12-Day Nordic Spa & Jin Shin Jyutsu Healing Intensive on Denman Island

Manna House sits on Denman Island, one of the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and this 12-day intensive is its deepest dive into healing. The core of the program is a 10-session Jin Shin Jyutsu intensive with Erin, who runs her own practice on the island. Jin Shin Jyutsu is a form of acupressure that works with the body's energy pathways using gentle touch, and each session runs 90 to 120 minutes. You'll have one session daily for ten days, with an eleventh day set aside for rest and integration. The work is hands-on and specific, following an ancient release flow pattern tailored to your body after a pulse reading at the start. Erin also incorporates Lomi Lomi-inspired massage with long, flowing strokes, and every treatment ends with at least 20 minutes of acupressure.

What makes this retreat distinctive is the total privacy of the thermal experience. Most spas have communal saunas and hot tubs. Here, every room opens to a private garden with an Ofuro cedar soaking tub, a cold plunge, and a fire pit. You use these whenever you like, day or night. The property also has a private beach with a wood-fired barrel sauna bookable for four-hour sessions, and a medical-grade infrared sauna that's entered from the massage studio and can be used for up to three hours a day. The claim that it has the lowest EMF of any sauna in the world is a real selling point, particularly for people sensitive to electricity. The sauna itself is hand-crafted from Canadian basswood with no glue and finished with beeswax.

The retreat is run by Manna House, which has won 'Spa Resort of the Year in British Columbia' in the 2024 International Travel and Hospitality Awards, and the same award for Waterfront Resort in 2026. Mark, the host, is highly rated by past guests for communication and goes out of his way to help, like driving guests to see where the local food comes from. The island itself gets you away from screen-time distraction; the beaches are secluded, the hiking trails are quiet, and the night skies are clear. This is a retreat for people who want real, structured healing work, not a party or a social scene.

What's included

- 11 nights luxury oceanview ensuite accommodation - 10 x daily Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions (90-120 min each) - Daily medical-grade infrared sauna (up to 3 hours) - 1 x 4-hour private session in oceanfront wood-fired sauna - Private garden with Ofuro hot tub, cold plunge, fire pit & hammock - Food Option 1: Raw cleanse (4 liquid nutrient extractions + 2 raw meals daily) - Food Option 2: Organic gourmet menu (all meals) - Daily Denman Island spring water and organic apple juice - Organic herbal teas, coffee, almond milk - One session at the Beach Garden fire pit - Ferry pickup and drop-off (if required) - Private parking and EV charging - Free WiFi (optical fibre, city speeds)

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Additional spa treatments (e.g. Lomi Lomi massage) - Kayak, canoe, and bike rentals - Alcoholic beverages (not part of the detox program) - Items of a personal nature