Restore Mind, Body and Soul at a Wellness Retreat
By • August 21, 2019 0 1700
WILLIAMSBURG INN SPA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA
Capture the characteristics of each century with wellness treatments at this historic inn.
A 17th-century-inspired detoxing herbal wrap and heated river stones massage reflect ceremonial and healing rituals of that era, while clearing the mind and eliminating stress. Ginger root, a proven aid to digestion, is combined with oranges (an excellent source of vitamins) to create a colonial orange-ginger scrub, massage and aromatic footbath inspired by the 18th century. African healing traditions of the 19th century — making use of a blend of herbs, roots and fresh water — are incorporated into a treatment said to attract positive energy. “Taking the waters” at Virginia’s natural springs inspired 20th-century treatments; overstressed muscles are immersed in sweet birch bath flakes, followed by a healing Arnica Deep Tissue Massage. Age-defying 21st-century advances are used to tighten, tone and detoxify in a Seaweed Body Wrap, followed by ultrasonic techniques to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Let’s hear it for technology!
WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT, WOODSTOCK, VT
Head north and de-stress with a taste of life on the farm. Stroll through the resort’s 3.5-acre certified organic gardens, boasting 385 varieties of produce, including 55 varieties of tomatoes, 57 types of pumpkins, 75 berries and orchard plantings, 40 herbs, edible flowers, a mushroom glen, and honey bees. Take a Wellness Whiff Walk — a detoxing aromatherapy tour — or make a smoothie using herbal teas from the garden. Clear your mind with a hike at Mount Tom or nearby Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. Ogle Jersey dairy cows, horses, and sheep or try your hand at fly fishing and falconry. The spa’s wellness fixer-uppers include Bee Pampered, an exfoliating whipped honey scrub followed by a honey moisturizing wrap, a wild lime scalp massage, and a peppermint foot massage, finished with a decadent Vanilla Bourbon Body Oil. If that doesn’t de-stress your muscles, nestle near a crackling fire in a Shaker wood stove with hot tea (or a glass of vino) and wonder why it’s taken you so long to get here.
THE INN AT VAUCLUSE SPRING, VAUCLUSE, VA
Your biggest decision at this idyllic getaway on 44 stunning acres in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is deciding where to stay. Choose from six unique guesthouses (one sits on a spring-fed pond and waterfall), the 1850s log house and three private cabins (one was once a tobacco barn), or stay in the historic main house. Many have fireplaces, porches and outdoor seating areas for intimate conversations or idle daydreaming. Rows of rockers boast serene views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley, a go-to spot for savoring early-morning coffee or a late-afternoon glass of wine. Wherever you stay, a massive spring pouring out more than a million gallons of crystal-clear water each day is within sight. Mindfulness is the inn’s focus. Experts offer programs to help communicate with insight and clarity. One-on-one or group sessions are designed to increase focus and creativity while decreasing stress. The place oozes a sense of tranquility. Just wandering around and getting immersed in nature is guaranteed to relax and restore.
YOGAVILLE, BUCKINGHAM, VA
Reconnect with your inner self and escape to this natural sanctuary in Virginia’s verdant
foothills. Yogaville is a vibrant spiritual retreat center and residential community offering yoga teacher trainings, weekend programs and silent retreats. Founded in 1980 by Sri Swami Satchidananda, this vegetarian/vegan community occupies 750 acres of land along the James River. Weekend and weeklong programs include This Journey Called Meditation; Neuroscience, Yoga and Mindfulness: How Yoga Heals; Yoga for Strong Bones; and Yoga and Writing, along with Chanting Intensives and Silent Retreats. Or you can simply get away and do nothing but soak up all the good vibes surrounding you. Namaste!
KINGSMILL RESORT, WILLIAMSBURG, VA
Connect with Mother Nature on a serene outdoor deck while gazing out on the James River, avant or après a spiritually healing holistic spa treatment — or spend time in the cozy “quiet room,” where silence really is golden. After a European Rose Body treatment, a detoxifying herbal body wrap or a sugar-and-salt scrub, order lunch from a healthy spa menu and savor this peaceful sanctuary. For those who prefer to unwind in more active ways, float along Kingsmill’s winding River Pool or grab a jet ski, a pontoon boat, a kayak or a paddle board. And, of course, there’s always tennis and world-class golf.
