Mother Nature heals,” says Shama Barot, co-founder of Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences on Singer Island, which is set open in early 2021. With a mission of healing in mind, Shama and her father Dilip are nothing if not ambitious: the two are making a bid to unveil one of the nation’s most innovative, comprehensive wellness retreats, with 182 residences (starting at $1.2 million) and 155 hotel rooms.

The Barots understand that setting comes first, and that being beside water can make people happier and healthier. “We take full advantage of the seven acres, and our 300 linear feet of oceanfront,” Shama says. “On our beach, we have nine private, exclusive nooks for al fresco massage, a wonderful way to harness the curative powers of nature.”

Reverence for the salubrious benefits of water flows into the manmade environment as well. Amrit’s vast 100,000-square-foot spa holds Florida’s only indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy station—an impressive amenity, to be sure. “It’s a place where people can spend hours,” Dilip says. “It’s an homage to this location.” Featuring a lap pool, a Himalayan salt inhalation room, saunas, Arctic chill fountains, effusion showers, heat therapy, cryotherapy, and waterfall showers, the massive complex sprawls across 40,000 square feet. “We also have 21 treatment rooms, including those equipped for Ashiatsu massage, Thai massage and body-scrub treatments,” Shama says.

Launching at a time when self-care has become an obsession for many, Amrit combines Eastern philosophies and therapies with modern science to offer wellness-minded travelers and residents holistic, fully supported, goal-oriented stays. “We are committed to helping people create a personal wellness system that they can take home,” Dilip says. “Practice is what takes their stay to the the next level.”

Under the guidance of a wellness coach, visitors set objectives from five core pillars—sleep, nutrition, fitness, wellness and relaxation—in advance of their stay. “They can select activities from more than 25 pages of programming, from yoga to meditation to stand-up paddleboarding to cooking classes, and we help them create customized itineraries,” Shama explains. “We formulate a roadmap for each guest to help them succeed, to achieve the milestones they’ve set.” Two restaurants, one plant-based and the other inspired by local cuisine, fuel and inspire guests during their stay. “Our oceanfront demonstration kitchen presents subjects as diverse as Ayurveda and juice cleansing,” Shama says.

Adherents of Chinese medicine and sound-and-light healing are also in luck at Amrit, and those desiring specialized expertise will find complimentary health practitioners, including osteopaths, naturopaths, and medical doctors. “Each individual’s wellness is addressed by the right expert,” says Dilip, noting that a range of masters await to address every concern. Nothing is too esoteric: Amrit has even enlisted a medical scalp specialist to advise guests on healthy hair.

Naturally, there’s an extensive daily yoga and meditation program, and it culminates with nightly setsang, a group yoga session that addresses mind, body and spirit: a reset event that prepares guests for the next day’s activities. “‘Setsang’ means ‘in the company of truth’ in Sanskrit,” Dilip explains. “We feel this sense of community—our unofficial sixth pillar—is needed in today’s world perhaps more than anything.”

The end of the day, or the end of the stay, doesn’t mean the end of the experience: The Barats say that their team is so committed to ensuring that guests achieve their wellness goals that coaches will check in on guests for months afterwards. So when Shama calls Amrit “the gift that keeps on giving,” she isn’t being poetic—she means something real. ♦