Absolute Yoga has shaken up the world of wellness once more with the launch of Absolute Sanctuary, the first boutique resort on the island of Koh Samui to specialize in yoga and detoxification programs.
 Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul, founder and managing director of the Absolute Group, emerged as a trendsetter in the area of wellness in Thailand about seven years ago.
After taking a yoga class in Hong Kong in 2001, she soon realized the benefits the practice could offer in terms of promoting inner strength and good health. Thai consumers during that time seemed to be spending their money on lifestyle-related goods or services, while taking their health for granted, she said.
“I decided to take up a 600-hour training program at the Yoga College of India in the US in order to become a certified yoga instructor,” she said.
Leaving a promising career in finance behind, Benjaporn took the plunge and went on to open Asia’s second hot yoga studio in Thailand.
Benjaporn opened Bikram Yoga Studio, named after Bikram Choudhary, the founder of hot yoga, at Soi Lang Suan in September 2002. Starting with just two instructors, the studio quickly grew and had signed up over a thousand members within its first year of operations. Three years later, the studio was moved to the larger Amarin Plaza Building and was renamed Absolute Yoga. A second branch soon followed at Soi Thonglor.
Amid growing demand, Absolute Yoga now boasts seven branches in Bangkok and Koh Samui, along with two branches in Singapore. The company has 30 qualified instructors and over 50,000 students participating in over 200 classes a week. In business terms, the company is enjoying impressive growth of between 20-30% per year.
Detox development
Before long, Benjaporn recognized that yoga provided the ideal basis on which to expand into the area of wellness in general. With the support of Rasayana Retreat, which operates three retreats in Bangkok, Bang Plee, and
Pat taya, Absolute Wellness has developed a body detoxification program, including colon hydrotherapy. This treatment works to eliminate toxins that build up in the colon, which helps improve blood circulation and cardiovascular performance.
The package also includes a healthy-eating program, which can help participants achieve weight loss of up to 3-5 kg.
While it can be easy to stray away from a program in a regular home environment, a retreat allows participants to really focus on their goals.
“People tend to make up excuses rather than work towards improving their health, so I think it’s important they place themselves in an environment which stimulates their desire for positive change,” Benjaporn said.
In April, Absolute Yoga took its first steps toward providing wellness solutions through the launch of Absolute Sanctuary.
“As a destination, Koh Samui is holistic since people visit to rest and recharge their batteries, as well as exploring alternative medical treatments,” Benjaporn said.
Unlike other hotels and resorts offering spa and other therapeutic treatments, Absolute Sanctuary boasts international standard, state-of-the-art facilities, including yoga retreat programs, detoxification programs, spa-based healing therapies, and organic vegetarian cuisine providing the perfect environment for a ‘wellness vacation’. Absolute Sanctuary’s programs are operated by certified specialists in each field, according to Benjaporn.
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 The resort’s beachside accommodation has an interesting Moroccan theme. The décor provides a generally pleasant and relaxing ambience conducive for guests to concentrate on their health goals.
“Typically, Thais tend to prefer to move around a bit when on vacation, going here and there to try the different tastes of local food specialties. But that can often be too much, meaning they don’t feel rejuvenated at all,” Benjaporn said.
She hopes that with the establishment of Absolute Sanctuary, such breaks will become trendier among locals.
As for Absolute Yoga, Benjaporn says that over the past couple of years the group has managed to stay ahead of its rivals by maintaining a personal touch in its services with a focus on providing the best possible quality. Practice rooms adhere to international standards and are kept at the ideal temperature, she said.
“The most important thing is that we monitor our instructors’ teaching techniques properly. As well as undergoing regular training sessions, they must learn about cultural differences and psychology in order to fully understand the characteristics of Thai practitioners,” she said.
Absolute Sanctuary offers packages suitable for every level.
While the seven-day package at Absolute Sanctuary may initially appear quite steep at 53,500 baht (US$1,620), if you consider that it includes eight nights’ accommodation, along with a complete package of rejuvenation treatments, it starts looking like excellent value for money.
“Overall, Absolute Sanctuary is aiming to develop a reputation for being a world-class wellness center that can educate people on how to maintain their good health following a visit,” Benjaporn said. “We’re not simply promoting a destination based on extravagant features.”
Absolute Yoga offers a variety of classes at its six Bangkok branches located at Amarin Plaza, Lat Phrao, Pinklao, Sathorn, Sports City, and Thonglor.
For further information on Absolute Sanctuary’s packages, contact Tel: +66 (0)2 252 4400.
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