Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2020
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Spa Manager, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Employment History

• The Leela Goa, Goa, India; InterContinental Resort Mauritius, an IHG Hotel, Balaclava, Mauritius; Goa Marriott Resort and Spa, Goa, India; Niraamaya Private Retreat, Goa, India; The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach, India; Radisson Blu Hotel GRT, Chennai, India; W Retreat and Spa, Maldives; Holy Cross Wellness Centre, Kerala India; S.D.M Hospital & INYS, Jindal, India

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore; Doctor-level Training in Ayurvedic Panchakarma, Kerala Ayurveda, Kerala; Advanced Paramedical Aesthetics, Christine Valmy International School of Aesthetics, Mumbai; Fellowship Program in Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune

Birthplace

• Kochi, India

Languages Spoken

• Malayalam, Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil

Growing up in rural south India, alternative healing practices were the norm during Dr. Arun Tomson’s childhood – except in extreme cases. But when specialist ENT intervention failed to address his severe sinusitis, it was his teenage dedication to yoga’s cleansing kriyas that finally relieved his long-term symptoms - and the impact was life-changing.

Encompassing a multi-discipline approach, his Bachelor’s degree in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences included both treatment and diagnostic subjects: Yoga Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Nutrition, Magneto and Chromotherapy, Acupuncture, Fasting Therapy and Physiotherapy on the one side; Pulse Reading, Iris and Facial Diagnosis on the other. The common thread between all? The body’s ability to heal itself through lifestyle management – including diet, exercise and natural methods of treatment.

“If you look at health as a spectrum, being well is not just an absence of disease or suppressing ailments,” he explains. “You need to understand the cycle of disease to understand how to return to the cycle of health. Everything in the body has a natural balance – attainable through daily habits and choices.”

Dr. Arun launched his career at a hospital where he specialised in the lifestyle-led treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes. He then honed his skills at a medical centre treating cardiac and dermatological conditions. But it was his move into the hospitality sector in 2007 that made him feel he was really making a difference. Rather than treating patients seeking a “quick medical fix,” he found himself spending time with guests keen to improve their health by investing in long-term results.

“Yes, people are sometime sceptical,” he affirms. “But we are not administering a hocus-pocus solution to their problems. It’s about helping them understand their behaviours, habits, emotions, preferences. As they start to discover that emotional elements – such as anger – can be rooted in physical imbalances – such as an aggressive liver or gall bladder – they decide whether or not to explore the links. There’s no agenda on our side. We help them connect the dots. And it’s a different puzzle for everyone.”

Aligning scientific anatomical knowledge with each individual’s feelings and issues can’t be achieved in a single consultation – or even a single vacation. “Once you have a basic understanding of how something makes you feel, you start observing it more in daily life,” he continues.

It’s this ongoing learning process that prompted him to undertake his Traditional Chinese Medicine Fellowship in 2019 – and the reason why his constant What’s App pings mean he can never “switch off”: “Different modalities work for different people – and we learn through the knowledge we gain and share. When guests message me about benefits they’ve experienced from my advice, it’s the best feeling.”

Dr. Arun’s dedication to growth has found its ideal home at AyurMa, a haven of health representing 15 years of wellness evolution at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. He starts every day with a flowing ashtanga yoga session to keep his equilibrium in check. He also ensures he does everything with positive intent. Healthy eating, therapeutic fasting and a good sleep cycle further support his authentic approach. But it is time spent with his kids and computer science teacher wife that nourishes him the most. “We hang out, connect, cycle, and play sports,” he concludes. “Consultations help doctors get into details but it’s through sports and play that everyone – including doctors – bonds best.”