All About Wellness From A Man Who Definitely Knows About It

A wise person once said, ‘self-care is how you take your power back’, and the world hasn’t been the same since.

With every passing year, as the world around us continues to become more convoluted, more and more people are seeking to retreat to places both physical and emotional that allow them a moment (or few) of serenity and wellbeing. Wellness has never more integral to our lives – we’re reading about it, taking out time for it and spending money on it, and then some more. Every few months, a new treatment, center or concept comes around, and even then, the demand remains unsatiated. Gone are the days when it was the refuge of a few set of people – everyone now wants to take care of themselves. Even men, who had long ignored wellness, apparently, are now catching up.

The wellness industry is only getting bigger in the next few years, and everyone’s curious about where it’s headed. Which is why, we sat down with Mark Sands, Six Senses Vice President of Wellness to talk about their programmes, the path ahead for wellness treatments and how men view this space.

Excerpts:

Which direction is male wellness heading towards? How far are men willing to go?

Traditionally, male wellness narratives have centered on fitness and physical performance. But that’s changing. More men are recognizing the role emotional resilience, cognitive clarity, and hormonal balance play in holistic health.

Globally the men’s health and wellness market is expected to double by 2029. This is a movement we’re seeing firsthand at Six Senses as our male guests increasingly embrace wellness offerings during their stay. Practices once considered the reserve of our female guests – like breathwork, nervous system recalibration, energy healing, sound baths and personalized programs – are now being embraced by all. In destinations like India, the home of ayurveda, more men are moving from reactive to preventive wellness – investing in long-term strategies to balance health holistically.

For us at Six Senses, our goal always is to take guests as deep as they wish to go. Our all-encompassing range of experiences blend the old and the new, in a high-tech, high-touch way. Ultimately, we want to reconnect every guest with themselves, others, and the world around them so they leave feeling better than when they arrive.

Mark Sands, Vice President of Wellness, Six Senses

Sleep staycations are picking up worldwide. Can you tell us more about your global sleep wellness programmes and why more people opting for sleep wellness?

More people are waking up to the realization that quality sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s the foundation for overall health. Sleep is the second highest wellness priority worldwide and 37% of adults are actively seeking ways to manage stress, anxiety, and cognitive performance in pursuit of a better night’s sleep.

Sleep With Six Senses, offered at every Six Senses, responds to the rising number of people looking to recalibrate problematic sleep patterns. It begins in the bedroom with the linens, mattresses, and design of our rooms, but goes far beyond this. We tap into pioneering sleep science to devise personalized programs looking at everything from what a guest eats to how they move and more. We introduce practices which align a guest’s circadian rhythm, recalibrate their stress levels, and detach them from the demands of digital devices. Everything we do is designed to calm the nervous system and support deep, restorative sleep. We want to give guests the kind of night’s sleep where they wake up ready to move mountains.

There's so much noise around wellness retreats. How does one filter out authentic wellness offerings from this?

Wellness is a word that seems to be misused at times and often misunderstood. Authentic wellness goes deeper than time, trends or aesthetics, it’s about intention, expertise, and evidence.

At Six Senses, we learn from the wisdom of ancient medicine – principles and practices adopted by our forefathers for centuries – whilst embracing evidence-based advancements in modern science. Things like biohacking technology and tools to measure biometric marker. It’s about intentionally blending the old with the new in our intrinsically Six Senses high-tech, high touch way, all with the end goal of reconnection. With ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. An ethos as relevant today as ever.

People often find wellness intimidating. What would be your suggestions to someone planning to experience the world of wellness?

Wellness is all the micro choices and lifestyle decisions we all make each day, often without thinking about it. From how, when and what we eat and exercise to the time we spend staring at a screen and our bedtime behaviors, wellness is all encompassing. Most of these choices are free of cost. Things like gratitude journaling, breathwork, meditation or a morning walk in nature are brilliant beginners. It’s simply about taking small, intentional steps toward feeling better in your body and mind. Focus on valuing your sleep, trying not to prioritize other pursuits over a consistent sleep schedule. My advice – let go of perfection, listen to your body, open your mind and be curious.

Adding to that, how does Six Senses profile its customers or help people with understanding how different wellness programmes work?

At Six Senses we offer a layered approach to wellness. We meet you where you are and try to take you a little further on the wellness journey. We want to make wellness fun. Whilst some guests may want to go on a wellness program, others may wish to hang out by the pool, have a beer and eat a burger. What they both get is the best possible sleep environment by default, healthier food without compromising on flavors, a full schedule of complimentary wellness activities that welcome you open arms, an open heart, and an open mind. It’s about how we stir the soul through experiences that are lived, not labelled.

For those guests with a wellness intention, our Wellness programs begin with a personalized wellness screening, analyzing everything from biomarkers to movement. Our experts translate the readings from to design a wellness journey tailored to respond to the specific needs of the guest. This isn’t standard, it’s singular. It’s purposeful and personalized for the needs of the individual.

How big a market is India for the brand? What more can we expect from Six Senses in India going forward?

Massive! Wellness tourism is growing worldwide and India is no exception with rapid growth in domestic and inbound tourism. Whether it's wanting to explore the birthplace of yoga, the home of ayurveda or just getting away from busy city life, we have two remarkable properties, Six Senses Fort Barwara and Six Senses Vana. Six Senses Fort Barwara gives you the Rajasthani 14th century heritage fort, wonderful cuisine, wellness programming and an opportunity to see the tigers in Ranthambore. Six Senses Vana at the foothills of the Himalayas, is our only dedicated wellness retreat. Offering a journey within. Here, we reconnect our guests with India’s healing heritage through transformative wellness experiences grounded in Ayurveda, Yoga, Tibetan Medicine, and Natural Healing Therapies.

Six Senses Vana and Six Senses Fort Barwara are two of our 27 Six Senses around the world. Later this year we will open Six Senses London – a milestone for both IHG and Six Senses, which marks our first in the UK.

Wellness is certain getting smarter globally. How is Six Senses tapping into technology and science for its wellness offerings?

At Six Senses, we learn from the wisdom of ancient medicine – principles and practices adopted by our forefathers for centuries – whilst embracing evidence-based advancements in modern science. Things like biohacking technology and tools to measure biometric markers. It’s about intentionally blending the old with the new in our Six Senses high-tech, high touch way, all with the end goal of reconnection. With ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. An ethos as relevant today as ever.

Longevity therapies are talk of the town. Should there be ethical limits to how far we pursue extending the human lifespan?

Thankfully this is a question for far brighter minds than mine.  We do already have limits in place but thankfully its not around a specific age but rather protocols used. Many countries do not allow stem cell or peptide treatment, whilst several do. Gene editing using CRISPR as been around for well over a decade with measures in place to control its use. I feel we should have limits on what is done rather than the outcome. Much like AI and Digital twins.

Whilst there may be some genuine concerns around longevity, we still have many counties with lower birth rates than ever, declining populations, increased obesity and sedentary lifestyles. So the basics still hold the key... Lifestyle choices remain more important than longevity specific interventions. Sleeping well, a healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, managing stress and providing mental stimulation. If all those boxes are ticked, regular sauna use at over 80C, strength and mobility training would be my next targets before going down the pharmacological route.

Health span might be a better long term goal for everyone. Doing those things today and tomorrow that ensure your final decade on the planet is one where you are able to do basic tasks without help. Playing with grandchildren, walking outside and enjoying nature.