Friday March 19, 2010

Change is part of life. Sometimes it's welcome, like getting married. Sometimes it's something you didn't count on -- losing a spouse, a job, or loved one. To help people who are going through any kind of change, Mii Amo, A Destination Spa at Enchantment in Sedona, Arizona, has introduced a new "Journey" called Rites of Passage.
The Mii Amo Journeys are themed all-inclusive packages which help guests focus on what they want out of their stay. Healthy Body in Balance addresses fitness, nutrition, and weight.
Destress Mind, Body and Spirit is for the overworked guest. (No surprise this is the most popular!) And Sedona is the perfect place for going within and doing Spiritual Exploration.
Deciding on what Journey you want to take helps you choose what treatments you want to get -- six spa services for three-night packages. This is unusually generous for a destination spa. Generally you end up booking more treatments and consultations because what you have isn't enough.
And when you consider how expensive just a massage can be at some luxury spas, the price is quite reasonable. Read more...
Tuesday March 16, 2010
Fifty dollar spa treatments are getting easier to find. Spa Week (coming up in April) has been joined by SpaFinder Deal Days (just finished last week). Both offer a week of $50 treatments twice a year at participating spas.
Discount chains like Massage Envy and facelogic offer treatments that cost around $50 year-round to members who sign up for a monthly service. Spas are occasionally featured in the daily deals on Groupon.com (though most of the emails are not spa-related ). Finally, some independent massage therapists are lowering their prices to $60-$65 to be more competitive in a difficult market (and you aren't expected to tip, which evens it out somewhat.)
Thursday March 11, 2010

Where do LA celebrities go when they're ready to relax and get away from it all (without going too far?) Cal-A-Vie has become southern California's "it" destination spa, for a few reasons. It's a labor of love for the owners, who have an oil and gas company that has enabled them to indulge their taste for all things Provencal, including gorgeous antiques, including a 400-year-old stone chapel.
Cal-A-Vie is tucked away in the hills, offering the ultimate luxury of quiet. It has just 26 villas, so it's a small group. And the food is both excellent and customized for each person depending on whether they want to lose, maintain or even gain weight. And it's such a green spas the Olympic-size fitness pool is heated with solar power.
Photo by Cal-A-Vie
Monday March 8, 2010

The Oscars is not just one night but lots of parties leading up to the big televised event, complete with heels, hair, gowns, tuxedos, cameras, award speeches, red carpet interviews, papparazzi shots and the moment of a lifetime for some lucky winners like Sandra Bullock....who looked tense! Not to mention all the rich food and drink at pre and post-Oscar parties.
So how does everyone come down from the big high? Spas have a role to play in helping people recover from such events. To help an over-stimulated mind and body rebalance, gentle energy treatments such as Reiki, craniosacral therapy, psychic massage or chakra balancing are helpful.
To recover from all the rich food and drink, treatments that help you detox include Swedish massage, reflexology, lymphatic drainage and seaweed-based body wraps. Just a visit to a massage therapist, especially if it's someone you see on a regular basis, is reassuring and grounding.
If you have the time and money, a trip to a destination spa or detox spa is ideal. The "it" spa with celebrities right now is the luxurious Cal-A-Vie near San Diego.
Photo by Getty Images: Alberto E. Rodriguez