It’s only been open for a year, but already Atmantan Wellness Resort is making waves on the wellness scene. The brainchild of Ironman tri-athlete and business entrepreneur Nikhil Kapur and his wife Sharmilee, a Pranic healing practitioner, Atmantan is already being recognised as one of India’s top resorts alongside renowned establishments like Vana and Ananda in the Himalayas.
Named as one of GQ’s ‘Top 50 Most influential Young Indians’ in 2016 for his entrepreneurial ambitions, CompareRetreats.com chats with Nikhil about what transformation means to him, and what sets Atmantan apart from the competition.
Tell us about your life before you founded Atmantan. I always harboured entrepreneurial dreams, but after my MBA, I took up some corporate jobs and worked for six years with Wipro and Reuters. This gave me a solid foundation and knowledge of business environments, but my wife and I had always spokes about Atmantan as something we wanted to work towards. Our focus before Atmantan was on ambition, hopes and dreams. It feels that much better having made it to this other side of that and making it a reality.
What was the incentive behind opening this resort? We wanted to create that perfect getaway or a “wellness pit-stop” where people could come to simply take a break. We wanted to create an environment for people to pursue their wellness goals in a focused and results-driven manner. The resort is designed to offer a luxury stay, and as a result, Atmantan has the feeling of a true vacation and not a punishing boot camp.
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What do you hope guests will take away from their stay? We have guests who are blown away that healthy food can be plated to look sumptuous and be tasty too; some guests are exhilarated that they get off their dependence on beverages like tea and coffee; there are others who can’t believe they spent their vacation enjoying Zumba, Bollywood dancing or TRX workouts; then there are others who experience the best sleep of their lives while here, on our patented mattresses. Every guest takes back their own personal ‘transformations’ after their stay here.
What sets this resort and the retreats you offer apart from the rest? At a concept level itself, we are different from every other property in the country. We help our guests achieve their goals by using a structured and scientific approach to wellness.
Thomas Edison said: “Doctors of the future will talk about diet, frame and prevention of disease with their patients.” We used those principles to create the team at Atmantan. We work with traditional preventive health sciences along with modern approaches to nutrition and fitness. Our approach to wellness is multidimensional.
The name of the resort means “Mind, Body and Soul” – how do your programmes address wellbeing in each of these areas? It’s like the book “Eat, Pray, Love”. The mind is fed through meditation, to quieten the turmoil of the thoughts as they come to this serene crystalline valley of Atmantan. The body is pampered with spa therapies, and toned and strengthened through workouts. The soul is unburdened with balance, detoxed with emotional cleansing, and inspired by spirituality when requested. It all sounds very abstract, but these abstracts all culminate into the holistic healing of the self here at Atmantan.
‘Transformation’ is a key part of your philosophy. What does transformation mean to you, and how can people make healthy transformations in everyday life? Our inspiration comes from a story about Michelangelo. He was carving an angel and was observed by a passerby. The passerby asked him how he could imagine something so beautiful when there is only a lump of stone. Michelangelo replied, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” At Atmantan, we see the healthy person inside every guest and we want to help set that person free.
In addition to retreat experiences, everyday transformations can be something simple. Make small changes like getting enough sleep, adding an extra hour of fitness, or checking food sources.
How do you de-stress after a long week? My favourite way to relax is spending time with my nine-year-old son. Family time is the most effective way to unwind for me.
Outside of Atmantan, what is your dream wellness holiday? I love yoga and triathlon – those two are always fighting for the top spot as my favourite sports. I’d love to have a fitness break somewhere like Lake Fuschl in Salzburg, because the water is perfect for swimming, and it’s the ideal place for trekking and cycling. For yoga, I’m planning to further my studies in Mysore next year.
What are your personal well-being goals? I’m always working towards completing the checklist of a good lifestyle: healthy nutrition, fitness, sleep, emotional balance, and social support from friends and family. My goal for the next two years is to further improve on what I feed my body while enhancing my strength and flexibility.
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