Three things that make Hong Kong wellness centre Fivelements stand out in a crowded market

Lifestyle company’s space in Causeway Bay feels like a secret sanctuary. It promises to ‘create the space for life transformation’. We see what makes it special

A soundscape room helps you seriously decompress, a plant-based menu helps you eat your way to good health, and tea drinking becomes a form of meditation

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The interior of Fivelements at Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. The design is fluid, with plenty of curves, wood and muted natural colours. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 11:31am, 31 Jul 2019Updated: 8:47pm, 1 Aug 2019

An integrated lifestyle company has opened in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, with a mission to “create the space for life transformation”. That may sound like a big promise, but I’ve barely stepped into Fivelements Habitat and already my shoulders are dropping and I’m breathing more easily.

On the 13th floor of an office tower in Times Square – above a multistorey mall and several floors of restaurants – the 15,000 square foot (1,400 square metre) Fivelements feels like a secret sanctuary. The design is fluid, with plenty of curves, wood and muted natural colours.

It offers between 16 and 20 classes a day, eight of them classes in various forms of yoga – antigravity aerial, kundalini, hatha, and restorative yoga. Meditation and mindfulness are central to a company founded on and inspired by the Indonesian island of Bali. There are meditation-for-beginners classes and, for those who want to go deeper, transcendental meditation and sacred sound chanting meditation classes. Picking up the pace are classes in martial arts and movement.

There is pampering to be had at the in-house Wellness Sanctuary, from standard spa fare such as massage (antigravity massage, chi nei tsang or Taoist abdominal massage, Rolfing, shiatsu and seiki), facials and body treatments, to more exotic offerings such as energy clearing, Reiki, homeopathic and Ayurvedic treatments.

Inside the soundscape room at Fivelements at Times Square in Causeway Bay. During soundscape sessions, clients are exposed to binaural beats which research has shown can reduce brain activity, lowering anxiety and aiding relaxation. Photo: Jonathan Wong

It’s been open since mid-July and already it feels like something special. Here are three things that set Fivelements apart from other wellness centres: