https://www.scmp.com/rss/501987/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kavita Daswani Kavita Daswani When Marie Diamond was 15, she was run over by a truck near her home in Bruges, Belgium. “They had already covered me with a sheet,” she says. “My father thought I was gone. I was hovering outside my body, watching everything – the ambulance, my mother arriving. Then I moved through what felt like different dimensions into a space of light.” There, she says, she encountered “nine beings – like angels”, who told her: “You have to go back. You’re here to reach 500 million people.” She woke from a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/3350312/feng-shui-tips-success-guru-whos-helped-rolling-stones-steven-spielberg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/3350312/feng-shui-tips-success-guru-whos-helped-rolling-stones-steven-spielberg?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 23:15:08 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter In a world that’s increasingly loud, fast and disconnected, Thai wellness brand Pañpuri offers a tranquil retreat and the chance to slow down. Founded by Vorravit Siripark, Pañpuri taps into 5,000 years of Thai wellness traditions – redefining what it means to feel well, from improving physical health to radically transforming your way of life. Siripark says he loves the gentle, holistic nature of Thai wellness. “It doesn’t force or fix – it restores. It’s about finding the balance between body,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3315221/style-edit-discover-thai-wellness-rituals-panpuri-whose-products-draw-traditional-modalities-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3315221/style-edit-discover-thai-wellness-rituals-panpuri-whose-products-draw-traditional-modalities-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Daven Wu Daven Wu Just as it did The Beatles, Transcendental Meditation has changed my life – though it’s fair to say that, as far as I can tell, there is no other synchronicity between my life and those of George, Paul, John and Ringo. Six months ago, if you’d asked me about my meditation practice, I would have shrugged and said it was fine. I wasn’t a beginner. After years of haphazard sessions with well-intentioned teachers – “Empty your mind!” – I had a daily one-hour practice. I followed the breath as best I... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/wellness/article/3294023/how-transcendental-meditation-transformed-my-life-it-did-beatles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/wellness/article/3294023/how-transcendental-meditation-transformed-my-life-it-did-beatles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Luisa Tam Luisa Tam Billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey is an iconic advocate for spiritual partnerships. She credits the concept for transforming her life and reshaping her perspective on relationships. Winfrey’s enduring bond with Stedman Graham serves as a beacon for those exploring unconventional relationship dynamics. Since the start in 1986, their spiritual partnership has drawn the public’s fascination, and showcases a model of deep, evolving, and non-traditional connection. The duo have meticulously... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3266457/it-worked-oprah-what-makes-spiritual-relationship-and-how-transcend-norm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3266457/it-worked-oprah-what-makes-spiritual-relationship-and-how-transcend-norm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 00:15:09 +0000 As the demand for healing retreats continues to rise, sound bathing has emerged as a leading attraction for wellness enthusiasts thanks to its use as a powerful tool for mental and emotional healing. “Sound healing is a therapeutic practice that harnesses the power of specific tones and frequencies to promote relaxation and well-being,” says Hiromi Akiyama, founder and healing arts practitioner at Ascentiah Healing Centre in New York. “By utilising these harmonious vibrations, the aim is to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3250385/does-sound-bathing-actually-work-gwyneth-paltrow-fan-tiktok-trending-wellness-therapy-improved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3250385/does-sound-bathing-actually-work-gwyneth-paltrow-fan-tiktok-trending-wellness-therapy-improved?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 07:00:11 +0000 In the mountains of Miaoli county, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Taipei, a group of friends have rented out all eight bedrooms and the lobby of a bed and breakfast. It’s a fairly remote area of Taiwan, surrounded by forest and 40km (25 miles) from Miaoli’s central railway station. It’s where the group can embrace nature without any interference from the outside world, and here, that’s important; because here, everyone is naked. Strictly speaking, public nudity is against the law in Taiwan,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3249027/freedom-taiwanese-naturists-defying-social-and-legal-norms-while-nurturing-body-positivity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3249027/freedom-taiwanese-naturists-defying-social-and-legal-norms-while-nurturing-body-positivity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jan 2024 23:45:10 +0000 For anyone in need of a little enlightenment, a half-day tour that takes in four temples on a 6km (3.7 mile) route leading west from the centre of Chiang Mai to the foothills of Doi Suthep, the guardian mountain of the northern Thai city, might be just the ticket. This self-guided tour – by bicycle, motorbike, or car and driver – is best done in the morning, as the afternoon heat can be oppressive. And remember to dress respectfully, meaning no exposed shoulders or midriffs. 