andBeyond Punakha River Lodge announces 2026 dates for their Wellness Masters in Residence | News
Located along the rice fields and riverbanks of western Bhutan, andBeyond Punakha River Lodge occupies a space where the land itself seems to exhale. The design and pace of this elegant lodge and its surroundings are intentional, inviting guests to experience the silence between things. It is here, in this valley shaped by water, prayer and centuries of transformation, that a renewed and expanded wellness journey will unfold in 2026.
From May 1 to 31 and again from December 1 to 31, 2026, the lodge will welcome Vijaya, a respected practitioner of holistic healing, whose presence will mark the unfolding of the lodge’s growing suite of wellness offerings. The residency is not a set itinerary or retreat, but is part of andBeyond’s Wellness Masters in Residence program, a quiet evolution in the brand’s wellness philosophy. “We aim to enhance our wellness offering by bringing in experts who will ensure guests enhance their wellness experience even further,” explains Rishi Sarma, General Manager of andBeyond Punakha River Lodge, emphasizing the intention to gently introduce internationally renowned facilitators as a discreet and meaningful extension of the existing guest journey. Guests staying at Punakha River Lodge during both residency periods can connect with Vijaya through complimentary 30-minute group sessions hosted every alternate day at the lodge (3 to 4 times per week) or can choose to delve deeper into the individual wellness journey by booking a private healing appointment at an additional cost. The personalized treatments are flexible and fully integrated into the rhythm of daily life at the lodge, offering a transformative experience, delivered at the guest’s desired pace.
Vijaya’s work is shaped by more than twenty years of immersion in both traditional and integrative therapies. When she began her career in law, she answered a deeper calling in wellness, consulting, mentoring and training at some of Asia’s most respected wellness destinations, including Aman, Six Senses, Soneva and Kamalaya. Her approach is neither clinical nor prescriptive, but tailored. She combines intuitive guidance with energy work and body-oriented modalities, including craniosacral silence, reiki, energetic facelift, access bars, rebirthing breathwork and sound healing. Each treatment is personalized and selected in response to the guest’s needs and requirements.
Vijaya’s upcoming residency is just one facet of a broader wellness program at Punakha River Lodge, in which “wellness is an essential part of guests’ journey to Bhutan’s biodiverse Himalayan landscapes,” says Sarma, “where mineral-rich rivers and native herbs work together to provide profound health benefits.” Guests already enjoy daily yoga and meditation sessions led by in-house instructors in the lodge’s open-air studio or in a peaceful natural setting, which provides space to reconnect through breath and movement, which Vijaya’s sessions will enhance.
In addition to the wellness offering, the spa offers a personalized menu of treatments that combine Bhutanese healing with global techniques, including massages, facials and foot rituals. One of the lodge’s most distinctive offerings is the traditional Dotsho hot stone bath, conducted in a private riverside bathhouse, where fire-heated stones are dropped into herb-infused water to release minerals that support physical recovery.
Once the ancient capital of Bhutan, Punakha remains a sacred region where well-being moves fluidly between the physical and the symbolic. In this context, Vijaya’s work is not a sacrifice in itself, but a silent continuation of something that is already unfolding.
For reservations, visit andBeyond.com or contact your preferred travel specialist as spaces are limited for the May and December 2026 residency periods.
