Spas and VR: new stress busting wellness experiences see you travel the world – even the moon – for meditation and relaxation

The latest in virtual reality provides the chance of a break from city life without the worry and inconvenience of airports and planning a trip abroad

Spas, wellness centres and even medical clinics are finding ways to use it to help clients relax and stay healthy

4-MIN READ4-MIN

At the Amooma Spa & Sanctuary in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, virtual reality sessions offer the opportunity of a break from city life without the ordeal and inconvenience of airports and travel stress.

Published: 7:30am, 16 Nov 2019Updated: 8:37pm, 17 Nov 2019

In the midst of the social unrest in Hong Kong, I faced a deliciously difficult decision: pick one of 10 fabulous destinations for an instant escape. I narrowed it down to a shortlist of three: a tropical rainforest, a spot to admire the Northern Lights, or the moon. Yes, really – the moon. It was a no-brainer, right?

There was no need for astronaut training, no bulky spacesuit. I just sat back, relaxed and within minutes was on the moon’s mottled surface. Ahead of me the Milky Way glimmered; to my right our planet Earth, looking every bit the beautiful little blue marble, gently turned.

I breathed deeply and exhaled slowly, following the melodic instructions of a distant narrator. It felt so good that I extended my five-minute trip to 15 minutes.

With some reluctance I brought my midweek space odyssey to an end. I pulled off the virtual reality (VR) visor and put it in my lap as I adjusted to my new reality – Amooma Spa & Sanctuary, on a quiet side street in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district.

VR offers the opportunity of a break from city life without the ordeal and inconvenience of airports and travel stress. W Hong Kong’s Bliss Spa became the first place in Asia to offer VR-led spa treatments last year, and now Amooma is following with Sousou, a range of VR experiences that promise to immerse you in faraway, exotic worlds.