Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa

Set against the Santa Catalina Mountains in the High Sonoran Desert, Tucson's Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has been offering wellness programs to people from around the world since 1996.  Today guests came to Miraval individually or with family and friends to relax, refresh, and learn to live and feel better. There are no strict regiments. Instead, choice is the guiding principle, with a wide range of programs and experiences designed to create overall well-being and help guests become more aware of themselves and their surroundings. Miraval's success is driven from a philosophy that life is more meaningful and enjoyable when physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual components are in balance.

Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa

California's Golden Door Spa Celebrates 50 Years

The San Marcos, Calif., health club opened its doors 50 years ago this year, and it wasn't long before men-only weeks began luring the rich and famous for some serious pampering.

Aldous Huxley's eyebrows are so caked with mud in the black-and-white photograph they look as though they might snap off. But the novelist hardly appears concerned with the future state of his eyebrows. More pressing, perhaps, is whether actor Jim Backus, encased in a coffin-like steam box nearby, might melt away more than a few extra martinis.??Officially, Huxley was participating in one of the first "men's weeks" at the Golden Door Spa in San Marcos -- 50 years ago this year -- to give a lecture on the "mind-body as one word." But like the 14 additional spa guests, Huxley was really there to experience the benefits of hula-hoop calisthenics, herbal wraps and alcohol-free "cocktails." It was a Brave New World of masculine mud masks.

"Taking in the men just fell into place, really," says Deborah Szekely, the energetic 87-year-old founder of the Golden Door, about five miles north of Escondido. "We had always been about coeducation at the ranch."

Szekely and her late ex-husband, Edmond, founded the Golden Door in January 1959 as an upscale version of Rancho La Puerta, the couple's coed, self-described "health camp" in Tecate, Mexico. In its earliest years, the ranch operated as more of a commune where visitors brought their own tents, tended the vegetable garden and attended Edmond's group health lectures. Clients looking for a little more pampering -- those with deeper pockets, such as Huxley and Backus -- ponied up for the Golden Door.

Within six months of its debut, the San Marcos spa offered its inaugural men-only weeks to guinea pig recruits. It was the first facility to open its doors to men in the United States.

Read the complete article at: The Los Angeles Times

Are Boot Camps the Next New Spa Vacation?

Think boot camp and what comes up? An image from the military or makeover reality show with trainers barking orders at their clients come to mind. Whatever the image, boot camps are becoming the new/old way to get in shape.

Boot camp like programs are appearing at the local gym offered for the after work group with limited time or they can be as comprehensive as the boot camp program offered at Mountain Trek, a health and fitness retreat located in the wilderness of beautiful British Columbia. For one or two weeks, guests transform their bodies through a high intensity fitness program focused around daily high intensity hiking fueled by gourmet cuisine. The boot camp part is delivered by structure of the program: 6:30 am yoga, hiking for 4 hours, and nightly fitness classes. “Our guests range from high pressured executives to mothers, basically those with a lot of responsibility on their shoulders,” explains Kirkland Shave, Mountain Trek’s GM. “What they appreciate is the opportunity to have someone else be in charge guiding and motivating them. They can completely give themselves to the program and focus on themselves,” continues Shave.

The benefits of the boot camp are multiple, weight loss being one of them. The average in 2008 weight loss for women was 5.7 lbs per week and 9.0 lbs for men. Continues Shave,” “Weight loss in the main reason why our guests come here. However, they leave with dramatic increases in their fitness levels such as endurance and strength as well experiencing a reduction in their stress levels. But most importantly they leave with an increase in self-esteem and vitality. “You won’t find our guides barking orders while on the trail, “says Shave, “but encouraging and motivating guests when the going gets tough. They think that they can’t do make it to the top of a mountain and when they do, well, there’s no words to express the sense of accomplishment,” finishes Shave.

Mountain Trek offers its boot camps in Canada, United States and Costa Rica.

