IT'S ALL IN THE MIND

At a retreat led by Deepak Chopra, Tatler learnt from the pioneer of mind-body medicine himself about the medical benefits of mindfulness and how prioritising peace can lead to a longer, happier life

- Aaron De Silva

L ongevity has come into sharp focus in recent years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global population of over-65s is projected to double from 750 million in 2019 to 1.5 billion in 2050. That’s one sixth of humanity.

The current generation simply refuses to age as their predecessors did, as they yearn for innovative approaches to longevity and healthspan—that is, the length of time that a person is healthy, not just alive.

As Dan Buettner, author and host of the 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, says, “Most of us are leaving good years on the table. [Globally, about two-thirds of people] will die prematurely from an avoidable disease. How do we fix this? It’s not by trying to prevent death; it’s by learning how to live.”

In their quest for longevity, some of the world’s elite are turning to spiritual advisors to unlock the secrets to living a long, healthy and happy life.

Tatler recently visited Rakxa—an integrative wellness retreat just outside Bangkok that combines ancient healing methods with medical science—to attend a fiveday Life & Soul Longevity Retreat led by celebrated wellness guru and prominent figure in the New Age movement Deepak Chopra.

As a long-term advocate of the mind-body connection and the mind’s ability to influence the body through meditation and mindfulness, Chopra’s philosophy is very much aligned with Rakxa’s model of integrative wellness, which he believes represents the future of well-being. “I don’t believe in [describing things as] ‘alternative medicine’. Medicine is anything that works,” he says.