The Journey Inward

The first sound came from a large metal bowl held a few inches from my head. Its low, resonant note travelled through the room, lingering long after the therapist had stopped striking the rim. I lay still, listening as the sound rose and faded in slow, measured waves. It was soothing enough to lull me towards sleep, and at some point, I drifted off, only to wake up startled by the sound of my own breathing.

“It’s quite common,” the therapist said, as I smiled back, slightly embarrassed. “It happens when your body is asleep due to deep relaxation, yet your mind is perfectly aware of its surroundings.” I nodded, realising that this was perhaps the point of the exercise.

The sound healing session was my first introduction to ASMI by Oberoi, the personalised wellness programme I had come to experience over two days at The Oberoi Sukhvilas in New Chandigarh. Named after the Sanskrit phrase "I am" and rooted in the concept of pancha kosha, or the five layers of human existence, ASMI draws on traditional ideas of inner balance through five pillars: Movement, Nutrition, Bodywork, Breathwork and Mindfulness, with experiences such as sound therapy woven into the journey.

I had arrived at the property that same morning. The 40-minute drive from the Chandigarh Railway Station was where the transition really began; the traffic thinned out, the noise of it fading, until the road ran straight into the scrub and grassland of the sprawling Siswan Forest. And as the resort's gates came into view, the city was well behind me.

Set across 25 acres within more than 8,000 acres of protected woodland, the resort is so spread out that you need golf carts to get around. It's split into three blocks, with rooms, restaurants and wellness spaces scattered across the grounds; something I only worked out by moving through the property over the course of the day.

The spa sits in a quieter corner of the property. At 1,115 sq. m., it has treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy circuit, hammam scrubs, a tepidarium and a lounge for guests to unwind after their sessions. None of it would mean much until the next morning, when I was handed over to heat, water and stillness in that order.

Understanding The Self

Wellness, at most hotels these days, tends to mean the same few things: a spa treatment, a yoga class before breakfast, perhaps a healthy meal or two, and some time set aside to slow down. I've tried most versions of it. Usually, I knew what I wanted walking in: something for a stiff back, tired legs, or just an hour without my phone. ASMI by Oberoi started differently.

Before I got anywhere near a massage table, I was handed a lifestyle assessment; a list of concerns and objectives to check off against myself. Sleep, energy, posture, exercise, and everyday habits I hadn't looked at closely in a while, including the tightness in my right shoulder and upper back that had become a fairly constant companion to my laptop.

Rini, the spa manager, explained that every guest arrives with a different lifestyle, concerns and needs. “The assessment helps us understand where they are in their lives so we can recommend experiences that are right for them,” she said.

The conversation that followed helped her put together a personalised sequence of experiences for me, rather than a predetermined menu of treatments. The idea was not to just move from one spa treatment to another, but to use the assessment to understand what my body and routine needed, and build the experience around that.

The Rituals Of Restoration

The hydrothermal experience was where my bodywork properly began. Housed within a dedicated thermal suite, the circuit moved between heat, steam and water, with each stage intended to ease tired muscles and improve circulation.

I moved from the infrared sauna’s dry, radiant heat to the aromatherapy steam room, its air thick with essential oils and warm enough to make me more aware of every breath. By the time I stepped into the pool, with the jets working over my shoulders and calves, I had stopped thinking about the heat. I stepped out feeling warm, loose and noticeably lighter.

All of this, I was told, was intended to relax and prepare the body for the longer treatment that followed. In my case, the consultation had led to "Restore My Tranquillity," a treatment that lasted 120 minutes and combined several techniques in a carefully sequenced experience.

I could feel Kalpana, my therapist, working with conviction and agility from the moment her hands massaged through my shoulders. There was a confidence in the way she moved, as though she knew exactly where to begin and how much pressure to apply. The treatment was unlike any comprehensive spa experience I had had before. It was not only about releasing physical tension, but also about cleansing negative energy and restoring balance in the body, or so I was told.

It began with guided breathing, followed by healing gemstones placed along my energy points and warm Himalayan salt-infused poultices worked across my body. The treatment ended with Shirodhara, an Ayurvedic practice in which warm herbal oil is poured in a steady stream over the forehead.

The sensation was gentle and repetitive, and somewhere along the way, I drifted off, yet again, just as I had during the sound therapy session the previous evening. Clearly, the resort’s wellness programme had found more than one way to put me to sleep.

A Different Kind Of Indulgence

The culinary experience at the property is centred on nourishment without turning every meal into a lesson in wellness. Meals are allowed to be enjoyable, with attention paid to the quality of the ingredients, the season, and how they come together on the plate.

That's the whole idea behind ASMI's Nutrition pillar, as far as I could tell.

Executive Chef Rajiv Vatsyayan explained that the approach combines India's culinary traditions with modern nutritional thinking, using seasonal, locally sourced and minimally processed ingredients.

“We want the food to be nourishing, but we don't want guests to feel like they're following a diet,” he told me. “The idea is to bring together what is good from our culinary traditions with what we know about nutrition today.”

The personalisation starts with the same assessment that shapes everything else. The kitchen works with the wellness team to tailor meals around individual needs, using everything from nutrient-rich grains and fermented foods to seasonal produce. Some of it comes from local farmers, while herbs and mushrooms are grown on the property.

What We Carry Forward

Two nights are hardly enough to change the habits of everyday life. I wasn't expecting to return with a completely altered routine, or to suddenly become someone who wakes up at dawn, meditates daily and never answers emails after dinner.

What ASMI by Oberoi offered was something more measured. It made me pay attention to things I had become quite good at ignoring, from the tension I carried in my body to how rarely I allowed myself to be entirely unoccupied.

Perhaps that is where “asmi” (“I am”) makes the most sense. Not as a promise to become a different version of myself, but as a reminder to notice where I am to begin with.

The Information

Location: The Oberoi Sukhvilas, New Chandigarh, Pallanpur P.O., Sialba Majri Road, New Chandigarh, Punjab

Accommodation: 60 rooms, villas and luxury tents, including the Kohinoor Villa, Luxury Villas with private pools, and Royal Tents closer to the forest

Wellness Philosophy: ASMI by Oberoi; five pillars of Movement, Nutrition, Bodywork, Breathwork and Mindfulness

Dining: Anant Mahal and Kaanan, offering multi-cuisine and traditional Punjabi menus respectively

Contact: + 91 11 6911 0606; reservations@oberoigroup.com

Website: oberoihotels.com/hotels-in-chandigarh-sukhvilas-resort/

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