FitPath at Mountain Trek

Compliments of HealthNewsDigest.com

Sign of the Times? For Sale: The Hillcrest Wellness Spa

Built in the 1870s as a grand family home and currently used for commercial purposes, this historic home would appeal to someone who has always dreamed of owning an inn or wellness spa or to an individual or family with an appreciation of heritage homes, says listing agent Ryanne McGee of Chestnut Park Real Estate.

The home, known as the Hillcrest, was built by entrepreneur and distiller James Worts as a wedding present for his daughter Emily and her husband, lawyer David Smart Jr., son of Port Hope's postmaster and local distiller.

It was sold to Joseph Schwartz of Pittsburgh, Pa., in about 1894. In 1917, the Schwartz family changed its surname to Black. For nearly 100 years, the Black family used the house as a summer home. Mr. Schwartz's brother used the same architect to build his family's summer home across the road.

The Hillcrest was sold out of the Black family in 1973 and has had five owners since, says Ms. McGee, who has the exclusive listing with Dee McGee. "The most recent owners invested in the restoration and preservation of this provincially designated historic property."

A circular driveway flanked by white pillars and original gates leads on to the 14-acre property and to the 15,000-square-foot house. The property has mature trees, gardens and a concrete pool.

An "immense portico" on the north side was added in 1900; there is also a 50-foot library/study, influenced by the classical style of Thomas Jefferson, Ms. McGee says.

The nine-bedroom, 13-bathroom Beaux Arts-style home has a hall with a Waterford crystal chandelier and a curved staircase.

The main-floor rooms have 12-foot ceilings, fireplaces and original brass wall sconces, chandeliers and woodwork. The dining room, which overlooks Lake Ontario, was originally a porch. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the lake.

Most of the bedrooms have high ceilings, fireplaces, original fittings and woodwork, and ensuite bathrooms.

The second floor has five bedrooms, a servant's bedroom and another bedroom off the nursery with its own staircase to the main and third floors.

Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen and a staircase to the rooftop deck are third-floor features.

The Hillcrest is in Port Hope, where many of the town's original buildings have been restored. Trinity College, established in 1865, attracts students from around the world.

Many well-known musicians, artists and writers live in the Port Hope area. One of the community projects that reflects the values of the town is the restoration and operation of the 1930s Capitol Theatre.

Spas of America Launches 30 Destination Spa Experiences

Spas of America, the fastest-growing spa travel website, today launched listings for 30 destination spas from across North and South America. "Destination spas are the pioneers of the spa industry," says Spas of America president Craig Oliver. "They demonstrate a commitment to total wellness by providing customers with a complete experience encompassing health, fitness and diet."

The Spas of America website, which features over 650 spas, allows customers to search spas by keyword, region or specific type of spa experience. Categories include City, Mountain, Country, Beach, Desert, Ocean, Mineral, City, Wine -- and now Destination as well. Spas of America features destination spas in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Kathleen LeSage of Vermont's New Life Hiking Spa, one of the new listings, says: "It is no wonder 'preventive health lifestyles' are popular. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, and with those come a myriad of other health issues. Leading a healthy lifestyle, staying at a healthy weight, and keeping your body active and flexible have enormous health benefits, from keeping diabetes at bay to lowering cancer risks to alleviating depression."

Adds Craig Oliver: "Preventive care even made its way into President Obama's speech this week. He called it 'one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control.' The spa and wellness industry has been long-time advocates of preventive health. Destination spas, in particular, provide customers with the ability to experience holistic health, but also to take many of the health, fitness and diet learnings home with them."

Destination spa experiences featured on Spas of America include:

Fitness Ridge Spa Resort, Utah
Located amidst the beautiful red rocks of southwestern Utah, the Fitness Ridge Resort & Spa is a one-week-minimum, results-oriented health, fitness and weight loss resort. The spa strives to empower each guest and help them jumpstart lasting lifestyle changes through education, exercise, accountability and self-awareness.

