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Abiquiu, New Mexico, “The scenery alone is spiritual and healing,” relates Nancy Early, a New York film producer. Under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, activities encourage individual and social transformation (NewMexico-GhostRanch. org). Early says the best part is, “There’s one pay phone, and cell phones don’t work here; no TV or radio. You walk away from everything that controls your life.”


Optimal Wellness:


Mind/Body Sometimes the healthy escape we seek can be found at a destination spa, which com- bines enough structure to slowly wean us from daily busyness with sufficient sooth- ing, quiet spaces and physical nurturing. For Debbie Phillips—who spends part


of the year in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachu- setts, and the other part in Naples, Flori- da—one visit to a spa was all it took. As an executive and life coach, Phillips founded Women on Fire in 2003 to connect her “on fire” clients with each other via regional meetings and a free online newsletter, and discovered that the condition sometimes crosses the line into overwork. “My first visit to a spa more than 20


years ago was when I first learned about the life-changing benefits of taking better care of myself. In addition to the soothing ame- nities, the peace, calm and quiet usually found at a spa—space to think, nap, read a book or gaze into the sky—often results in ‘less’ becoming ‘more’ in your life,” Phillips


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says. “I have returned home feeling lighter and brighter and even more excited for what is next. The experience gave me just the boost I needed to keep going.” Recently, Phillips discovered simple


techniques to nurture herself all year long by attending a breathing and meditation class at the Lake Austin Spa, in Texas. “Now I start each day with long, deep breaths before I even get out of bed,” she says. “It is so simple, so calming and establishes my day with peace.” Virginia Nelson, a San Diego, Califor-


nia, attorney, likewise revels in her twice- yearly visits to Canyon Ranch, in Tucson, Arizona. “The pace in southern California is like running a marathon every day. My visits serve as respites that have allowed me to keep up with it this long. “I first went in 1991 and saw a place to go and cocoon,” recounts Nelson, “but I also discovered incredible fitness and education classes.” The spa is essentially a reset button for her. “It’s rest, rejuvenation and reinvention.” Canyon Ranch has sev- eral U.S. locations (CanyonRanch.com). Some facilities feature niche mind/


body experiences, such as the psychic massage or chakra balancing at Mii Amo Spa, in Sedona, Arizona (Enchantment Resort.com). Others specialize in holistic wellness. Tucson’s Miraval Resort, in Ari- zona, offers an integrative wellness pro- gram guided by Dr. Andrew Weil (Tinyurl. com/6p2l237). Chill-out spa services like a hot stone massage are often balanced by breath walking, qigong or desert tight-


rope walking.


Active Adventure: The Body Finding a clear stillpoint of one’s soul can also occur while moving and challeng- ing our bodies. Exercise helps us break through not only physical boundaries, but emotional and spiritual barriers, as well. Barbara Bartocci, a long-distance


cycler and author of Meditation in Mo- tion, maintains that moving keeps both our brains and bodies healthier. “Research at The University of Arizona found that regular exercise appears to preserve key parts of the brain involved in attention and memory,” she notes. “It is well known that exercise helps to reduce anxiety, allay depression and generally improve mood, by prompting our bodies to release more endorphins.” Bartocci has experienced the power of these connections firsthand. “Active va- cations are truly transformative,” she says emphatically. “When I bicycled across Iowa on RAGBRAI [The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa], we cycled 76 miles one day on hills with a constant 20-mile-per-hour headwind. It was a tough day, but I made it! My divorce was becoming final that summer, and completing that day gave me the encouraging inner message: ‘If I can cycle Iowa on the toughest day, I can re-cycle my life after divorce.’” She’s still moving along. Recently, she joined 500 other cyclists doing 60 miles a day for a week in Wisconsin.


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