I’ve had a few health issues since my last visit, so I was excited to see what help they could offer in my quest for optimal wellness. I certainly didn’t walk in feeling like I was in the prime of my life, but that didn’t seem to faze them! As promised in their program details, I’m here to uncover the secrets to living a vibrant and fulfilling life. (No pressure, guys!)
Why is a Prime Years Program needed?
Our 50s and 60s are a time of big transitions, and I was unprepared for this. My life followed a traditional path, with a career focus in my 20s and a family focus in my 30s and 40s. In my 50s, I became an empty nester; add in menopause, a pandemic, my husband’s retirement, family bereavement, an autoimmune issue, and by the time I turned 60, my world felt surprisingly chaotic.
My on-arrival Bioimpedance Analysis showed that my metabolic age was eight years above my actual age. I was tired of putting on a brave face while struggling with an out-of-whack thyroid, weight gain and weird body aches and changes.
Of all the many benefits of the Prime Years Program, finding out that I was not losing the plot, nor alone in feeling discombobulated, was one of the many joys of being at Absolute Sanctuary.
Why Absolute Sanctuary?
But first, a little about Absolute Sanctuary: they have good credentials. The Absolute Group includes Absolute Sanctuary and Asia’s leading boutique fitness studios in Bangkok and Singapore. The Absolute Group is also an Asian leader in fitness wellness training, having trained over 10,000 teachers and 100 chefs internationally. You are in very capable hands.
The 38-room Absolute Sanctuary is a residential retreat best known for its fitness, health, lifestyle, and weight management programs. It offers 21 mind-blowing programs across 17 categories so that you will be spoilt for choice.
Who attends Absolute Sanctuary?
The guest list at Absolute Sanctuary is diverse. We come from all over the world, are of all ages, and have many needs. While there, I met people enrolled in many different programs, including Destress, Pilates BootCamp, Detox, Golden Years, and the Sleep program.
Where is Absolute Sanctuary?
Absolute Sanctuary is located in southern Thailand on the northeastern side of Koh Samui. The island is renowned for its special energy and as a haven for wellness seekers. The resort is a five-minute drive from the airport, and round-trip airport transfers are included in each program.
I flew from London to Bangkok on Thai Airways. I spent 48 hours enjoying Bangkok and recovering from my jet lag before taking a one-hour Bangkok Airways flight to Koh Samui. It is always a joy to arrive at Koh Samui Airport, one of the world’s prettiest airports.
Koh Samui is well-connected internationally and domestically. When I leave, I take a one-hour domestic flight to Phuket.
Watch this space, as in 2025, everyone who watches the popular HBO TV show White Lotus will be talking about this beautiful tropical island. Season Three has just completed filming here.
Absolute Sanctuary Prime Years Program: A Journey of Wellness
Below, I share insight into my day-to-day activities, thoughts, and feelings, as well as the highs and lows of my time in the Absolute Sanctuary Prime Years Program.
Arrival Day: Settling in
I have time to settle in, unpack, and sit by the pool to study my program and decide which complementary optional daily workshops, trips to local beaches, temples, and night market visits to join. As is my life mantra, I decide to Just Say Yes to as many additional daytime activities as my timetable allowed.
On arrival, I book a foot massage (not included in the Prime Years Program), which is the perfect start and remedy for post-travel fatigue.
Day One: Embracing Renewal
I’m keen, excited, and up early for a revitalizing Moringa Elixir by the pool before an Absolute Sanctuary car takes me and another guest for a serene sunrise beach walk at Choeng Mon. We return in time for a grounding meditation session. I’m beaming at my wellness breakfast and loving everything about being here. This is a great start!
Bioimpedance Analysis
Then it’s time for my Bioimpedance Analysis, which is not good news. The results provide a great conversation starter for my in-depth wellness consultation with Stephanie Rault, Absolute Sanctuary’s Senior Wellness Consultant & Therapist, to lay the foundation for my wellness goals.
I’m in the right place for help and I’m straight into a Thai stretch massage. It’s time to limber up for a busy week!
Reconnect with your Intuitive Body
After lunch, the daily lunchtime workshop is Reconnect with your Intuitive Body. Ampinee, a visiting holistic practitioner, leads the workshop and invites participants to share what brings them to Absolute Sanctuary. The responses are powerful and heartfelt. Attendees feel safe sharing some inkling of their darkest traumas. It is an eye-opening example of the world that Absolute Sanctuary supports.
Ampinee encourages us to feel our own Qi through movement and guided meditation. It is an intense session and not what I expect from a free lunchtime workshop – talk about the power of being present in our bodies. Something I am learning during the week that I rarely do.
