Destination Spa Vacations

Celebrating Mom

Is your mom (or are you) a Goddess? I like to think so! Did you know that past celebrations of Mother’s Day had strong symbolic and spiritual overtones. Rather than actual moms, Goddesses and symbols, such as the “motherness" of the planet, were celebrated.

Today, the focus is placed on an actual person, making Mother’s Day a $16-billion industry says the National Retail Foundation. While the gifts are great, there are cost-effective ways to celebrate mom, including:

• Using your smart phone, capture video of people who know your mom and let them express how she is meaningful to them. I love this one! My adult kids live in other states, so I would love to receive messages like this from them.
• Leading up to Mother’s Day, let mom know specific things she has done to manifest positive change in your life.
• Surprising mom by helping her do something she has talked about for some time but hasn't taken action on.
• And, don’t forget the healthy breakfast-in-bed recipes from our spa members.

What are you doing to make this year extra special for mom? Debra

Traveling and Sickness - Healthy Tips for Smooth Sailing

Planning a spring break or looking toward a summer filled with travel? My daughter is visiting this week while on college spring break. Now that I live at the beach, people tend to come to me and I just hang out here instead of feeling the urge to wander. Of course, I do visit Destination Spas!

With spring in the air, I thought you’d find these traveling and sickness tips to be handy. These are from Nancy Byrd Radding, fitness director of California’s The Oaks at Ojai:

• Travelers are exposed to lots of people, meaning lots of germs – use wipes on all possible surfaces, wash your hands a lot, take an immunity booster before, during, and after travel.

• While traveling, people are often on a fast track and don't get enough rest – before traveling, take naps as often as possible and try to get a full night’s sleep.

• People notoriously eat and drink too much on the road – slow down on the alcohol and heavy food and make healthier choices. It's always up to you!

• Don't spend your trip sitting! Don't sit in the terminal - walk. Move on the plane. Walk at your destination. If you don't want to adjust to a hotel gym, bring DVDs for your laptop. Travel with resistance bands.

Now, where are you going? Debra

Healthy Living at and away from Destination Spas

Having recently spent three weeks on a Destination Spa trek, I picked up a slew of healthy living tips along the way. In the amazing surroundings of Rancho La Puerta, The Oaks at Ojai and Red Mountain Resort & Spa, it became second nature for me and my fellow spa-goers to live healthy from morning to bedtime.

But, what happens when it’s time to go home? I am going to the Farmers’ Market, walking daily, drinking fresh coconut milk and putting pots of fresh herbs in my kitchen. I found more tips when I read an article this week by Jen Adkins of About.com. Jen wrote, “Every once in a while it seems we take stock of where we stand when it comes to healthy living. Are we taking care of our bodies? Are we doing our best to take care of our earth? Or are we stuck in a rut and need a little help digging out?”

It’s true that we can all use a healthy nudge every now and then, and this article makes it simple with seven healthy living tips. Shameless plug, I am quoted in the tip on detoxing your body along with Sue Donnellan of BodyVerde Naturals. Sue recommends drinking warm water and lemon every morning to help your body eliminate toxins and give skin a healthy glow.

Jen goes on to cover how to make your own body lotion and organic shampoo, waste not with your products, and keeping chemicals out of your hair. The piece is a great read - http://skincare.about.com/od/insiderinterviews/a/7-Tips-For-Healthy-Living.htm

What are your healthy living tips? I’d love to post them. Let’s chat, Debra

Healthy Recipe - Trilogy of Grains - Red Mountain Spa

From following my postings, you know that I just spent three weeks on a Destination Spa Journey. I spent a week each at Rancho La Puerta, The Oaks at Ojai and Red Mountain Resort & Spa . Thoughout my trek, I managed to lose eight pounds. Considering how amazing and filling the food was, I thought this weight loss was impressive.

A recipe that I definitely plan to recreate is the Trilogy of Grains from Red Mountain. I hope you'll try it too!

