Published: Mar 4, 2009
By Kelly Cison

Go beyond the standard spa menu with transformative programs that blur the line between beauty and wellness.

Beauty treatments aren’t just skin deep: Massaged muscles, smoothed skin tone and groomed nails and eyebrows can leave a guest looking and feeling better about herself, increasing confidence and elevating attitude. But what’s the next step? Is there a path for your guest to continue investing in herself, to continue the journey to a better body, mind and spirit … to a rejuvenated life? And can she do it in your spa?

Tracy Welsh, general manager of Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, knows first-hand that spas can offer the perfect environment for someone looking to begin a journey of total self-renewal. For one thing, many spas—most often destination or resort spas—offer unique, life-enhancing programs that just aren’t available everywhere. At Red Mountain, for example, guests can partake in outdoor adventures like hiking and rock climbing, participate in health and fitness classes, consult with a nutrition expert, sign up for an energy therapy treatment or even undergo “Personal Discovery” coaching.

While maybe not for everyone, this type of total-wellness programming tends to attract guests who are already convinced of its value and are enthusiastic about making a positive transformation, says Welsh. “Our guests come to us open-minded with an understanding that they need to make a lifestyle change,” she says. “They bring their commitment to improving their own life, and we offer support, tools and knowledge to make it work for them each and every day.”

As the market for these mind-body-spirit services heats up, the line between wellness programming and beauty treatments becomes blurred. The spa is now a total-wellness environment rather than just a treatment room: It’s spirit-enhancing programming rather than superficial pampering, nutritional counseling rather than a spa lunch, and limitless life coaching rather than 90-minute appointment bookings. Read on to learn about spas that have become successful wellness centers in their own ways—and how they’ve helped change their guests’ lives.

serenity in the desert

As far as physical wellness, yoga has long been a staple of the spa world. The combination of gentle stretching and mindful meditation fits the essence of spa; but a healthy workout that engages the mind doesn’t stop at downward dog. For resort spas in particular, lush secluded settings make the perfect backdrop for an outdoor experience.

Red Mountain Spa, set in the dazzling red rock canyons of Utah, boasts an outdoor environment that is the cornerstone of every spa-goer’s experience. “Each morning, the majority of our guests gather for a hiking experience in our astonishing red rock backyard,” reports Welsh. Not surprisingly, daylong excursions that feature rock climbing, canyoneering and mountain biking are also popular. And beautiful vistas aren’t the only reward for the hikers. “Our guides are well versed in providing a great hiking experience,” explains Welsh, “some with unique knowledge on the archeology and geology of the area and the plant life in the desert.” The outdoor adventure is heightened by the sense of kinship guests feel with others in their group who are all undergoing the same wellness journeys. No wonder such experiences bring a renewed sense of joy. Says Welsh, “A great sense of community is developed, and we find that, often, lifelong friendships start on these adventures.”

Not into desert excursions? The best wellness programs are those that make the most of your own spa’s natural resources and can be personalized to fit the needs and interests of your guests. All of Red Mountain’s wellness programs—including Fitness Bootcamp, Detoxification and Renewal, Life Compass Retreats and Stepping Stones Through Menopause—offer individual sessions or consultations, so each individual’s concerns can be addressed. “We don’t advocate a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Welsh, “but rather a ‘four-directions’ approach that addresses physical, emotional, spiritual and mental needs.”

As Red Mountain is an on-site resort spa, guests benefit from the “full-immersion” experience and are encouraged to explore all of the treatment and wellness options. To that end, combo spa and wellness package offerings make it convenient for guests to sample it all. One popular option is the five- or eight-day Ultimate Spa package, which consists of spa services, a choice of life coaching or shaman life path reading Red Mountains’ Personal Discovery series, and a choice of acupuncture or nutrition consultation from its Wellness Center. With this array of options, every guest can have a total-wellness experience that’s just right for them.

healing waters in the valley

Thermal mineral waters are at the heart of the wellness experience at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn in California’s Sonoma Valley. Popular classes include water yoga, Ai Chi (an Eastern water-based exercise) and workshops held in its naturally heated mineral water pools, says fitness supervisor Sally Stone.

