The Yin Way Retreat – The Way of a Woman is a new Six Senses-led retreat created to support women’s wellbeing through every life stage. Coming to Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives from October 1 to 4, followed by Six Senses Kyoto in Japan from December 11 to 14, 2026, this new expression of integrated wellness blends modern science with ancient wisdom to encourage realignment of the female nervous system and the restoration of emotional equilibrium
The retreat applies the “Yin” principles of rest, receptivity, reflection, and cyclical living. Within Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist philosophy, these principles help guide women through the many chapters of their wellbeing, from pre-pregnancy to post-menopause and the shifts in between
The Yin Way retreat by Six Senses responds to a wider wellness movement awakening the need for more gender-specific support. The Global Wellness Institute* has identified a shift away from an era in which women’s wellbeing is borrowed from men’s data and protocols. Now, more than ever, women are reorienting their lifestyles beyond biology, phase of life, or menopause management and into longer-term longevity practices built around a woman’s whole lifecycle
Each retreat will be led by Hati S. Malinova, Six Senses Wellness Director and Integrative Health Expert, who brings more than two decades of clinical experience dedicated to female and reproductive health, postpartum care, and family wellbeing. Hati’s background spans medical and functional health, counseling psychology, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, following 12 years at a female health hospital in Shanghai
Hati S. Malinova, Six Senses Wellness Director, said: “Women’s wellness has often been treated as a narrow conversation, focused on fertility and menopause, but it is much broader than that. Women are asking deeper questions about their health, often arriving at Six Senses when calm, sleep, and balance feel just out of reach. Brain fog can begin, and what follows is an overwhelming search for more information on cycles, perimenopause, fertility, fatigue, and the broader impact on relationships. Six Senses is giving those questions somewhere better to go. We wanted to connect those dots with care and intention, creating the space and rhythm for guests to awaken their senses, supported by clinical insight and personal consultation. The aim is to give women tools they can continue at home.”
Working with the body
Guided by the Six Senses purpose to help guests reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them, The Yin Way Retreat invites women to tune in to what their bodies are telling them. It applies the Traditional Chinese Medicine idea of perimenopause and menopause as a “second spring,” shifting the conversation away from loss and toward a more useful question: what is the body asking for now? The aim is neither to medicalize women’s wellness nor to wrap it in mysticism, but to create a grounded and generous space for understanding, support, and renewal.
“Hormones are not the problem,” Hati adds. “The challenge is that we’ve rarely been taught how to understand them, work with them, or support ourselves through change. Our lifestyles, too, can often be unknowingly inflammatory. With the right knowledge and support, women can begin to recalibrate from within. The Yin Way is the feminine way. It is about moving with your body instead of pushing against it. We spend so much of our lives stretched and striving. Yin reminds us that there is strength in slowing down and truly listening.”
Each retreat will gather a small group of women. This intimacy matters. Guests may arrive with different questions but often share a sense that something is out of sync. Through communal meals, workshops, and unhurried conversations, there is relief in realizing these concerns are not theirs alone
While often addressing shared symptoms, every guest’s path is individual. Each personalized journey is informed by an integrated wellness screening on arrival, with Sleep With Six Senses and Eat With Six Senses principles woven throughout. This high-tech, high-touch approach to wellness features a combination of lymphatic drainage for hormonal balance and heat therapies for detoxification, with treatments to support cortisol regulation, cycle balancing, circadian rhythms, stress management, and sleep health.
Within the space and calm of Six Senses, away from the demands and distractions of everyday life, women can explore the connection, science, and wisdom of the female body:
Six Senses Kanuhura, Maldives – October 1 to 4, 2026
A tropical beach haven and the reinvention of a Maldi
Cast away to a laid-back haven that’s home to some of the finest beaches in the Maldives, retreat guests of Six Senses Kanuhura will take part in daily yin yoga and sound healing sessions to settle the nervous system. Hormonal health workshops open conversations many women have not had access to before. At the Alchemy Bar, guests are introduced to herbs and botanicals traditionally used to support hormonal wellbeing. A dolphin cruise on the open ocean offers the rarity of unstructured time on moving water. Meals gather the group around the table each day. Guests stay in Beach Villas with private pools. Personalized spa treatments work alongside the group sessions.
Six Senses Kyoto, Japan – December 11 to 14, 2026
An urban sanctuary in the once cultural and historic heart of Japan
In Kyoto, The Yin Way takes a more culturally reflective path. Set in the historic heart of Japan, the retreat brings together traditional Eastern healing with Japanese craft and contemplative ritual. Guests are introduced to kintsugi, the traditional Japanese art of restoring broken ceramics with urushi lacquer and gold powder, through a hands-on exploration of its philosophy of embracing change and imperfection; take part in ikebana flower arranging; join qigong and Daoist meditation; walk the hotel’s labyrinth; and sip specially prepared herbal teas. Expert-led seminars, supported by interpretation, explore women’s health and hormonal balance through both traditional knowledge and modern science.
Evenings in Kyoto gather around the table, with daily changing, nourishing dinners inspired by Japan’s 24 sekki, or micro-seasons, and Eastern dietary therapy, featuring ingredients traditionally associated with women’s wellbeing, plus curated beverage pairings. Biohacking sessions and access to hydrotherapy and contrast therapy facilities complement the daily group program, while free time allows guests to explore Kyoto’s temples and gardens at their own pace
For more information and to book, visit:
Six Senses Kanuhura, Maldives
Yin Way Retreat – The Way of a Woman
From USD 3,361 per person in a Beach Villa With Pool
Six Senses Kyoto, Japan
Yin Way Retreat: The Way of a Woman
From JPY 666,000 per person in a Deluxe King Room