After the workshop, I have time to reflect and relax before an evening Hatha Stretch Yoga class and dinner.
Sound Healing (an optional extra)
That evening, I join a Sound Healing Immersive Journey with Svetlana, who offers a full-body vibroacoustic meditation using gongs and Tibetan and crystal singing bowls. Lying on mats with bolsters, surrounded by the flickering light of candles, the vast sound waves create an intense meditation experience.
I feel super present in my body throughout; the ever-changing sounds are clever and keep bringing me back to the here and now (unlike some who had a pretty good snooze!) I emerge almost dazed. It seems a perfect time to trot off to bed!
THB 500 for 120 minutes of deep relaxation.
Day Two: Navigating Challenges
Daily Meditation
Each day starts with an optional meditation at 8:30 a.m. I’m not a great meditation lover and have never trained my mind to concentrate well. Sitting cross-legged, even with all the bolsters, is a challenge.
However, I like the structure of starting my day in this way. A different form of meditation is offered each day, which keeps me engaged. The yoga sun shala looks out over the gardens and the Gulf of Thailand. It is a peaceful start to the day, even with some raucous chickens.
Happily, today’s class is Walking Meditation. I like the movement. Gradually, my focus changes from what routes others are taking to enjoying the grass under my bare feet and hearing the birds sing. By the end of the class, I feel calm and accomplished.
Daily Group Yoga classes
My yoga class starts with me reeling off my injury list to Jana, my yoga teacher. My joints are stiff and uncooperative these days. She has plenty of adaptations and gives me an overview of what classes suit me best. Jana tells me she sees many women, especially of my age, with joint issues.
Absolute Sanctuary’s group yoga classes cater to all levels and all needs. I decide I would like any yoga class with the word Relax in the title, but nothing called Flow or Hot!
After breakfast, I take the shuttle bus to Chaweng Beach. It is nice to paddle in the water and enjoy the sea views, but returning to the peaceful Absolute Sanctuary is even nicer.
Private Pilates
In the afternoon, I join Kevin for a personal Pilates session to strengthen my core and improve my mind-body coordination. This is the first time I have been back on the Pilates reformer machine since I last was here. Currently, yoga shows me what I cannot do, whilst Pilates shows me what I can do. I am reminded how much I love the sense of achievement with Pilates!
Halotherapy
Absolute Sanctuary’s Halotherapy room has been added since my last visit. My Prime Years Program included a 30-minute Halotherapy (salt therapy) session for immune strengthening in the Himalayan Salt Therapy room. It’s a lovely, soothing space to relax and embrace the restorative effects. However, I promptly fall asleep, so other than it is good for deep relaxation, I can’t tell you much more!
Day Three: A Day of Intensity
Day three brings a super intense in-body experience. I’d had a poor night’s sleep and awoke feeling lethargic and blah!
It starts quite normally with my usual meditation session. I skip advanced yoga, favouring quiet time and my Moringa juice by the pool. Breakfast is a lovely omelette and yoghurt.
Then the wheels came off.
Personal Fitness Program for Prime Health
I’m booked for a personal training session with Iris, which offers me two benefits: a workout session and the opportunity to have a personal training session devised for my ongoing home use.
Being in front of mirrors in a gym again is super confronting, seeing how that weight gain looked. My gym body is uncooperative and exhausted.
As my Personal Fitness Program is developed, Irene videos me completing the moves. This is such a great idea, enabling me to continue this exercise program at home.
Deep Calm Body Massage
Next up is a Deep-Calm Body massage, an extraordinary wellness experience. This massage targets meridian energy. Those healing touches are designed to discover and release trapped energy that manifests in emotional and physical pain. I felt it everywhere, like pins and needles at every touch point.
Afterwards, I sit eating my mixed fruits and seeds, looking at the tiled floor and feeling whacked. As someone said later at dinner, this wellness is exhausting!
After lunch, I take a nap. Oh, the joys of listening to my body and having the space in my daily life to do whatever it calls out for.
The Love Kitchen hosts a weekly cooking demonstration, so I set my alarm as this is not to be missed. We are shown how to cook three of their delicious and popular recipes. It’s a nice way to share the space with other guests, and as we chat, we all appreciate knowing we can now easily replicate the Love Kitchen food in our homes.
Detox Yoga and personal Yoga Nidra session
Their timetabling is spot on. My day feeling exhausted and emotional coincided perfectly with a day that ended like a warm hug with restorative yoga and a personalised meditation session. It was like they knew that Day Three was a wobbly, emotional day!
I remember Jana, the yoga teacher, quietly saying after my private Yoga Nidra session, “See what comes up for you tonight, and discuss it tomorrow in your Life Transitions Empowerment session.”