Even better, guests have the option of participating in a totally customized wellness program. At Fairmont, a personalized metabolic testing program generates a comprehensive computerized analysis that details each guest’s cardiovascular fitness level and rate of caloric burn (which is used to measure how efficiently he or she is exercising). This information can then help design personalized total wellness regimens, including nutritional and fitness counseling, that build on personal strengths and weaknesses.

What do these regimens entail? They run the gamut from typical fitness classes and workshops to mind-body treatments and alternative offerings that feed the spirit, such as guided meditation, intuitive reading and chakra balancing, says Stone. These unusual offerings tend to appeal to their open-minded guests, but even guests unfamiliar with these services are encouraged to expand their horizons by the spa’s trained staff. “Our reservation team members ask the right questions, so guests’ program choices reflect their personal needs and desires,” she adds.

Fairmont’s vast resources benefit guests from around the world and in its local community. Daylong workshops, including Pilates, golf and even Laughter Yoga, are well attended by area residents. In addition, the spa sponsors two Women’s Wellness Events annually that offer speakers, classes and spa services for all attendees, and spreads the message that health and wellness goes beyond just a physical concern.

“Our guests have nothing but positive comments regarding the programs after their attendance,” says Stone. “They are usually inspired in ways they did not anticipate and, in many cases, have never experienced before.”

true transformation in the city

Wellness can be a transformative experience even outside the resort-spa arena. Exhale, a national spa chain that operates in urban markets across the country, offers a proprietary mind-body class called CoreFusion on its permanent schedule. A combination of Pilates, yoga and core conditioning that also engages the mind, the classes have boomed in popularity with members and walk-in guests, and have even maintained a strong turnout in the recent economic downturn, says Fred DeVito, Exhale’s vice president of movement classes and training. Guests can’t get enough, and the mind-body concept Exhale pioneered is catching fire with other day spas, too. “When we created CoreFusion, there was nothing else like it,” he says. “Now 20 other spas are employing the same concept that didn’t exist seven years ago.”

Don’t confuse the mindful workout with a gym class: This workout has a crucial mental aspect. “The experience is designed to be very rich,” says DeVito. “Anyone who has practiced yoga understands the mentality—it’s about being in your breath and being focused in the moment. When you focus on your breath, with movement, this is a connection of mind to body. You don’t think when you’re in class. When you think, you tend to drift.” In contrast, DeVito says people think too much at the gym. “When your mind is reading US Weekly on the bike or watching TV, the experience leaves something to be desired.”

The real benefit of a mind-body class? “When you can engage mind body holistically, that becomes the sensation in your brain. You feel your muscles, your heart working,” explains DeVito. “All those things register. When you’re finished and leave, you’re clear. You’re mentally decompressed. It’s a stress reduction technique. In today’s world, people are craving that, not just a physical workout.”

This key mind-body connection can be an obstacle for some new guests who aren’t familiar with the wellness concept, says DeVito, and don’t understand its intensity. “CoreFusion is more challenging than physical exercise because it requires stillness, which can be challenging for guests who are used to lots of reps and movement. Some people just can’t lie still, close their eyes and focus on their breath. They need to get mentally healthy, which is what they experience as they fall into the mentality that the class offers.”
The entire mission of Exhale is based on transformative services, explains DeVito.Though Exhale is currently a day spa and not an on-site resort (see the first sidebar for details on Exhale’s expansion plans), it emphasizes working with guests to create a personalized regimen that includes nutrition counseling, stress-reducing acupuncture and one-on-one coaching.

Day spas are more accessible to the general public than resort spas, and therein lies the rewards and the challenges of a wellness experience, says DeVito. “People might come in and not understand the depth of our program,” but those who learn what a wellness program has to offer come away truly transformed.

future of mind-body wellness: at home and away

If wellness programs seem proliferate at resort and destination spas, it’s for a very good reason. Guests staying on-site are at a huge advantage for ongoing consultations, coaching sessions and nutritional programs. They can easily attend classes, and environments are conducive to achieving their personal goals. But it’s when they return home that they may fall off the wellness wagon. After all, “real” life is very much unlike a spa lifestyle.

