The hidden spa and retreat treasures of Arizona

BY AIYANA HAVIR

Warm sunlight peeked through the billowing trees overlaying the smooth stone path as the hot oil seeped into quenched pores. Aromatic fragrances wafted in the air and delicate, harp-like music gently stimulated the silence. Breathing in the detoxifying steam, the body, mind and soul slipped into a realm of deep relaxation and tranquility.

This is a place of rejuvenation. Natural energy draws you to an escape from trivial daily routine and into a haven of inward healing, reflection, and reconnection. Healing spas provide this restorative framework and help redirect vitality.

“Many of us don’t realize how stressed out and reactive we are,” said Sarah McLean, contemporary meditation teacher and bestselling author of Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation. “When we can remove ourselves and see things from a new perspective, it creates a new normal.”

L’Auberge de Sedona | Sedona

Rated number 13 on Conde Nast Traveler’s list of top hotel spas in the United States, L’Auberge takes its visitors on an intimate quest for restoration and relaxation. Massage options vary from common Swedish or deep tissue to unique sacred stone and energy healing work. Aromatherapy, Vitamin C Ampoule, and Eye Rescue, said to reduce up to 27 percent of wrinkles, are all treatment enhancements offered.

Although lavish spa treatments can provide a state of leisure, the physical setting of L’Auberge is what really allows people to relish the serenity. To take advantage of Sedona’s exquisite landscape, the spa hotel provides outdoor experiences through the practice of yoga. Offering Vinyasa Vortex, Chakra Charge, and a customizable option, it encourages guests to get outside of their mental limitations and invite physical connection with the earth. lauberge.com

Canyon Ranch | Tucson

Canyon Ranch’s facility uniquely combines spa services with a health and healing center, creating packages focused on self sustaining living. Set amid Tucson’s desert scenery, it offers a variety of resources from Ayurvedic body treatments to acupuncture therapy.

Canyon Ranch’s 80,000-square-foot space provides luxuries to indulge the body and ease the mind. A full-scale salon, hydrating body scrubs, massages, and other therapies are available to help guests reset both mentally and physically. Meanwhile, its health and healing center hosts an experienced staff of multidisciplinary physicians – nutritionists, chiropractors, podiatrists, etc. – whose holistic medicinal approach helps patients create a plan for the longevity of their health. This health resort specializes in creating individualized programs to cater to their guests’ stay, whether it is a personal ambition or health-related issue. Some packages include Stress & Mood Management, Spiritual Health, or Brain Fitness.

Miraval | Tucson

Miraval prides itself on the philosophy of “Life Enhancing Minimalism.” Its aim is to connect visitors with their natural earth environment through sequences of indoor and outdoor renewable spaces. Partnering with a renowned European skincare company, Clarins, the spa provides its guests with the latest botanical skincare regimes and modern therapies for guests to experience the value of restoration.

Outdoors, exotic opportunities await. Bountiful Earth, for example, indulges the senses using global aromas through various massage techniques. Mountain Berry Clay Renewal ritual is a body exfoliation and mask designed to rinse the body of toxins using ingredients such as sustainably harvested bamboo and arctic lingonberry. Whether inside getting pampered with body renewal rituals or outside embracing striking, earthly treatments, harmony abounds at Miraval. miravalresorts.com

The Boulders Resort | Carefree

Nestled among rocks that are thousands of years old, The Boulders Resort’s rich history and Native American heritage encompass the property. If you asked any member of the resort’s famous Golden Door Spa, they would tell you that there is a certain zen-like energy pull and aura that surrounds the space – for those looking to rejuvenate the spirit, this place might be answer. The spa’s Native American influence lends itself to services that enhance the mind, body, and spirit, and are derived from cultural traditions. Unique treatments range from their turquoise wrap – based on the Native American belief that turquoise is a color of protection, one will be wrapped in turquoise clay along with other healing essentials – to participating in an authentic Tipi meditation session guided by a local Shaman. Other soul-searching opportunities include a walk in the labyrinth, Reiki therapy, Chakra balancing, and energy field balancing with pulsors. Whatever you’re seeking, the Golden Door Spa can rejuvenate your soul and reconnect you with you.