 

Trilogy of Grains
-1 Cup Kamut, dry
-1 Cup Quinoa, dry
-1 Cup Wheat Berries, dry
-Water or fruit juice

In a volume of water (or fruit juice) equal to that of the grain, simmer as follows *Note: It is important to cook grains separately, as they have different cooking times:

• Kamut: Simmer in 4 Cups Water for 1 hour
• Quinoa: Simmer in 1 2/3 Cups Water for 30 minutes
• Wheat berries: Simmer in 2 Cups Water for 1 hour

Mix the cooked grains and serve. Other grains may be substituted, but usually need to be cooked separately to maintain integrity of texture.

My Week at Red Mountain Resort and Spa...

My time at Red Mountain Resort and Spa was amazing and I can’t even begin to describe the incredible environment where the spa is located. The pictures and descriptions do not even begin to capture the beauty of the brick-colored mountains. 

I began most days with a hike and as the week progressed, ventured into the more challenging hikes. My confidence soared as I walked thin ledges, crab-crawled vertical inclines and slid down steep embankments. You cannot visit this location and not venture out into the amazing hills for the morning hikes.

Being in the massage industry, I am a pretty good judge of massage sessions and I have to say I had one of the best massages. Jennifer was not only excellent at the technique part of doing a massage, but excelled in the soft skills. We break a massage into sections and there are key things which are important within each section.  She delivered in every area:

• The greeting: We encourage all therapists to make eye contact, state their name and shake the hand of the guest.
• The intake: This is the time to see what the guest is looking for in their massage and if there are any concerns to be aware. It is also a time when the therapist can offer to customize the massage based on the feedback the guest has provided, making the guest massage meet the guest's current needs.
• The first part of the session: Very quickly a therapist should check in on pressure and ensure they are working at the right depth.  Pressure is subjective and should always be gauged by asking, “For the pressure, would you like me to go deeper, come out or stay here?” This forces the guest to choose what pressure they desire.
• Customization during the massage: Mid-massage, I asked for her to skip my arms and work extra with my feet. She was more than happy to accommodate this “in the moment” request.
• Presence during the massage: Often I have found that therapists check-out during the massage.  I could tell my therapist was staying present with me and the strokes she was applying. This makes a huge difference in the quality of touch delivered.

Great Job Jennifer! Love, a very relaxed Debra

More from my Week at The Oaks at Ojai...

The Oaks at Ojai draws a very loyal and long-term guest. During my week there, I was able to meet many great people who had been coming for years and viewed the Oaks as part of their family. Many shared wonderful stories of weight loss and health. One guest visits at least four times each year so she can stay on track and not gain back any of the 60 lbs the Oaks helped her lose. She loves the feeling of returning to a comfortable place and being greeted by people who know and love her.

I was very happy to see how active Oaks' founder Sheila Cluff (pictured with me) is with the spa. Sheila is the 75-year old mother of four and grandmother of four who lives the lifestyle she teaches. A former star and host of her own fitness talk shows on NBC and KABC, Cluff began her career as a Sonja Henie professional figure skater. She introduced “Cardiovascular Dance” to the world in the l950’s which today is known simply as “aerobics”.

At the Oaks, she continues to teach fitness classes, lead walks and share educational information to the attending guests.  I participated in her morning walks, stretch classes and art tours and honestly, had a hard time keeping up.  Her energy and positive attitude is infectious and encourages me to take the right steps so I can age with grace, beauty and strength.

All in All, I had a fabulous week and am leaving feeling inspired, detoxed and ready to dance! On to the next amazing Destination Spa, Debra

More from my week at Rancho La Puerta...

And the food at the Rancho La Puerta … oh my. I quickly realized that simple is often better. Meal after meal, I continued to be amazed at how incredible the food tasted and how close to the Earth they kept the meals (there is little added that is not natural.) 

Herbs and spices easily replace all the artificial flavors, sweeteners & salts we so eagerly add to our own cooking. While seafood was served occasionally, we relied primarily on a fruit and vegetable diet. I didn’t feel like I missed a thing.  

The Ranch also afforded me the opportunity to create space within my day to read, reflect and journal. I had set the intention to go inward and spend time waiting for some moments of clarity to naturally arise.  By the third day I was seeing things that are masked within my often busy life. I discovered being alone is actually cool, that I do not have to label and categorize everything in my life in order to understand it and that sometimes it is ok to wait for the dust to settle before making decisions. I found a place of deep appreciation not only for where I am at in my life, but for all the people who have shown up to share their love with me over the past couple years.  

