The sun had barely come up when I found myself in an intimate studio with my heart rate rising, face flushed and neurons firing on cylinders I didn’t know existed. It was 7:10 a.m. and boot camp at The Spa at Pelican Hill® was kick-starting a commitment to mind-body health and wellness. By the time I completed the mountain climbers and squats, I had ignited a caloric burn that would continue through a day of cardio exercise, energizing fare and restorative treatments.
“The Wellness Day Retreat is an inspiring escape where guests set aside their routines and exchange them for balance and harmony,” said Robin Dunivin, spa director at The Resort at Pelican Hill®. “We pair training and a morning body treatment with seasonal cuisine and an afternoon of facials, intuitive time and meditation. Just for fun, we top it off with a splash of Prosecco.”
I already felt accomplished as I checked into the Spa post-boot camp. My body rhythms seemed to have synced with the trickling-water wall in the lobby. As I settled into the Spa Suite and dug into a bowl of fresh berries, yogurt and house-roasted granola, quietude descended on me. I was almost uncomfortable with the “me” time, but I quickly—and gratefully—surrendered to it.
Minutes later I was surrendering anew, this time to the Resort’s Coastal Renewal body treatment. Cara, my masseuse, sprinkled kelp, spearmint and menthol over me and, despite these elements being perfectly dry, it felt like mist from an ocean breeze. Following a vigorous buffing, I was wrapped in a warmed sheet that took me back to the days of swaddling my newborn daughter. Cara saturated my scalp and hair with warmed rosemary-infused olive oil and lime and massaged a chilled turquoise grounding stone across my face. The opposing temperatures and textures of oil and stone centered and calmed me.
“Your baby arugula, heirloom tomato and pesto salad is served,” said the Spa attendant. The midday meal proved a perfect segue into an afternoon of enlightenment.
“An awakened experience isn’t complete without a session led by our life coach and intuitive,” said Dunivin. “The Spa’s happiness and harmony workshop offers guests new insight about the ways they conduct their daily life.” After talking with the life coach, who reframed some current personal circumstances, I did sense an important mind shift. Invigorated by this fresh perspective, I was summoned for my Natura Diamond Experience facial, a decadent and energizing combination. From here I entered a blissful 30 minutes of thoughtful meditation.
With a clear mind, tight(er) glutes, skin aglow and sparkling wine in hand, I realized that I now had the tools to enter 2016 with a heightened awareness of my definition of happiness and fulfillment. Turns out the Wellness Day Retreat was the blend of renewal and revitalization I never knew I needed.
To reserve your Wellness Day Retreat, please call 949.467.5270. Reservations are recommended two weeks in advance.