I made it to dinner for spinach soup, which was all I fancied and that night, I finally slept like a baby.
Day Four: Love and Understanding
The next day starts in the usual beautiful way with meditation, followed by yoga, Moringa juice by the swimming pool, and a power-up wellness cuisine breakfast. This was followed by a beautiful, releasing Reiki therapy for emotional balance. As a returning guest for my second Reiki session with Reiki Master Uschi, I welcome our familiarity and how we pick up and continue from our last session. I felt super zen after this Reiki treatment and highly recommended it.
Lunchtime Workshop: Emotional Release Therapy
A lunchtime workshop with Allen Lottman introduces us to Emotional Release Therapy. Allen tells us his purpose and passion is to support people to be free of the controlling mind while opening their souls to live their heart’s desires and let their dreams come true.
I was interested in attending this workshop because Allen has rave reviews on Trip Advisor for transformative experiences. Another guest endorses this, telling me her Guided Breathwork Release Therapy with Allen is one of the best things she’s ever done—high praise indeed.
Life Transitions Session
My Life Transitions session is a highlight. Stephanie is an incredible listener, and I was ready to talk. I welcomed the validation that a lot was going on in my life. Discussing things outside my circle of friends and family is very cathartic.
I loved the realisation that in every difficult time comes opportunity and choice. Sometimes, you need someone else with the skills of deep listening to help you understand your situation. I emerge with a newfound clarity and purpose. This Prime Years Program is challenging me in many directions I hadn’t expected!
Day Five: Grateful and Empowered
After a great night’s sleep, I awake, ready to pirouette into the day. I had numerous “aha” moments during my personalised fitness sessions. Today represents a final opportunity for me to assess my body’s current condition and determine the steps to take moving forward.
Personal Yoga for balance and agility
Each staff member I meet in personalised sessions today gives me insights into myself, leading to a deeper understanding of my life journey. I always enjoy yoga, but a combination of a few injuries, aches and pains has led me to increasing modifications.
Interestingly, one of my lightbulb moments was the comment that I am spending too much time in my head and not enough time in my body. No wonder I find meditation challenging. My balance and agility also need a lot of work!
It’s incredible what a personal class can unearth. I reflect on this in the Far Infrared Therapy in the Private Sauna, drink loads of fruit-infused water, and relax at the ChillWell Lounge before lunch.
Big Buddha Temple Tour
The island of Koh Samui offers a unique blend of spirituality and tranquillity. It seems only fitting, therefore, to join a lunchtime visit to Koh Samui’s renowned temples: Wat Phra Yai and Wat Plai Laem. Despite the mid-day sweltering heat, the visit offers a serene interlude and allows me to immerse myself in the sacred atmosphere of these sites, adding to my own sense of calm and inner peace.
As my Prime Years program neared its end with a Private Pilates class for Flexibility and Joint Health, I resolve to make Pilates an ongoing part of my life. The program ends with a Thai New Ritual beginning ceremony, and I float a Thai lantern with flowers and candles on the pond behind the reception to mark the start of my new beginnings.
I love the photo below, which is surrounded by a whole heap of light. I feel a load lighter in many ways.
Day 6: Reflective and Empowered
On the final day of my wellness journey, walking to meditation and yoga, I fell into step with a guest embarking on a 60-day journey, her third time at Absolute Sanctuary, and thought, how wonderful!
I could already see such a transformative experience over five days. So, I couldn’t help but wonder about the profound impact 60 days could have.
Final Consultation
My final consultation with Stephanie includes a repeat Bioimpedance analysis, which shows that my weight and body fat have dropped and that my biometrics are one year younger.
I enjoyed this recap and the opportunity to reflect on what I had learned and what I intend to incorporate into my life in the future.
As my stay concludes and I wave goodbye to the reception staff, I feel sad to be leaving this beautiful space but excited about how I can apply what I have learned to my everyday life.
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So that’s the program, but what else can you expect to find at Absolute Sanctuary?
Absolute Sanctuary rooms
I’m declaring Absolute Sanctuary as the prettiest resort around. Barbie could have been filmed here. My nest for the week is a gorgeous Sanctuary Deluxe Room with a shower and a bath! My balcony room is spacious, the colours are calming, an oil diffuser has been lit, and the room smells divine.
I am given a room tour, and unlike other wellness retreats I’ve been on, there is a television and WIFI. This is a silent, happy dance from me. I doubt I’ll turn the TV on, but having WIFI is important to me; I still like to keep up with my family via WhatsApp chats.
I’m sure there are no bad rooms here; the choices range from the mega fabulous suite rooms to a cosy superior room. The resort is on a hill, so those who wish can ask for an upstairs sea-view room.