1. Wat Phra Singh At... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3238657/4-temples-visit-chiang-mai-thailand-mindfulness-some-serious-meditation-history-and-hopefully?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3238657/4-temples-visit-chiang-mai-thailand-mindfulness-some-serious-meditation-history-and-hopefully?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:15:16 +0000 Women’s healing circles are sprouting up everywhere. Also called “lean-in circles”, “sacred womb collectives” or “support sororities”, these sisterhood gatherings offer women a safe and inclusive space to connect, share, reflect and empower each other. Meeting regularly in groups helps people connect through shared experiences, experts say. Peer mentorship, skill-building and inspiration are other motives. The concept is not a new one. In ancient cultures, women gathered in groups to talk and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3229710/how-womens-healing-circles-support-well-being-safe-and-gentle-space-without-judgment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3229710/how-womens-healing-circles-support-well-being-safe-and-gentle-space-without-judgment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:15:11 +0000 Kalpana Sunder Kalpana Sunder Neeti Mehra, 40, a Mumbai-based slow living coach and sustainability strategist, took her first praycation – or spiritual holiday – in 2020. Along with her parents and a sibling, she visited Varanasi in northern India to scatter the ashes of her grandmother in the River Ganges, as is Hindu custom. “We decided to make it a multigenerational holiday with my sister and her kids, staying at a luxury hotel with a swimming pool,” says Mehra. “We did food tours and took in cultural sights like the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3225141/pilgrimages-millennials-less-solemn-more-luxe-yoga-meditation-fine-dining-and-other-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3225141/pilgrimages-millennials-less-solemn-more-luxe-yoga-meditation-fine-dining-and-other-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 03:15:10 +0000 Under the Instagram handle @crossfitpriest, Swedish hospital chaplain Oskar Arngarden doles out fitness and spiritual advice to more than 32,000 followers, helping to heal body, mind and soul. “God is in every aspect of my life,” the 38-year-old says. “When I’m working out, it’s also in some way a relationship interaction, a prayer with God.” Pulling out his mobile phone at the gym across from the Uppsala University Hospital – where he is a Swedish Lutheran Church priest – the muscular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3205369/crossfit-and-cross-priest-has-both-instagram-where-chris-hemsworth-lookalike-posts-about-working-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3205369/crossfit-and-cross-priest-has-both-instagram-where-chris-hemsworth-lookalike-posts-about-working-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jan 2023 20:15:08 +0000 For China’s post-90s generation, the stresses of urban living – long work hours, the high cost of living, dating pressures, and social expectations – have pushed more people to search for ways to de-stress. The result has been an increasing popularity of mindfulness, a mental health practice that integrates breathing exercises, meditation and awareness discipline to help people find moments of calm and stillness to help them manage their stress and anxiety levels. Zhen Rui, 39, an international... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3178923/it-vitamin-wave-mindfulness-meditation-reaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3178923/it-vitamin-wave-mindfulness-meditation-reaches?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2022 07:00:18 +0000 Letao Wang has spent more than 10 years dispensing advice on love, money and careers to hundreds of people in Hong Kong from all walks of life. What’s different in today’s Covid-19 climate, he says, is an overwhelming lack of hope among his clients. Wang is one of the city’s most in-demand psychic readers, although he prefers the label spiritual counsellor – just don’t refer to him as a fortune-teller, like a lot of the media in Hong Kong have. “People feel stuck,” says Wang, the founder of The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3169202/people-are-looking-hope-tarot-cards-psychics-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3169202/people-are-looking-hope-tarot-cards-psychics-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2022 23:15:21 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3131762/body-neutrality-mesmerising-mushrooms-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3131762/body-neutrality-mesmerising-mushrooms-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Apr 2021 08:00:17 +0000 Some people baked banana bread. Others tried their hand at sourdough. Then the trick of whisking instant coffee into froth exploded onto the scene. DIY projects became trendy. Tie-dye shirts coloured social media posts. Zoom meetings – for work, to meet family and friends, and to have parties – became the norm. The year of the pandemic had people turning into everyday ninjas. But not everyone wanted their day ruled by the pings of their Google calendar. Some were happy to purposefully do... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3115810/benefits-doing-nothing-stress-relief-having-more-creative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3115810/benefits-doing-nothing-stress-relief-having-more-creative?