Journey within

I revel in spa treatments like Anthony Bourdain does food: whenever and wherever I can. Usually, my visits to the spa have a purpose. Fix up my running-ravaged feet with a pedicure; undo the desk-job knots in my upper back. When my mom and I book a trip to the Miraval resort spa, a beautiful and luxe oasis in the desert that is Tucson, Arizona—a three-hour flight from Chicago on Southwest’s new direct route—we have a purpose: to de-stress and spend some quality time together. To that end I see a deep-tissue massage, some fitness classes and a lot of lounging by the pool in my near future.

But I quickly discover that personal growth and pushing boundaries are politely encouraged by the folks at Miraval. Classes and activities help guests explore their strengths and weaknesses in a supportive, uplifting environment. “Sign up for a challenge!” urges a resort staffer as I eye the day’s schedule of activities after checking in. “Challenges” are activities that take place on Miraval’s ropes course. Some are mostly mental (stepping off a 35-foot tall pole); others are more physical (climbing a swinging rope ladder), but all are designed to help guests look within during what can be a slightly uncomfortable experience—emotionally, physically, mentally—and come out of it stronger.

While they sound like fun, I’m pretty sure I’d have a lot more “fun” padding around in a robe and enjoying the intensely serene, breathtakingly beautiful property—a stream running through, desert flowers blooming, the rooms and casitas blending seamlessly into the natural landscape. Or perhaps enjoying a deep-tissue massage. At the spa, I’m once again urged to get out of my comfort zone so I decide to try my first ayurvedic treatment.

In the dim glow of a candlelit treatment room, an aesthetician rubs warm ayurvedic oils onto my arms, legs, feet and then pours it directly onto my forehead so it streams down my hair. I’m in a spa heaven: relaxed, softened, warm. “Breathe from your belly,” he says at the beginning, middle and end of the treatment. Each time I breathe deeply I feel more clearheaded. The experience is so lovely that I throw caution to the wind and try another service I wouldn’t normally choose, called Nurture. Performed in a tented spa cabana with its own outdoor shower, the exfoliating and moisturizing body treatment with massage is bliss to the bazillionth degree.

My mom and I find our biggest challenge over the next couple of days is fitting in Zen Bootcamp and the Morning Meditation workshop while still making time to bask in the sauna and eucalyptus-scented steam room at the spa before lunch. The room rates are all-inclusive, which means that meals, transportation to and from the airport, activities and classes are all included in the nightly fee ($350/night per person and up; check the spa’s website for packages and specials, which are offered throughout the year). And while there are calorie counts listed with each menu item, this venue is the furthest thing from deprivation: The food is flavorful, fresh and delicious, and the wine flows freely. If it existed, I’d buy a Miraval cookbook today.

By my last day, I have walked past the activity sign-up area a dozen times. Situated across from a snack bar that serves up vegetable juices, coffee drinks and homemade snacks such as mini oatmeal and cranberry cookies, the area buzzes with guests sharing stories about their most recent experience. Maybe it’s something in the smoothies I’ve been sipping all weekend or maybe it’s just the spirit of the place coming alive within me, but I suddenly find myself scribbling down my name for Quantum Leap II, that aforementioned challenge that involves bungee jumping off a 35-foot pole to the ground.

Hours later I’m in a harness, trying to figure out how to stand up on a cookie-sheet-size platform at the top of said pole. I climb my way up and, after some trial and error, I manage to stand upon it. But my legs are shaking so badly I could be a cartoon character, and my heart feels as if it’s going to beat out of my chest. I’m too scared to even look out at the desert, the blue sky and the 360 degrees of mountains around me. “Breathe, Liz, breathe!” shout the other folks in my group from the ground. It’s the Miraval battle cry, and I’ve been working on it all weekend—in daily meditation classes, during spa services, at yoga, on quiet moments in early-morning hikes. It is time to put everything I’ve learned into action.

I take a deep inhale, a long exhale and, against all odds, find my legs steadying and my heart rate slowing. I catch my breath. And then I completely surprise myself by smiling, soaking up the glorious view for a few seconds and then stepping off the pole to float back down to earth, where a million ways to use my new skills await me.

Where to spa

Resort spas always encourage guests to make their experience their own. That said, like Miraval and its passion for self-discovery, most spas have a unique vibe and specialty.

For weight loss…Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah (redmountainspa.com)
For alternative therapies…Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts and Tucson, Arizona (canyonranch.com)
For health…Pritikin in Miami, Florida ( pritikin.com)
For lounging and relaxation…The Boulders in Scottsdale, Arizona ( theboulders.com)
For straight-up spa-ing…Kohler Waters Spa in Kohler, Wisconsin ( destinationkohler.com)

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