Elite Escapes: Revitalize

By Jacqueline Miller

Are you burned out? Well, you’re not alone. According to local travel guru Lisa Silvestri of Silvestri Travel (silvestritravel.com), more and more of us are booking rejuvenation vacations in an effort to disconnect and tune out, with Baby Boomers needing to unplug the most. Where can you go to get the best wellness experiences? Lisa shares two of her favorites.

THE ZEN OF HAPPY

A complete body and spiritual experience in an outstanding location, Mii amo in Sedona, Arizona is known as “The Zen of Happy.” The name signifies “journey,” or “to continue one’s path” or “moving forward” in Yuman, a Native American dialect.

Mii amo is located on the grounds of Enchantment Resort, a 70-acre property in Boynton Canyon in the red rock country of Sedona, two hours north of Phoenix at a cooler elevation. The Yavapai-Apache consider Boynton Canyon a sacred place, the site of their creation story. Your room key opens the gate to the Secret Mountain Wilderness in the Coconino National Forest, allowing direct access to the Boynton Canyon Trail.

Highly-trained therapists, signature treatments, delicious “intelligent cuisine,” more than 100 activities and customized packages define this incredible resort. It has twice been named #1 “World’s Best Spa” by Travel + Leisure and #1 Best Destination Spa by Condé Nast Traveler. 

The 24,000-square-foot spa has 16 guest accommodations arranged around interior courtyards. Natural light and water are recurring themes, and interior and exterior spaces flow into one another, making the building easily adaptable to the seasons. 

On the ground level, amid pools and communal areas, the Crystal Grotto, a sky-lit room that serves as the focal point of the spa experience, is used as a place for meditation and affirming one’s intention for the day. There are eighteen spacious treatment rooms with chapel-like privacy and either windows overlooking the canyon or natural light wells. Five outdoor treatment areas, inspired by Native American “wikiups” (ancient tribal housing structures) offer exceptional views of the canyon. 

Mii amo offers five “Journeys” as a way of focusing a guest’s intentions and experience. Each Journey, which is further customized to the guest, incorporates treatments and activities to help create a truly personalized experience. They are: De-Stress Mind, Body & Spirit, Healthy Body in Balance, Soulful Essence, Spiritual Exploration, and Transformational Wisdom.

Specialty treatments include Native American-inspired treatments such as Hozhooji, the Mii amo Blessing and Inner Quest; Spirit of the New Moon and Spirit of the Full Moon; intuitive treatments such as Harmony, Psychic Massage and Aura-Soma Color Reading, among others. 

Mii amo Café is a core component of the immersive, restorative Journey experience. Created using fresh, seasonal ingredients, much of which are sustainably sourced from local organic farms and the chef’s own kitchen garden, the cuisine is healthful and nutritious while bursting with unique, imaginative flavors. The Juice Bar features a broad selection of fresh juices and smoothies. Organic and biodynamic wines are available, as well as spirits.

“Center of WellBeing”

A CENTER OF WELL-BEING 

Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind! That’s the mantra of BodyHoliday, which bills itself as the first holiday in the world to “combine the intense pleasure of personalized rejuvenation with the opportunity to acquire skills and insights that will enhance the rest of your life.”

BodyHoliday is situated on the Northwest tip of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. The resort sits directly on Cariblue’s crescent beach and is surrounded by 32 acres of lush tropical gardens. It is a 35-minute drive from the capital Castries and George F. L. Charles airport and 90 minutes from Hewanorra International airport. There are 155 guest rooms, including 29 standard Garden View rooms, 16 Grand Luxury Ocean Front rooms, 7 spacious Junior Suites and the Penthouse Suite.

The centerpiece of BodyHoliday is the wellness center, a beautiful and comprehensive place of health and well-being. It is here that guests come to receive their pampering body treatments designed to relax and rejuvenate both mind and body. It houses 33 treatment rooms, serviced by 50 massage and beauty specialists. Guests may select from a range of a la carte body treatments including Thalgo treatments, authentic Ayurvedic treatments, holistic therapies as well as a complete range of treatments at the Specialized Skin Clinic and Beauty Salon. 

The wellness programs are plentiful. A BodyScience program that examines your stress level starts by collecting a broad range of information about both an individual’s physiology and biochemistry to recognize imbalances that impact on wellness. It combines the Eastern “preventative approach” to wellness with cutting-edge Western analytical science. Within BodyScience there are several programs all with different benefits: De-stress, Detox, Fitness, Digestive Health Program, Healthy Aging, and Weight Management 360°.

The BodyAware program begins with a BodyStat® analysis, which accurately measures body fat. The BodyAware Specialist will suggest the kind of exercise that best suits your needs — specifically, what will work for you not just on holiday but when you return home. The suggestions and goal setting will be made with your route to success in mind. Age and level of fitness play a big role in the advice given. In this program, fitness and diet should never be separated, so the BodyAware Specialist will suggest a diet and exercise regime with optimum health and energy in mind.

BodyHoliday has several great eateries and bars for entertainment. There are also numerous holistic classes, as well as water and land sport activities available at this incredible rejuvenation resort.

Have we enticed you to book your “unplug” vacation?  I am sure Lisa Silvestri of Silvestri Travel in Sarasota is ready, willing and more than able to help you do just that. 

Check out Elite Escapes Parts 1 & 2!