The Art Of Healing

11/08/2026

11/08/2026

Why Is Mental Wellbeing So Often Overlooked In the Conversation about Wellness?

In the many years I have been visiting and reviewing health and wellness retreats, there is actually only one … maybe two – Camp Eden in Australia (now called Eden Retreat) and Kamalaya in Thailand - who included any type of therapeutic session or treatment to help people with mental wellness.

The offering at Eden was part of a few presentations that were given to teach people mental first aid, which I have never forgotten and thought was so valuable. At Kamalaya, the session I experienced was more along the lines of family constellation work (a therapeutic method developed by German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger, designed to heal deep-seated family dynamics, transgenerational trauma, and emotional entanglements that may be influencing an individual’s current wellbeing). Also valuable but a lot harder work, and not something perhaps that you want to do when you are trying to relax and have a nice time.

And perhaps that’s it – properties who are delivering wellness programs need to provide activities and treatments that people will actually want to participate in. And I get that. But I also sense there is a lot of scope for creating new and different types of programs, that bring in consultants and practitioners who can create small and specialised sessions that will help people perhaps understand themselves better, and give them some mental health tools they incorporate into their lives when they return home.

I was stimulated to write this post from a small study I have just been reading where the researchers looked at whether personality traits were linked to psychological wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) – a measure that captures both physical and mental health. They found that whilst personality may not play a direct role in longevity; it might influence how you live your life. For example, someone who is curious and intellectually engaged with the world might be more likely to seek new experiences, maintain social connections, take up hobbies, stay active, and keep learning.

Perhaps you’re thinking, will this is not necessarily something we didn’t already know, and I agree. But here’s the take-home: rather than acting independently of diet or exercise, personality may help shape the behaviour that makes healthy ageing more likely in the first place.

08/08/2026

Such a fascinating area and great explanation of metacognition and the science behind how we think and observe - thanks Daniel.

The highest form of intelligence, according to some researchers, isn't logic, speed, or memory.

It's metacognition, the ability to think about your own thinking.

Metacognition is the brain watching itself. When you "notice yourself thinking," the spotlight turns inward.
You stop being inside the thought. You start examining it.

Neuroscientists have found that during this kind of self-observation, a region in the anterior prefrontal cortex becomes more active.

In plain terms: you have a neural system specifically designed for self-observation. Your brain can study its own code in real time.

A practical example: simple emotion labeling. Saying "I'm anxious" or "I'm angry" changes what the brain is doing. Not metaphorically. Literally.

Research from UCLA suggests that labeling an emotion engages regulatory regions in the prefrontal cortex and dampens activity in the amygdala, the brain's alarm system.

Naming your inner state shifts brain activity.
Awareness itself can alter the pattern.

While metacognition is the ability to think about your own thinking, memory reconsolidation is the ability to recall and edit your own memories.

When you recall an event, the memory becomes temporarily malleable.
For a short window, new context or emotional meaning can be added.
You're not erasing the past.
You're updating how it's stored and remembered.

That is metacognition applied to past experiences.

This is the exact reason reason why some forms of therapy work.
It changes the meaning attached to remembered experience.
The memory stays. The grip it has on you loosens.

Put it together and the picture is striking:
→ You can observe your own thinking.
→ Naming a feeling shifts your brain.
→ Recalling a memory makes it editable.

You are not stuck with your default reactions. You have leverage on them, if you notice them.

So the next time you catch yourself saying:
"Wait, why did I react like that?"
That moment is not trivial.
It's metacognition at work.
And it's often the first step in rewriting what you do next.

We spend our lives inside our thoughts. That single move, noticing instead of reacting, is the difference between living on autopilot and living on purpose.

Your brain is already equipped for it. All you have to do is use it.

Fleming, S. M., & Dolan, R. J. (2012). The neural basis of metacognitive ability. *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1594), 1338-1349.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3318765/

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli, 421-428.
https://sanlab.psych.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2015/05/Lieberman_AL-2007.pdf

Nader, K., Schafe, G. E., & LeDoux, J. E. (2000). Fear memories require protein synthesis in the amygdala for reconsolidation after retrieval. (6797), 722-726.
https://www.nature.com/articles/35021052

04/08/2026

We're looking forward to attending this event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in about 3 weeks time - celebrating its 20th year and the Mekong's largest travel event.

Recognized as Asia’s Best MICE Tradeshow, ITE HCMC brings together tourism authorities, destinations, travel businesses, airlines, hotels, MICE suppliers, technology providers, media, and selected international buyers to create high-value business connections across Vietnam, the Mekong region, and global source markets.

31/07/2026

So good to see this happening.

WHO has selected Thailand to host its third global traditional medicine summit, bringing health ministers, policymakers and researchers together in 2027

29/07/2026

Peptides and the latest ruling and details from the US. What are your thoughts on this?

An FDA advisory committee voted on whether to loosen certain peptide restrictions. Learn what these peptides are and whether they are safe and effective.

23/07/2026

Another interesting read this week from The Conversation Australia + NZ regarding regulation of the use of peptide and anti-ageing injections. It's definitely important to keep informed and educated on this issue, and I look forward to seeing the ABC report. However the use of the word wellness in this context - even the way 'longevity' is disparaged, I find a tad disappointing. It creates and perpetuates this 'us and them' scenario which is just not necessary. How do you feel about this?

Wellness clinics are supplying peptides and anti-ageing injections that aren’t approved, meaning they haven’t been checked for safety or effectiveness.