Reena Bajwa seeks a moment of indulgent calm at Richmond’s eco-wellness escape.
Let’s face it; leading a frenetic, fast-forward lifestyle can leave you feeling fried and frazzled. So, it’s at vital times like this when a mind and body re-boot is absolutely in order.
Perched along a parade of beautiful boutiques and cafes on leafy Richmond’s Hill Rise, lies Bhuti – an urban refuge from the strains and stresses of modern life, offering carefully curated treatments, wellness and exercise classes. There’s even a nutrient-dense vegan café and retail shop.
The word ‘bhuti’ itself is Sanskrit, which means ‘wellbeing’. As you first enter the space, it feels wholly welcoming and grounded in its vibe. Small but perfectly formed, you’ll soon discover that it opens out from the back and into a wider labyrinth of cosy corridors, leading on to the locker rooms with showers, a relaxation space with hanging wicker pods and two spacious wood-floored studios.
As a new mum constantly on-the-go, I was invited to take a break away from the world and experience the highly calming and soothing restorative yoga class run by teacher Sona Sharma. We took time to make extremely considered, slow and careful poses on the mat, allowing the precious time for our minds and bodies to catch up with each other. Staying at length in gentle poses with the use of props, the body can unwind and open, release and finally, let go. To finish, we focused on our breathing and followed a guiding voice from the teacher who used a technique called yoga nidra to help us to fall into meditation.
During the session, Sona cited author Pico Iyer, who wrote the Art of Stillness, to sum it all up:
“In an age of acceleration, nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow. And in an age of distraction, nothing is so luxurious as paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is so urgent as sitting still.”
Feeling deeply relaxed, I was then treated to a blissful body massage, leading me to a profound sense of inner wellbeing and peace using deep tissue, Swedish and lymphatic massage techniques. The philosophy at Bhuti is to use pure, natural and as nutritional products and ingredients as possible to encourage clean and healthy living. The therapist worked with a natural scented oil to melt my muscle tension and leave me feeling centred and whole. 
Other treatments on the menu include Ila facials and a kundalini back ritual, Oskia signature therapies, manicures, pedicures, waxing and threading and more. There’s also a whole collection of alternative therapies to uncover, from acupuncture to bowen technique to reiki and pregnancy tailored treatments.
More than just a drop-in space, Bhuti offers memberships to immerse further and meet like-minded souls. It also hosts a number of events such as mindfulness workshops, cooking classes, nutritional talks and a fascinating gong bath meditation – a sonic healing soundscape which includes gongs, Tibetan bowls, rainsticks and sansula to stimulate the brain waves associated with meditative states and release energetic blocks and tension – like receiving a sound massage for the whole body.
Bhuti – Where & How
50 Hill Rise
Richmond
Surrey
TW10 6UB
www.bhuti.co
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