Heartland Spa, Illinois
Nestled in Illinois farm country around a spring-fed lake, this unpretentious 32-acre destination spa focuses on fitness and well-being. True to its name, the Heartland Spa emphasizes "heart health" through its nutritious cuisine, personalized programs, and full range of fun and challenging fitness activities.

Hills Health Ranch, British Columbia
With a leading reputation for wellness, health and weight loss, the Hills Health Ranch, set on 20,000 acres in British Columbia's scenic Cariboo region, offers a unique combination of rest, relaxation, education and adventure. Guests may hike rangelands dotted with peaceful lakes or challenge themselves in diverse classes to reach new fitness goals.

New Life Hiking Spa, Vermont
Renowned as an affordable destination spa with some of the country's best hiking and fitness programs, New Life Hiking Spa is located in the heart of the aptly named Green Mountains. This distinctive spa focuses on a mixture of hiking, yoga, other forms of exercise and healthy eating to help guests make lasting lifestyle changes.

Red Mountain Spa, Utah
Framed by towering cliffs and the red rock formations of southwest Utah, Red Mountain Spa offers a wide selection of quality activities for fitness enthusiasts, in addition to all the pampering, luxury and relaxation you expect from a full-menu spa.

For a complete list of destination spas on Spas of America visit:
http://www.spasofamerica.com/experience/destination

Experience Rosehip Oil at Hills Health Ranch, Canada

Juanita Corbett could be Canada's answer to the Body Shop's Anita Roddick. Corbett, who owns the unique Hills Health Ranch in 108 Mile Ranch, B.C., has a touch of the eccentric, just like Roddick. She's a former Grand Ole Opry singer from Kentucky who found her calling as a homeopathic esthetician. The ranch is a weight-loss and de-stressing spa that's just like a good old-fashioned fat farm. Corpulent CEOs sometimes stay for months at a time.

It's also the place where Corbett manufactures her Canadian Natural Oils line of curative and beauty products, including her cult rosehip oil. When she and her husband bought the ranch in the B.C. Cariboo that so inspired artist Emily Carr, Corbett didn't know what to do with the 20,000 acres of prickly rosehips growing on the grounds. She thought the prolific plants an unwanted nuisance.

But you know the old saying, if God hands you rosehips, make rosehip oil. Corbett did some research into the weed and found it to be one of the Earth's most powerful healing herbs, with a high concentration of vitamin C. She began making rosehip oil using a cold press.

The rosehip-oil wrap and facial Corbett gave me is not a treatment I will soon forget. It started with a massage with a dry brush that looked a lot like a horse brush. (Very possible. Riding is one of the activities offered here.) Starting with my feet, Corbett dry-brushed her way up my body. She advised me to administer the same treatment to myself daily. (Invest in a natural bristle brush, she said. "It costs about 50¢, takes a few minutes a day and will not only increase blood circulation and remove dead layers of skin, but stimulate glandular hormones as well.") After I was sloughed soft, out came the rosehips. The oil was massaged into my body, then I was wrapped in a plastic sheet and heated blankets to warm me up. While I was slow-cooking, Corbett gave me a facial with more rosehip oil. Then she left the room for 15 relaxation minutes. The sweet aroma of the rose oil filled the small treatment room. I felt like Jeannie inside a perfume bottle.

Corbett and her staff are highly specialized and have a very Old World attitude to health. Beauty treatments are as much rehabilitation as indulgence. The facial included much examining of my skin with a magnifying glass and suggesting internal remedies for what ailed me. Liver and digestive problems, she guessed (correctly, as I do a lot of traveling), were giving me circles under my eyes, so she advised me to drink lots of water and eat yogurt with acidophilus, a friendly intestinal bacteria. After she unwrapped me, my skin was soft and fragrant and I felt so relaxed that I missed that afternoon's workout session.

Hills Health Ranch

Karen Burshtein, Weekend Post