We first connected with Dr. Monisha Bhanote at the Synergy Retreat Show in Bali last year and were inspired by her holistic approach to health and longevity.
In this conversation, Dr. Bhanote — Integrative Pathologist and Physician, Longevity Expert, International Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author of The Anatomy of Wellbeing, and renowned Wellness Travel Expert and Retreat Leader — shares her journey from traditional medicine to a more holistic path, why retreats are such potent medicine for modern life, and the simple daily practices that can transform health at the cellular level.
My retreats are for anyone who has been giving so much of themselves that they’ve lost sight of their own wellbeing. They’re for the person who knows, deep down, that life is meant to be more than endurance — it’s meant to be lived with energy, clarity, and connection.
1. When in your medical journey did you feel called to step beyond the purely traditional path and embrace a more holistic, integrated approach to healing?
I still remember the moment vividly — standing in a pathology lab, staring through a microscope at a tissue slide. What I saw wasn’t just “disease under glass,” it was the cellular story of someone’s life. Years of stress, food choices, environmental exposures — all written into those cells like chapters in an autobiography the body had been quietly writing.
Medicine, as I had been taught it, was exceptional at identifying what went wrong — but rarely paused to ask why. And without the “why,” we were only treating symptoms, not origins. That realization became my turning point. I began seeking answers beyond the hospital walls, exploring how nutrition, movement, environment, mindset, and emotional wellbeing shape the cellular landscapes I saw every day.
It was here that my work transformed — from the science of diagnosis to guiding people toward cellular resilience, longevity, and my #CellCare philosophy: daily choices that speak directly to your cells, telling them, you are safe enough to heal.
2. You’ve combined wellness with travel in the retreats you offer and you speak about retreats as medicine. What is it about stepping away from our daily environment that deepens the healing and regenerative process?
When you step onto a plane or boat and watch your home fade into the distance, something begins to shift before you even arrive. Your nervous system, so used to scanning for the next email, the next deadline, the next load of laundry, begins to exhale. The constant background noise of life — the alarms, the notifications, the mental to-do lists — starts to fade.
Travel, when done with intention, is more than movement from one location to another. It’s a “pattern interrupt” for your biology. The salt in the ocean air changes the way you breathe. The sound of wind moving through unfamiliar trees alters your heart rate. The taste of food grown in volcanic soil — food that’s never seen a shipping container — reintroduces your gut to living nutrients.
And something remarkable happens in that altered state. The body, finally free from its usual cues, starts doing what it’s designed to do: repair, recalibrate, restore. Your mind begins to imagine new possibilities, untethered from the habits that kept it looping. Your soul remembers what it feels like to be nourished, not just fed.
This is why I call retreats medicine. They are not an escape from your life, but a return to yourself — a reset at the deepest level, where science meets soul and your cells remember how to heal.
3. Who are your retreats best suited to, and what can participants expect?
I’ve seen it again and again — the moment someone arrives, suitcase in hand, shoulders tense from months or even years of carrying too much. Sometimes it’s a CEO who hasn’t taken a true break in decades. Sometimes it’s a parent who’s forgotten what it feels like to have a day without responsibility. Sometimes it’s someone quietly healing from loss or illness, ready to feel whole again.
My retreats are for anyone who has been giving so much of themselves that they’ve lost sight of their own wellbeing. They’re for the person who knows, deep down, that life is meant to be more than endurance — it’s meant to be lived with energy, clarity, and connection.
What they can expect is an immersion in restoration. Mornings that begin with breathwork by the sea, meals that are more than food — they are medicine for the gut and fuel for the cells. Daily rituals that regulate the nervous system, movement that feels like a homecoming to the body, and moments of stillness where time seems to stretch. And perhaps most importantly, a community of fellow travelers who remind you: you are not walking this path alone.
Many arrive feeling depleted. Most leave not only rested, but carrying with them a renewed sense of possibility — and the tools to keep that feeling alive when they return home.
4. Could you tell us about your upcoming retreat and the theme you will be weaving into it?
This October, I’ll be leading my next Longevity Retreat — and this edition is The Woman’s Wellness Code. We’ll gather on Terceira Island in the Azores, where volcanic cliffs meet the Atlantic and the air itself feels like a tonic for the nervous system.
The Woman’s Wellness Code is about helping you tap into the part of yourself that already knows how to heal — your own internal blueprint for health, resilience, and longevity. Over the course of the retreat, we’ll explore that blueprint through the chakra system — seven energetic centers that shape not only your emotions, but also how your body functions.
As we move through each center, I’ll show how what’s happening in your energy field is mirrored in your biology — in your hormones, your immune system, your nervous system, even down to your cells. This is where ancient wisdom meets modern medicine in a way that’s personal, tangible, and actionable for the body.
