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Miraval Resort ~ Seeking Life in Balance by Laurel W. House
Life in Balance
(Catalina,
Arizona) I was so stressed I
could barely breathe. My muscles had managed to mangle themselves in
such tightly bound knots that it hurt to touch them. This LA lady was
beyond “wanting” and into the realms of sincerely needing an intensely
relaxing reprieve- for the sake of my health and my sanity.
I headed out to
Miraval Resort, which was recently rated the best destination spa in the
country by Travel and Leisure Magazine, but I view as the summer camp
for adults. Upon arrival to this desert oasis, I was promptly escorted
to the activities sign up boards, where an abundance of adventure, spa,
hiking, biking, mindfulness, fitness and lifestyle activities awaited my
signature of desired attendance.
Before heading out for my
first activity, I allowed myself a few hours to simply sit and
enjoy the silence- a very foreign activity for me! What I found
was anything but silence. Trees swayed, their
branches clanging into each other with the most bizarre hollow
drumming noise. The babbling stream sifted smooth rocks in its
wake.
Birds tactfully balanced on cactus needles chirping
and peeping in the splendor of the scorching sun. Nature was alive and
well at Miraval; something that I had forgotten about living in
high-rise laden La-La land.
Somehow, two hours quickly passed,
and it was time for my first activity. Despite my lifelong aversion to
horses, I felt compelled to sign up for the Equine Experience. Having no
knowledge of what I was about to encounter, a group of about six of us
headed out to the stables where Wyatt Webb, a psychotherapist and
creator of the Equine Experience, awaited our arrival. After a bit of a
psychology lecture on life and happiness, we entered an arena and we
were shown how to brush, walk and clean the hooves of a horse. More than
digging dirt out of a horses’ hoof, the Equine Experience dug deep into
my psyche, hauling loads of mental manure out of the depths of my being,
including insecurities and deeply ingrained personality patterns that
hindered my ability to succeed in certain situations. With tears
streaming down my cheek, Wyatt reminded me that this task wasn’t about
the horse, it was about me.
A Morning Ride
A few yards away was a round corral
where Wyatt’s own horse stood. We were told that our next task was to
direct the horse, leading him to walk, canter and maybe run without
touch or words. This control was to come out of the energetic power in
our stomachs! Surprisingly, each guest was able to wordlessly coax the
horse to walk, even canter for a moment. When it was my turn, I imagined
my energy was a laser beam that burned through my stomach and onto the
horses behind. And he started to run. That horse ran in circles until
the instructor yelled at me to stop- harness my energy. I have never
felt so calmly in control in my life. The other guests began to clap and
I walked out of the corral with a smile on my face and feeling
energetically sapped.
With the distinct odor of horse on
my clothing and skin, I took a quick rinse off, draped myself in a white
robe and headed off to the spa. The Ultimate Ayurvedic treatment would
surely revitalize my body and mind and tame my buzzing nervous system
(the diagnosis of another therapist who said my nerves were vibrating my
skin and causing deep, internal muscle tension, as opposed to the
typical exterior muscle tension). Medicinal scented oils were deeply
massaged into my skin, followed by a warm wrap and scalp massage. I was
nestled in a deep state of bliss; so thoroughly relaxed that I teetered
on the perimeter of sleep and wakefulness. But when the Shirodhara
treatment began and a steady stream of warm oil flowed from my forehead,
along my scalp and finally trickling through my hair, I drifted beyond
sleep and into a state of delirium. After 100 minutes of sheer splendor,
all residual drops of tension were extinguished. I slowly slipped my
robe over my ridiculously relaxed body and floated down the cactus
flower-lined dirt path back to my room.
Since my massage therapist advised a
daily dose of yoga or meditation to keep my vibrating nerves in check, I
decided to test out a Yin yoga class, also known as acupressure yoga.
What I found was that I had pretty much exclusively practiced yang yoga;
in other words, yoga that is muscular in nature. Emphasizing long holds,
Yin Yoga stretches the connective tissue, working on those deep tight
muscles that go hand in hand with nervous system distress- exactly my
ailment! Connective tissue is like taffy- rigid when cold and soft and
flexible when warm. I found my connective tissue to be cold taffy and I
experienced a type of deep pain that I had never before felt in a yoga
class. After an hour, of long holds that warmed my body to a steady
sweat, I walked out feeling like a boundless rubberband, free of tension
and strain.
For this city slicker seeking a dose
of serenity, Miraval, with nature at my doorstep and a unique
opportunity around every bend, was the perfect summer camp for me. I
returned to Los Angeles a little more mindful and a lot more aware of my
body’s needs. I swore up and down that I would do yoga every day, if
even just for two minutes or one sun salutation. Now I know why Miraval
is known as a destination where life is in balance.
Miraval Resort
5000 E. Via Estancia Miraval
Catalina, Arizona 85739 800-825-4000
Article
by:
Laurel W. House
Laurel House is a
freelance writer
and the West Coast Editor for Fit Yoga.
Laura is also the author
of
"The Gurus' Guide to Serenity" (HarperCollins)
and co-author "Raise the Barre" (HarperCollins)
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