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Dec 2020 18:30:10 +0000 The list of endurance feats Damien Rider has accomplished in the past decade is jaw-dropping. He has prone paddled solo and unsupported in the ocean for 17 days, charting an 800-kilometre course along Australia’s eastern coastline from the Gold Coast to Sydney’s Bondi Beach. He has skateboarded 4,000km over 56 days along Route 66 through the Mojave Desert in the United States, enduring temperatures of 55 degrees Celsius. He has pushed a three-tonne pickup truck for 28km along the Gold Coast... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112562/how-victim-horrific-child-abuse-turned-his-life-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112562/how-victim-horrific-child-abuse-turned-his-life-around?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 10:15:16 +0000 The first time Heidi Chan shared her struggles with anxiety and depression with a group of strangers she was on edge. She’d never spoken openly about her mental health issues with anyone outside her close group of friends – and here she was facing a gathering of 30 professionals. “I was very nervous and scared. However, after I told my story, one of the executives raised his hand and asked how I felt during my depression and anxiety. Then he said he felt unstable sometimes, too. I thought, ‘You... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112508/sharing-experiences-mental-health-problems-helps-others?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112508/sharing-experiences-mental-health-problems-helps-others?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2020 09:15:12 +0000 Long before he arrived in the United States to bring the ancient Indian practice of yoga to the West, Paramahansa Yogananda visited a temple in Indian-administered Kashmir and fell into an ecstatic trance. In his vision, he saw the temple transform into a gleaming white mansion. It sat on a hilltop in a distant land. Years later, he visited Mount Washington, a hilltop neighbourhood less than 10km (6 miles) from downtown Los Angeles. And there he saw it, the gleaming white mansion. “I recognised... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112397/man-who-took-yoga-west-100-years-ago-and-his-spiritual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112397/man-who-took-yoga-west-100-years-ago-and-his-spiritual?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2020 01:15:18 +0000 Once people begin travelling again for pleasure, following the corona­virus lockdowns, there is likely to be a stronger emphasis on “meaningful travel”, we’re told, with people being more grateful for the privilege and perhaps more mindful of the impact their wandering has on environments and communities. With travel costs likely to rise to cover Covid-19-era protocols, Hongkongers may start to cut out long-weekend breaks to Phuket or Cebu and instead invest their money and carbon footprint in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3090258/meaningful-travel-or-how-holiday-purpose-and-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3090258/meaningful-travel-or-how-holiday-purpose-and-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2020 16:00:15 +0000 Deepak Chopra is a physician, educator and author of many books, including the recent Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential. The Indian mindfulness icon launched the podcast series Now For Tomorrow and recently offered the 21-day meditation course he hosted with Oprah Winfrey free for those who logged on through his website by April 24. We caught up with the New Age guru to find out how we could all be living a little more mindfully amid this unprecedented global meltdown. Deepak, we... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3082171/mindfulness-guru-deepak-chopra-how-manage-stress-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3082171/mindfulness-guru-deepak-chopra-how-manage-stress-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2020 00:00:09 +0000 In 2017, Jeong Kwan introduced the world to Korean temple food on the popular Netflix show, Chef’s Table. But the initiative to educate tourists about Korea’s version of healthy gourmet started 15 years earlier. In 2002, South Korea launched its Templestay programmes, which have become a successful tourism initiative. These have been operated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism to show visitors what life is like as a monk or nun. Jeong Kwan continues to teach visitors as well, but protests she... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3031569/how-netflixs-chefs-table-star-jeong-kwan-put-temple-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3031569/how-netflixs-chefs-table-star-jeong-kwan-put-temple-food?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2019 05:00:12 +0000 Mental strength might be intangible, but it is as important as any physical traits in sport. It can mean the difference between dropping out of a race, winning, concentrating to keep your pace, missing a penalty or letting the stress of a loss affect your day-to-day life. You do not wake up with a strong mind, just as you will not have strong biceps without going to the gym. Here are some apps to get you started on your journey to a stronger, more relaxed state of mind that will help optimise... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/gadgets-gear/article/3029589/meditation-and-breathing-apps-athletes-get-most-out-your?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/gadgets-gear/article/3029589/meditation-and-breathing-apps-athletes-get-most-out-your?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2019 03:36:51 +0000