Thursday, January 27, 2022
A global pioneer in wellness and lifestyle transformations, Chiva-Som, has announced Sandie Johannessen as the new Director of Health & Wellness at Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som; the largest wellness destination in Qatar and the world’s first centre for Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM).
Leading the charge towards delivering Chiva-Som’s globally renowned wellness philosophy, Johannessen brings two decades of expertise in natural wellness to Zulal which aligns seamlessly with the specialities of TAIM.
In her leadership role, Copenhagen-born Johannessen will be responsible for guiding Zulal’s health and wellness philosophy and curating transformative wellness practices, whilst supervising the delivery of Chiva-Som’s high standards of service. She will oversee and cultivate the wellness and sustainability culture at the resort, delivering on Chiva-Som’s pledge to place equal importance on people, planet, and profit, ensuring that it resonates throughout the guests’ experience.
Having long embraced the virtues of a healthy, naturally balanced approach, and with a keen understanding of diverse cultural therapies from her previous tenures ranging from the USA, the UK and Scandinavia, to Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, India and Seychelles, Johannessen’s holistic approach sees her combine her studies in yoga, meditation, dietetics and philosophy into an experience where serenity is palpable.
Johannessen believes wellness is a way of life that embraces elements from different cultures and this has resonated through the path she has chosen. From a young age, her learning was infused with how health extends from the individual to their environment. Johannessen also had an early connection to Thailand as a child where she embraced her spirituality by visiting Buddhist temples and meditating with monks. Her journey with yoga and Ayurveda started serendipitously in her 20s when an uncle introduced her to the ancient sciences via a traditional remedy for motion sickness and set her on an exploration of holistic wellness, studying the alternative knowledge systems in India over many years. Continuing her journey and harmonising the ancient sciences’ perspective to her role, Johannessen finds great privilege and joy in helping others to re-balance, heal and thrive.
TAIM has greatly influenced Western medicine; it emphasises a holistic path to wellness that embodies traditional healing practices and herbal remedies with lifestyle guidance in nutrition, movement, and rest. Zulal Wellness Resort is inherently unique in bringing this ancient philosophy into a contemporary context and educating guests in the healing modalities of the region with two distinct areas to achieve wellness goals, Zulal Discovery and Zulal Serenity.
Zulal Discovery caters to guests seeking to make wellness a part of the family experience, with facilities that have been designed by child and family specialists specifically to bring families together; whilst Zulal Serenity caters to individuals and couples who want to enjoy world-class wellness in an adults-only environment, dedicated to those seeking a path of reset, reflection, and transformation.
“With the appointment of Sandie Johannessen, we will be further well-positioned to continue the vision of Chiva-Som through Zulal Wellness Resort. Her knowledge and skillset are augmented by a genuine passion for achieving sustainable holistic wellness goals in herself and in others. An inspiring leader, her values of a ‘selfless service’ will set the tone for us in our commitment to motivate guests towards an enlightened approach to their lifestyle. She will play a key role in championing our brand ethos”, commented Chiva-Som Chairman and CEO Krip Rojanastien.
Echoing Mr. Rojanastien, Zulal Wellness Resort’s General Manager Daniele Vastolo said, “We are excited to welcome Sandie to the team and look forward to working with her to create an incomparable and distinct guest experience and journey that is synonymous with Chiva-Som and will define Zulal Wellness Resort as the modern pioneer for TAIM.”
Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som invites guests from all over the world to its coastal home on the northern tip of Qatar to experience a new wellness journey, a continuation of Chiva-Som’s unparalleled service and professionalism to inspire positive and sustainable lifestyle changes.
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