ASCENSION · DA NANG · JANUARY 12–26, 2027
ASCENSION · Da Nang, Vietnam · January 12–26, 2027
A curated wellness and cultural experience in Da Nang, Vietnam, combining Vietnamese bodywork, movement, restoration, sound, food and discovery.
Fine-art photography by Daniel A. Stanford · Movement study featuring a Budokon® instructor.
ASCENSION
Move with greater ease. Breathe with greater awareness. Rest more deeply. Feel more present.
Touch, movement, breath, sound, food and place come together in one fourteen-day rhythm—so you leave knowing more about what supports you.
Come for a day. Stay for seven. Give yourself fourteen.
Choose your Pathway, a curated hotel stay, or a private wellness villa.
Da Nang · January 12–26, 2027
Explore
Pathway only
Design Stay
VIP wellness villa
Programme dates7 days · January 12–19, 2027 / 14 days · January 12–26, 2027
Founding Pathway ratesThrough November 30, 2026, pending final approval. Subsequent rates: US$1,500 / US$2,500.
ASCENSION brings Vietnamese wellness, movement, breath, sound, food, creativity and place into one considered rhythm. Take part in what serves you, rest when you need to, and leave room for Da Nang to surprise you.
For people ready for a different rhythm. After a demanding year, you may want more freedom of movement, time to rest or simply space for yourself. No previous experience is required.
Da Nang, between salt air and ancient stone.
The foundation of ASCENSION
ASCENSION begins with a simple principle: the body is one interconnected whole. Diện Chẩn, touch, movement, breath, sound, creativity, food and place broaden the conversation.
ASCENSION is holistic and experiential. It does not diagnose, treat or replace medical care.
The face may be the starting point. The whole body is the journey. Diện Chẩn often begins through reflex points across the face and head, but it is not limited to facial reflexology. The practitioner follows the body—working wherever attention is needed.
A session may combine targeted pressure, specialized tools, therapeutic heat, stretching and full-body manual work. Hands. Feet. Head. Limbs. Back. Movement. Tension. Connection.
No needles. No universal sequence. The treatment is adapted to the person.
Diện Chẩn is presented as a traditional wellness practice and educational experience. Individual responses vary. Participation does not replace medical diagnosis, treatment or professional healthcare.
Diện Chẩn is supported by movement, breath, guided meditation, sound baths, creative practice, food, culture and complementary wellness experiences.
ASCENSION SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
Go below the surface.
RESTORE at Hideout Wellness. Experience thermal contrast, sauna, hot and cold bathing, and an outdoor magnesium pool featuring MagnaPool technology. A dedicated space for recovery, movement, relaxation and reconnection.
HEAT · COOL · MAGNESIUM · REST
ASCENSION will also incorporate facilitator-led programming at Hideout, with potential sound bath and guided wellness experiences presented according to their confirmed schedules.
ACUPRESSURE · BODYWORK · MOVEMENT
Feel more. Move more. Touch deeper.
EMBODY explores the body as an interconnected system. Vietnamese Diện Chẩn, acupressure, assisted stretching, breath, mobility, restorative movement and guided release practices invite participants to notice how tension, posture and habitual movement influence the way they feel and move.
Discover Diện ChẩnSEA · MOUNTAINS · HỘI AN · PEOPLE
See differently.
Featured SEE film
See the sea, the mountains and the lanterns of Hội An. Above all, see smiling faces, genuine hellos and the warmth of people who welcome you.
Marble Mountains is planned as a special excursion, with the day still to be confirmed. Other place-based moments remain illustrative until the final program is published.
Vietnam scenic film · Sound available
WAVES · MUSIC · SOUND BATHS · STILLNESS
Listen deeply.
Meditate with the waves. Enter guided meditation, music, sound baths and resonant sound. Rediscover the inner silence where peace begins.
Sound baths and guided sound experiences are planned. Participating sound practitioners and session details will be announced as they are confirmed.
SHARED TABLE · LOCAL FLAVORS
Taste the place.
Featured TASTE film
Taste real food as nature designed it—fresh ingredients, prepared with care, shared tables and unforgettable Vietnamese dining experiences.
Specific shared-meal inclusions and timing will appear only after they are confirmed for the participant program.
