The delightful results of traveling for yourself, plus some of my favorite wellness experiences.
To listen to the podcast version, click HERE. To watch the YouTube version, click HERE. I recently discovered Cory Muscara, co-founder of mindfulness.com and author of a book called Stop Missing Your Life. I subscribed to his texting list, and a wonderful mindfulness quote is texted to me every day. It’s pretty great.
A recent text begins with Cory quoting someone named Rumi: “A candle never loses any of its light while lighting up another candle.” And then Cory goes on to say, “I like this quote, but I actually think it can condition behavior that ironically negates its truth. It can cause us to overextend ourselves, helping others without tending to our own needs, subsequently causing our personal “light” to dim. Suggestion: Don’t give another person your light; let them be ignited by it.”
Don’t give others our light; just let them be ignited by it, he says. How often do we feel like our own flame is flickering and close to going out? That’s exactly what I’m addressing today, the need for self-care. Of course, we should be engaging in self-care practices every day, but sometimes it feels so amazing to take a vacation that’s centered on you!
Here are a few of my favorite self-care locations.
I love Vera Via in Carlsbad, California for the completely customized care they provide.
I was lucky enough to visit Vera Via a few years ago while on a family trip to San Diego with my husband and youngest daughter. While they went to Knotts Berry Farm for the day, I indulged in a wellness experience at Vera Via.
My day began at 5 am and ended after dinner that evening. It was packed full of events: a guided morning beach walk with the other participants; measuring my body systems on an InBody machine to get exact data regarding my body composition, muscle to fat analysis, BMI, basal metabolic rate, and more; delicious naturally-sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner; meetings with a nutritionist and personal trainer (along with personalized exercise); a spa treatment; and yoga. It was super fulfilling and amazing, and I wished I had more than one day to spend! The Park Hyatt Aviara was recently renovated during Covid, and I can’t wait to get back and see the beautiful changes they’ve made since I was there.
They offer a variety of 1-day up to multiple-week stays, all completely customized to what you need or want.
I love the Grand Velas Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for an amazing yoga experience.
I had the most amazing yoga experience of my life while staying at the Grand Velas. The instructor set out our mats in a circle on the beach, and for the next hour we enjoyed the beauty surrounding us while experiencing Kundalini yoga. I enjoy yoga, and had previously heard of kundalini yoga, but had never tried it. It was life-changing. I left that experience feeling refreshed and wanting to do kundalini yoga that same way every day for the rest of my life.
Grand Velas is an incredibly luxurious all-inclusive resort experience. “Pampered” is the best way to describe staying here. I stayed in a Wellness Suite. Every room at this resort has a beautiful ocean view and over 1,100 square feet of luxury; the Wellness Suites are two stories, with a massage table for in-room massages, an exercise bike and yoga ball, and organic food and beverage choices in the minibar. I seriously have never felt so much like a pampered princess as when I stayed at Grand Velas.
I love the Cliff House in Maine for its New England location and its calming, rejuvenating ambiance.
The cliffs of Maine—can I just say WOW!? This resort is literally perched on the cliffs. To drift off to sleep with the sound of the crashing waves is heaven. The misty mornings and evenings. And my bed at the Cliff House—I wanted to pack it up and bring it home with me. It was one of the most restful, comfortable sleep experiences I’ve had in my life. My entire stay there was so rejuvenating; I felt like I had drunk in the beautiful New England atmosphere and had bottled it up inside me to bring home. I relaxed, I saw the surrounding countryside and visited a lighthouse, enjoyed some spa experiences, and shopped at the on-site gift shops. My entire stay was a magical experience.
I love the Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah for the best massage I’ve ever had.
The Red Mountain Spa is listed in the Top 100 Spas in America.
Although not as spacious and luxurious as some I’ve experienced, the spa was completely amazing; I received the best massage I’ve ever had. I asked for a deep tissue massage (it helps my scoliosis), and what I got was a structural integration experience.
I’ve never had a massage that helped release not only the stress in my muscles, but also the stress in my entire self—it released the emotional tensions I didn’t even know I was carrying. I cried, and released, and it was amazing.
Are you interested in a self-care vacation? Want to keep your own light going so that you can help others with theirs? As you can tell, I truly loved my self-care experiences at these amazing wellness resorts. Some were longer stays and some were shorter ones, but all were beneficial and helped fill me up so that I could continue with all the demands that are put on us constantly in our busy world. I truly love self-care, and love helping you plan your self-care wellness vacation. Let me know if I can help you with some wellness travel.