Each day is intentionally designed to bring science and soul into the same conversation — immersive workshops, embodied practices and meals that are as therapeutic as they are delicious, crafted from island-sourced, plant-based ingredients to heal the gut, calm inflammation, and restore inner balance. The land itself becomes part of the medicine — meditating in volcanic caves, practicing forest bathing by the sea, pausing to let the Atlantic winds carry away what no longer serves you.
This isn’t a vacation. It’s a physician-designed, soul-led reset that sends you home with the clarity, confidence, and daily #CellCare rituals to live your code for years to come.
5. How important is rest and recovery on a regular basis when it comes to longevity?
I’ve seen it firsthand — both under the microscope and in the people who sit across from me. When the body is constantly in go-mode, cells don’t get the time they need to repair. Over time, it leaves a signature — tiny signs of wear that, left unchecked, accelerate aging.
Rest isn’t indulgence. It’s biology. During true rest, your cells are repairing DNA damage, clearing toxins, recalibrating your immune system, and rebalancing your hormones. But in today’s world, we glorify the hustle and overlook the pauses — as if stillness is a luxury we have to earn.
The truth? Longevity isn’t built in the endless doing. It’s built in the spaces in between. And those spaces don’t have to mean a week away or a silent retreat — they can be as simple as stepping outside for ten mindful breaths, closing your eyes for two minutes between meetings, or letting your shoulders drop while you sip tea in the afternoon. These micro-moments are the essence of #CellCare: daily signals to your body that it’s safe enough to heal. Over time, they slow the clock at the cellular level.
6. You have studied the mind-body connection for decades. What continues to surprise or inspire you about the body’s capacity to heal?
There’s a moment I’ve witnessed countless times — and it never stops moving me. A patient walks in carrying the weight of years: fatigue etched into their face, hope dulled in their eyes. They’ve tried everything, or at least they think they have, and they’ve started to believe this is just the way life will be from now on.
Then, something shifts. Maybe it’s the first week they truly prioritize sleep. Maybe they begin nourishing themselves with foods their body has been craving for years. Maybe they allow themselves a pause from the constant stress. And slowly, the spark returns — in their energy, their expression, their posture. I’ve seen shoulders lift, eyes brighten, and laughter reappear in people who thought they’d lost it forever.
That’s the thing about the body: it’s incredibly forgiving. Even after years of stress, neglect, or illness, the moment you give it what it needs — safety, nourishment, rest, movement — it starts moving toward healing. I’ve seen it in my patients, and I’ve lived it in my own life. The body is always listening, always responding, always ready to meet you where you are. And that, to me, is endlessly inspiring.
7. If you could share just one simple practice from your own life that supports your wellbeing every day, what would it be?
For as long as I can remember, my way of healing has always begun the same way — by stepping outside and letting nature greet me. It’s not a rushed walk for exercise; it’s a slow, intentional connection with the world around me.
Some mornings, the sun is warm on my face, other days the clouds seem to watch over me like quiet companions. I notice the birds singing their morning song, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the way a lizard scurries across my path as if reminding me to keep moving forward.
In those moments, my breathing slows. My thoughts settle. I’m reminded that life exists beyond the demands of the day — that there’s a rhythm older and wiser than my to-do list. That walk is my daily anchor, the practice that reconnects me to the present and reminds my body and mind: you are part of something greater, and you are supported here.
It’s simple, but it’s powerful. And it’s the one ritual I return to, no matter where I am in the world.
8. What advice or words of wisdom would you share with someone just beginning their wellness journey?
I think about a patient I once worked with who came to me feeling overwhelmed. She had a stack of conflicting health advice and believed she had to change everything at once to make progress. Instead, I encouraged her to choose just one thing she could do every single day — something so simple it felt almost too easy. She decided to start each morning with a glass of water before her coffee.
It didn’t seem like much, but within weeks, she noticed her mornings felt calmer. That one choice gave her a sense of consistency she could trust. From there, she began adding short evening stretches, then prepared more of her own meals. Over time, these small, steady changes built her resilience, improved her energy, and supported her cellular health — the very foundation of her longevity.
That’s the essence of my #CellCare philosophy: daily, intentional actions that nourish your cells so your whole body can thrive. Wellness isn’t a race — it’s a relationship with yourself. Pick one nourishing choice and make it daily. Let that success build trust with your body, and the next step will come more easily. Over time, those intentional acts send a message to your cells — I’m here for you. We’re in this together. And when your cells feel supported, your whole being moves toward healing, strength, and a longer, more vibrant life.
Dr. Monisha Bhanote, Inu8 Affiliate Partner
Discover more at drbhanote.com
Retreat in the Azores, October 2025