SALT AIR · WARM EARTH
Breathe all the way to your toes.
Draw in the sea air. Discover how conscious breath can awaken presence, confidence, strength and movement.
Breath-led experiences and participating facilitators will be announced only when confirmed.
INTUITION · DRAW · PAINT · WRITE · PHOTOGRAPH
Reconnect with the artist within.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso
Be present. Follow your intuition. Draw, paint, write, photograph, move—or create in whatever form calls to you.
Creative sessions are part of the ASCENSION Passport framework. Confirmed session formats and materials will be stated in the participant program.
ASCENSION
ASCENSION is not a collection of disconnected wellness appointments. It is a sustained opportunity to notice how your body responds when movement, touch, breath, sound, food and place begin working together.
You may arrive wanting relief from the pace and pressure of everyday life. You leave knowing more about what helps you feel present, capable and at home in your body.
A practitioner’s perspective
“ASCENSION feels like a thoughtfully curated journey—a space where art and living come together to help us reset our bodies, energy and minds. Da Nang’s balance of ocean and mountains creates the perfect environment to release rigid ideas about training, reconnect organically, and learn, grow and rejuvenate.”
Your experience
ASCENSION invites participation without pressure. You do not need experience in movement, meditation, bodywork or creative practice. Every session begins with clear guidance, and you decide what feels appropriate for you.
Your Ascension Passport
Follow a curated program without losing your freedom.
Your ASCENSION Passport opens confirmed shared experiences while leaving room to rest, explore Da Nang and choose optional private sessions. Planned programming is identified separately until facilitators and schedules are confirmed.
Diện Chẩn as the signature traditional wellness and educational experience.
Curated group movement, breathwork and embodied practices, including planned Ecstatic Dance.
Selected group restoration and wellness experiences, with private treatments identified separately.
Planned guided meditation, sound baths and sensory listening experiences.
Selected shared culinary experiences connecting guests with Da Nang through food.
Curated cultural and place-based experiences across Da Nang and its surroundings.
Photography, drawing, painting, collage and material exploration.
A day at ASCENSION
A shared rhythm that leaves room for your own pace.
07:00 · Awaken
Beach movement · yoga · mobility · breath · optional sea
08:30 · Nourish
Breakfast · coffee · slow morning
10:00 · Restore
Hideout thermal experience · sauna · hot + cold bathing · magnesium pool
11:30 · Treat
Rotating individual experiences · Diện Chẩn · acupressure · bodywork
13:00 · Pause
Lunch · beach · rest · free time
15:30 · Breathe / Resonate
Breathwork · meditation · sound · deep rest
17:00 · Your time
Swim · spa · sleep · explore · do absolutely nothing
19:00 · Taste / Connect
Food · Da Nang · Hội An · conversation · culture
This is a sample rhythm, not a compulsory timetable. Experiences vary according to the day, group, weather, practitioner availability and individual choice.
Experience the full pathwayTHE FOUNDING PATHWAY
Land. Exhale. Begin.
Heat. Cool. Release.
Move. Breathe. Feel.
Step outside the retreat.
Return to the body.
Listen. Create. Connect.
Take something with you.
Private + Teams
Private and team editions adapt the ASCENSION framework into focused 1–7+ day experiences in Da Nang — moving between restoration, the sea, culture, creativity and meaningful time together.
Designed initially around intimate groups of up to 10.
Larger and bespoke groups by arrangement.
Daniel Stanford · Da NangWhy I created ASCENSION
ASCENSION grew from my personal journey through movement, creativity, traditional Vietnamese wellness and life in Da Nang.
Built around Diện Chẩn and expanded through selected practitioners, it is an immersive happening designed to awaken the body, senses and imagination.
Read my storyProvenance
Cornell Art Museum 2016 — shown alongside Warhol and Russell Young
Art Basel Miami 2014–2018
MIS São Paulo solo invitation, 49/50
MODUS Index Authorities: Marie-Christine Gilbert PhD, National Gallery of Canada · Cleber Papa, MIS São Paulo
Explore the MODUS methodologyChoose your rhythm
VIP WELLNESS VILLA · from $4,500 for 7 days / from $7,500 for 14 days.
