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Though the Six Senses Douro Valley, a 19th-century estate-turned-resort on the banks of the Douro River, is cradled in one of the world’s finest wine-growing regions in Portugal, its recently launched Female Wellness Program invites guests to focus on health rather than hedonism.
Developed in partnership with functional health expert and best-selling author Dr. Mindy Pelz, the program is designed by women, for women to support the hormonal cycles of the female body through fasting, personalized nutrition, mind-body practices, quality sleep, biohacking, and stress reduction.
In kind, slowing down and tuning in are twin tenets of the program.
“For so many years we have been taught to just push through and be stronger, it’s ingrained in us,” explains Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses’ Wellness Pioneer. “But as women, we’re cyclical, we’re rhythmical. If we can listen to our bodies and understand those cues, I think every woman on earth, from teenagers on, can benefit from this program.”
Prior to arrival, guests complete a questionnaire to determine lifestyle, medical history, health goals, dietary preferences and hormonal cycle. Onsite, the program begins with a comprehensive wellness and biomarker screening, which measures, among other criteria, autonomic response and vascular function.
(As for myself, after an overnight flight, a sodium bender and a midday espresso intake on par with Pedro Pascal, my wellness score was 90/100, high enough to feel competent but short of smug.)
Participants are given a sleep tracker and a private consultation with an on-site sleep expert.
To enhance shut-eye, each of the resort’s 71 guest rooms is supplied with lamb’s wool mattresses, temperature-regulating pillows and duvets, and organic linens.
Program participants are also outfitted with a continuous glucose monitor that is viable for two weeks, allowing them to observe how they respond to insulin beyond the duration of their stay.
These offerings reflect Six Senses’ long-term approach to well-being and the desire for women to be both revitalized and informed by their stay. “It’s about giving women the tools to live better, stronger lives,” says Bjurstam.
It is her hope that participants will leave Douro with a deeper understanding of the “beautiful design” of their bodies and better equipped to live in alignment with and with reverence for them.
Paramount to that alignment is nourishment.
All produce served at Six Senses is grown on-site or locally sourced. For participants in the Female Wellness Program, lunch and dinner are three-course meals tailored to support each stage of the hormonal cycle.
This cycle is broken down into three phases: Power, Manifestation, and Nurture. The Power phase follows a ketobiotic framework, while Manifestation and Nurture prioritize hormone feasting.
Offerings include lemongrass bone broth, charred root vegetable salad, grilled steak and almond chia pudding.
Fasting is recommended for individuals in the Power and Manifestation phases, with a suggested duration of 13 to 17 hours. The fasting protocol is flexible, with an emphasis on intention rather than restriction, though the legendary guest room minibars are stripped bare to eliminate in-room temptation.
While drinking alcohol is not expressly encouraged, neither is it forbidden. On-site health expert Lauren Battaglia suggests that if participants are apt to imbibe, they monitor their glucose to see how the body responds.
(Perhaps due to dutiful, decadent training, this body did not register a glucose spike and appears to process white wine with the conviction of a recently retired divorcee.)
However, Six Senses offers myriad ways to unwind without uncorking; guests have full access to the spa facilities, which feature hot and cold therapy pools, as well as regular, infrared, dry and herbal saunas.
The Female Wellness Program features detoxifying massage treatments and biohacking recovery sessions, incorporating compression and red light therapies. A sound bath and a guided outdoor meditation, intended to ground and restore, are also included.
For meditative movement, the surrounding property, converted in the 19th century from terraced vineyards to winding forest, provides a wealth of walking trails that lead to waterfalls, secret tunnels, an organic garden and a few choicely suspended Dedon nest chairs perfect for taking in a sunrise while thinking about the breakfast you’re eshewing in favor of personal betterment.
Supplemental treatments include astrology readings, alchemy workshops and IV treatments.
Six Senses’ Female Wellness Program is available to individual guests, groups and as part of focused retreats with experts like Dr. Pelz.
The program is available to guests at Six Senses Douro Valley, Rome, Kanuhura in the Maldives, Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam and Crans-Montana in Switzerland, with plans to extend the program to all Six Senses locations.
Bjurstam believes all women can benefit from the Female Wellness Program, but its power is amplified in a group setting: “With almost every healing modality I’ve seen, when you do it in a group, the results become stronger and better.”
My stay concluded with a fire ceremony, where the officiant reminded us, “your life is a ceremony,” with the program preparing our bodies for the ritual ahead.
Rates for the Female Wellness Program at Douro Valley range from $1,420 per person for 3 nights to $2,260 per person for 7 nights.
English (US)