Ending on a note of gratitude, I am extremely grateful for being in a position to visit this place of miracles and I eagerly await my next journey here.

Hasta que nos volvamos a encontrar, Debra

My Week at Rancho La Puerta...

Discovering a hidden artist begging to come out, acknowledging the introvert in me and loving the amazing low-fat, low-sugar and low-salt meals straight from the Organic gardens are just a few of the highlights from my week at Rancho La Puerta. Edmond and Deborah Szekely created this beautiful sanctuary in 1940 with the intention to transform their guests’ understanding of their role in the care and feeding of their bodies, and to appreciate and protect nature.

As I eagerly counted the minutes until I arrived, I set my intentions for the week, including a strong desire to not over-schedule so there would be opportunity to go inward and find insights on current life situations. I also wanted to spend time purposefully visualizing what the second half of my life could be like. With about 50 exciting classes offered each day, this was a little challenging, but I held true to my commitment.

The magnificent property rests on 3,000 acres, much of which is a nature preserve and I often found myself walking property paths to find hidden landscaping treasures and sculptures. One of my favorite spots to hang out after a class was my back patio. There was an amazing view of the mountain and a solitary tree at the top crest. As I gazed upon the tree and let my mind clear, many personal insights unfolded.

More insights unfolded during Jose’s sculpting class. This is where I met my artist within. I’ve always had a passing interest in sketching, but have never taken the time to explore anything beyond an introductory class. Deciding to take the sculpting class with Jose’ (a fabulous sculptor and teacher), I found myself completely immersed in creating a woman’s head from the clay. When she was done, I named her Free.

Hmmm, maybe there are some art classes in my home town. To be continued.... Debra

My Week at Rancho La Puerta

Hello everyone from beautiful Rancho La Puerta! I arrived on Saturday and am thoroughly enjoying every minute at this amazing Destination Spa. As you'll see, I set 10 intentions when I arrived at the Ranch. "Be authentic, bring myself to the present moment more, reflect on the first half of my life"... yes, gang, I am being quite deep!

I'm halfway though my week and I am happy to report that those intentions are the perfect pairing for this experience. I'm having plenty of alone time in my casita at night, coupled with lively interactions during dinner and plenty of amazing classes with my fellow spa-goers throughout the day. I'm learning a lot about myself on this Journey into Wellbeing.

Take a glance at my list (above) and then I hope you'll think about your intentions for 2012. I'd love to hear what you are planning. In the meantime, I'm off to participate in a few of the 50 or so amazing classes at Rancho La Puerta... or maybe I'll just lie in a hammock and reflect some more! From a happy place, Debra

Energize Your Get Up and Go in 2012

Worn out and weary from ringing in a New Year? It seemed that every magazine I picked up over the holidays addressed how a lack of energy is becoming an epidemic problem. I agree and am tired of feeling drained. To take action, this Saturday I'm embarking on a transformational journey that will energize me for years to come. I'll spend three weeks visiting some of the best known Destination Spas: Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, The Oaks at Ojai in Calif., and Red Mountain in Utah.

To say I'm excited is an understatement. I plan to return home feeling lighter in body and spirit, with some newly-found energy to help me have a bold 2012. You are invited to share the lessons learned on the journey. I'll blog right here as well as sharing photos on Facebook (DestinationSpaVacations) and Twitter (@DestinationSpa).

In the meantime, let's begin to put an energized pep in your step for 2012:

- Start the year with a full medical assessment to eliminate medical concerns. Issues with your thyroid and hormones, as well as intestinal disorders can zap your zest.

- Take your vitamins. Find a high-quality, natural, non-chemical multi-vitamin and consider adding in Omega 3 and a probiotic.

- Incorporate natural movement. Stand up and stretch several times during the day, take the stairs, and use half of your lunch break to move around.

- Reduce drama. Nothing can zap our strength quicker than holding onto anger and allowing drama to run havoc.

- Watch caffeine and sugar intake. Replace half the sugar you use in tea and coffee with stevia, an all-natural herbal sweetener.

Be watching for updates and tips from my journey, Debra