Design Stay and VIP references are proposed package pricing, subject to availability, final inclusions and written confirmation.
Your stay, your way
Choose the founding Pathway on its own, or enquire about a proposed Design Stay or VIP Wellness Villa package. Flights and local transfers remain separate. Selected stays, inclusions and availability are confirmed in writing before booking.
A circle in formation.
ASCENSION is assembling a carefully selected circle of practitioners. Each is considered for experience, integrity, cultural fit and meaningful contribution to a small international cohort. Confirmed practitioners will be announced as agreements are finalised.
Confirmed
Planned facilitator — pending final confirmation
Yael Hayes is a deep-focus specialist, holistic leadership advisor and retreat facilitator with more than ten years of experience working with leaders, entrepreneurs and groups.
Her multidisciplinary practice includes bespoke journey design, deep-rest facilitation, guided meditation, nervous-system regulation, body-intelligent movement, fascia release, leadership and team development.
For ASCENSION, her proposed contribution may span individual restoration, guided group experiences and the development of bespoke private and team journeys.
Yael’s participation is planned, subject to final travel, accommodation, scheduling and programme confirmation.Invited
Before you arrive
A curated 7- or 14-day experience connecting Vietnamese wellness, movement, sound, food, culture and creativity in Da Nang.
A modern Vietnamese, needle-free system rooted in traditional principles and combining reflexology, acupressure, heat, stretching and full-body therapeutic work.
No. Diện Chẩn is needle-free.
No previous experience is required. Guidance is provided and you decide what feels appropriate.
Yes. You may come alone or with someone.
No. Participate in what serves you, and rest or step away when you need to.
Pathway-only participation covers confirmed shared ASCENSION programming and the participant cohort. Final programme inclusions are stated clearly in writing before payment.
Scheduled Diện Chẩn sessions confirmed within the shared programme are included. Any additional private treatment, extended bodywork or spa service is optional, subject to availability and booked separately.
Pathway-only participation does not include accommodation, flights or local transfers. Design Stay and VIP options are available by enquiry; occupancy, nights, pricing basis and final inclusions are confirmed in a written offer.
Yes. Sheraton Grand Danang is an independent hotel you may book yourself.
The 7-day program runs January 12–19 for USD $1,200. The complete 14-day program runs January 12–26 for USD $2,000.
Ecstatic Dance is planned as part of the EMBODY experience. The facilitator, location and final schedule will be announced after confirmation.
Sound baths and guided sound experiences are part of the intended program. Participating sound practitioners and session details will be announced as they are confirmed.
Y sĩ Huỳnh Bảo Loan leads Diện Chẩn daily. She is a Licensed Traditional Medicine Practitioner, Licensed Acupressure & Massage Therapist and Licensed Healthcare Practitioner (Acupressure, Traditional Medicine). Additional facilitators will be announced as agreements are confirmed.
If ASCENSION does not confirm the January 2027 edition by December 12, 2026, or cancels or reschedules it, guests may choose a full refund of programme payments or full-value credit toward a future edition. Guests who cancel by December 12 may request a refund less 10% where legally permitted, or choose full-value credit for 24 months. After December 12, full-value credit for 24 months applies; cash refunds are not available. Late bookings are subject to capacity. Accommodation follows supplier terms. Statutory rights remain unaffected. See Terms for complete conditions.
Yes. You choose whether you appear in photographs or video.
Ask questions before participating and consult an appropriate healthcare professional when needed. ASCENSION experiences do not replace medical diagnosis or treatment.
Start with an enquiry. ASCENSION will confirm availability, programme inclusions and payment steps in writing before any deposit is requested.
Yes. Practitioner applications are open through the prefilled application email below.
Programmes begin at USD $1,200. Availability, inclusions and payment steps are confirmed in writing before any payment is requested.
Included
Optional · Book Separately
Enquire first. ASCENSION will confirm availability, inclusions and payment steps in writing before any deposit is requested.
ASCENSION is not a single retreat. It’s a travelling series of curated editions—each built around wellbeing, movement, sound and place.
Edition 01 · January 2027
Current primary experienceEdition 02 · In planning
Follow-up editionPerhaps your city.
Seven or fourteen days. One intimate experience. A different way to encounter Vietnam—and yourself.