That is, unless they live near one of the eight Exhale locations. Exhale, a national spa chain that has mind-body wellness at the core of its mission, created a destination spa experience in the heart of urban markets. “If you go to a destination spa and then come back to your hometown, we provide the forum for you to continue your experience,” explains Exhale’s vice president, Fred DeVito. “And we’ve seen that happen. People living an unhealthy lifestyle will go to a destination spa for a jumpstart, and when they come back they are hungry for more.”

Starting this year, Exhale will be offering the destination experience as well, in two exclusive retreat centers that will open up within hotels in Miami’s South Beach and in the Turks and Caicos islands. “You’ll be able to go for a weekend program that will offer various packages of our CoreFusion classes, yoga, nutrition and healing therapies,” reports DeVito. Exhale’s retreat experience will expand to urban markets throughout 2009 as part of hotel and condo communities, as developers seek to incorporate new and luxurious amenities to meet consumer demand. “To me, it speaks volumes about what people are seeking and how they are improving the quality of their lives,” he says.

For those who can’t wait for the retreat experience, the wellness experience can now come to them. Two new DVDs from Exhale—Body Sculpt and Pilates Plus—showcase their proprietary CoreFusion workout that targets body and mind. Want ideas for your own wellness program? Watch a preview of the workout at www.exhalespa.com.

wellness your way

A look at mind-body wellness classes at spas across the country—and how they can be tailored to any guest’s needs, schedule and budget.

Life Coach Session with Cindy Clemens

Red Mountain Spa; St. George, Utah, www.redmountainspa.com
Is there a special dream or goal you have always wanted to pursue? Are you clear on your top priorities in life and do you have ample time and energy to spend on those things you love to do? Do you take very good care of yourself, nurturing your mind, body and spirit? We rarely take time to ask these questions, let alone act on them. In sports, no professional athlete would compete without the support and insights of a coach. So, why wouldn’t you want the encouragement and support of a coach in an event as important as your life? 50 minutes, $125

Nutrition Consultations

Pura Vida Fitness & Spa; Denver, Colorado, www.puravidaclub.com
Basic consultation: Two 60-minute individual appointments including a complete nutritional consultation, customized meal planning, individual plan of action, dining-out guide and goal setting, $175.
Comprehensive Consultation: Includes all services of the basic consultation as well as three 30-minute meal-planning/follow-up appointments and weekly e-mail support for 12 total weeks, $375.
Meal Planning: 30-minute individual appointments scheduled as necessary; may include comprehensive nourishment guidance, behavior and lifestyle modifications and support, recipes, grocery store tours and shopping list planning. A basic nutrition consultation is required to ensure adequate information has been collected before proceeding with these sessions, $55 per session.

Corefusion

Exhale Spa; locations throughout the U.S., www.exhalespa.com
CoreFusion is a Pilates-infused transformational fitness experience, allowing you to work from the inside out, as it consistently delivers results. The one-hour class fuses the disciplines of Lotte Berk fundamentals, core conditioning, Pilates and yoga to produce long, lean muscles, a flexible, youthful body and a sense of peace and relaxation. 60 minutes, $24

Reiki Therapy

Pavia Day Spa; Saratoga, California, www.paviadayspa.com
Reiki is an ancient Tibetan form of healing using the energy of the universe and a light touch. Japanese for “universal life force,” Reiki utilizes the energy of the universe to assist in physical, emotional and spiritual healing. The Reiki practitioner becomes a channel for energy to flow and passes it on to others through the “laying on of hands,” stimulating the body’s own healing processes and bringing it back into balance. 30 minutes, $55; 60 minutes, $100

Luxury Camping Excursion

Westglow Resort & Spa; Blowing Rock, North Carolina, www.westglowresortandspa.com
Enjoy a scenic hike with a personal guide through 13 miles of mountain trails to a predetermined, existing campsite. Here you will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and dinner prepared by our own fine dining chefs. You’ll awake the next morning to a camp breakfast.
Offered seasonally. $695 for one person; $495 per person for two or more.

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