There are only 38 rooms, located in five pink buildings. It never feels big or crowded; they have managed to keep the feeling of a sanctuary. Everyone comes and goes on different schedules.
The Love Kitchen Wellness food
My package includes three three-course meals and juices made fresh and with love daily. This was power-up wellness cuisine at its finest. The menu is extensive, the portions generous, and my gut and I enjoyed the clean diet.
There are three menus: mine is Wellness, with Weight Loss and Detox menus also available depending on your program. I’ve had to trust the system each time, as it felt like I was overeating compared with my food intake at home. However, with my increased activity levels, I hungrily looked forward to each meal and was happy to eat myself clean with all the culinary goodness provided.
The Staff
The staff at Absolute Sanctuary are incredibly knowledgeable and kind. All I can say is wow, what you can achieve quickly with experienced practitioners is amazing. The range of experience that they have at Absolute Sanctuary is unbelievable.
My previous Just Me Program at Absolute Sanctuary led me to breakthroughs in my body alignment and fitness. In this Prime Years program, we went deeper into emotional therapies combined with continued work on flexibility and mobility. Having a trusted wellness therapist with whom you can form an easy and quick connection is vital to a five-day program.
At least a few staff members I saw regularly throughout my Prime Years Program have lived experience with my age group, and I appreciate this.
Final Thoughts
The Absolute Sanctuary Prime Years Program helped me identify and focus on my changing physical, mental, and emotional requirements at this stage of life.
Regarding my declining fitness, increasing weight situation, and hormonal and emotional state, I hadn’t identified how connected they all were until I’d completed this Prime Years Program. The opportunity to pause and discuss some of the things going on in my life has been invaluable. Life can be hard sometimes, right? Having a little help in a beautiful, supportive environment is lovely.
It’s not just about turning up, spending five days in this incredible sanctuary, and leaving. I skipped out feeling fitter and stronger in more ways than one, more resilient, and ready to embrace life’s challenges with renewed vigour.
Post Attendance
I have returned to Australia and discussed my physical requirements with a physiotherapist. Based on the feedback received from the fitness, pilates, and yoga teachers’ observations, I was able to be very specific about my needs. I have undertaken a six-week program with my Physiotherapist and commenced a program of personal pilates at the Physiotherapist.
Recommendation
I recommend the Absolute Sanctuary Prime Years Program to my friends, family, and anyone looking for a wellness retreat and the opportunity to put themselves at the forefront of their lives.
Forever changed by the transformative journey of the Prime Years Program.
Life is a funny old thing: there is no rehearsal. By the time you reach 60, you are supposed to have figured it all out. Things creep up on you, and suddenly, you go from standing tall in a yoga tree pose and being able to touch your toes to becoming a wobbly, uncertain mess. And no one tells you this will happen!
The details
All the details and more can be found at: www.absolutesanctuary.com
Choose from 22 programs across 15 categories, and you can discover more about The Prime Years Program here
Address: 88 Moo 5 Tambol Bophut, Amphur Koh Samui, Surat Thani, 84320, Thailand
E-mail: bookings@absolutesanctuary.com
Disclosure: Little Wandering Wren was a guest of Absolute Sanctuary and received a hosted wellness Stay. All opinions are my own.
Read more about my previous visit to Absolute Sanctuary’s Just Me Program.
Read reviews from other writers: Michael: Men’s vitality program: https://accidentaltravelwriter.com/absolute-sanctuary-thailand-wellness-journey/
6 comments
Hello,
I enjoyed reading about your stay at the Sanctuary. The resort looks beautiful, a wonderful wellness program, a lovely room and delicious food. Take care, have a wonderful day!
Hello EIleen, this was such a special stay. It is such a treat to focus on your own wellness in a beautiful resort surrounded by talented staff who are so intuitive and helpful. The Love Kitchen food was amazing and I bounced out after my 6 night stay feeling a different person.
Thanks for stopping by.
Wren x
I can’t even imagine doing all of this Wren , but it looks interesting.
Hello Sallie, yes it is a full on schedule, I think this is one of the reasons they manage to offer such an impact on peoples lives in such a short space. I saw pilates, yoga and fitness instructors and since I have been back in Australia I have followed up the observations made by the team with my physio, osteopath and my doctor and have even seen a podiatrist. I am fitter, leaner and a whole lot less wobbly and more in balance in all aspects of my life. I’m a big fan of a wellness fitness retreat for sure.
Have a great week yourself.
Wren x
Goodness! It sounds wonderful 🙂
All the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/
Thank you Jan, yes it was a wonderful stay. I was there 6 weeks ago and the lasting impact from my Absolute Sanctuary stay continues. I am now doing pilates twice a week in Australia!