Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Color Your Personality - Chromatherapy

Do you find yourself gravitating to a particular color? It could be more than just a preference. A person’s favorite colors can provide intriguing clues to her personality, says Dewey Sadka, color expert and creator of the Dewey Color System, a widely used tool to identify people’s personality traits based on hue preference. Sadka, author of The Dewey Color System for Relationships: The Ultimate Compatibility Test for Love, Friendship and Career Success (Three Rivers Press, 2005), tells LifeScript readers what their favorite shades reveal about them…
Green
Personality: A preference for green shows that a person is a terrific listener who’s never too busy to help a friend in need. But your ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes is your true gift. And although you appear innocent at times, your natural curiosity and your understanding of what makes people tick makes you more streetwise than you seem.
Celebs who love the color: Julia Roberts, Courteney Cox Arquette
Black
Personality: An affinity for black indicates that you’re fiercely loyal, committed to all of your relationships and extremely disciplined about achieving goals. Lovers of black tend to be emotional people and often make decisions based on feelings rather than logic.
Celebs who love the color: Angelina Jolie, Gail O’Grady, Jennifer Aniston
White or Cream
Personality: Those who favor white are willing to experience lots of new things and seek out the unexplored. You attract many different types of people and adventures, but all this action can get you into a few tight spots. The best strategy: Control your expectations by limiting yourself to desires and goals you are sure you can achieve.
Celebs who love the color: Kristin Davis, Jessica Biel, Pamela Anderson
Red
Personality: A passion for red announces loud and clear that a woman is a mover and shaker who does nothing halfway. Direct and practical with a clear idea of what you want, you let others know exactly where they stand and you establish firm boundaries. Saying “no” is not a problem for you. As a result, people respect you and listen when you talk. You can, however, become impatient with others’ inefficiencies.
Celebs who love the color: Cindy Crawford, Meg Ryan
Yellow
Personality: A fondness for yellow suggests you’re an optimist who accepts people for who they are and you like to make everyone feel good. Like other people who love yellow, you tend to extend yourself without expecting anything in return, but you don’t accept kindness easily so it’s hard for others to do nice things for you.
Celebs who love the color: Tyra Banks, Reese Witherspoon
Pink
Personality: A preference for pink comes with a genuine concern for others. It makes a you appear angelic – that’s your great strength. But you need appreciation for your deeds in order to move forward in life.
Celebs who love the color: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Garner
Gold and Bronze
Personality: Women drawn to gold are not the type to sit back and let the world pass them by. You have high hopes, dreams and ambitions, and you enjoy life to the fullest. But your passion can also be your downfall, as it causes you to over-schedule and, as a result, feel stressed and overwhelmed at times.
Celebs who love the color: Fergie, Allison Janney, Kate Walsh
Silver
Personality: Silver as a favorite color indicates a woman is searching to better understand her deepest feelings. You long to be immersed in your own thoughts, away from the busy world. Introspective by nature, you ask yourself such weighty questions as “What’s my emotional fulfillment from this action?” and “Will going down this road be a passionate journey?”
Celebs who love the color: Paris Hilton, Kelly Ripa
Blue
Personality: Optimistic and dreamy, blue buffs overlook little slights and stumbling blocks, give others the benefit of the doubt, and see the sunny side of life. You create a positive, upbeat presence that keeps those around you moving forward. In love, your focus on the positive can make you naive. It can take you a long time – perhaps too long – to see the shortcomings of your beloved.
Celebs who love the color: Dayna Devon and Hilary Swank
Your Primary Pick
According to Sadka, primary colors – yellow, blue and red – provide us with energy. Your favorite primary color reveals a lot about your approach to life, while your least favorite indicates the issues you try to avoid. Here’s a look at what your preferences – in various color combinations – show about you:
Your favorite: Yellow
Your least favorite: Red
What this says about you: You’ve got a knack for seeing other people’s point of views. But this empathy can be an obstacle when you let others’ needs prevent you from making the best decisions for yourself.
Your favorite: Yellow
Your least favorite: Blue
What this says about you: Your ability to see the big picture lets you pinpoint what’s missing, helping you transform failure into success. But forgetting details is your biggest roadblock.
Your favorite: Blue
Your least favorite: Yellow
What this says about you: You’re a great strategist who can plan imaginatively. The problem? What you think you need often differs from what you really need. The key to your success is being more practical in the planning phase
Your favorite: Blue
Your least favorite: Red
What this says about you: You have a rare ability to see the possibilities of your goals, as well as the limitations. But difficulty expressing yourself may keep you from garnering the support you need to achieve your dreams.
Your favorite: Red
Your least favorite: Yellow
What this says about you: You’re a perfectionist with an eye for seeing what isn’t working. But when you feel overwhelmed, you see your way as the only way. Remember to hear others out, and you’ll find your answers.
Your favorite: Red
Your least favorite: Blue
What this says about you: Your talent for appraising situations can get lost in the specifics of a task. Staying focused on your overall goal – rather than on the technicalities – will keep you on course.

Spa Finder

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spa Chocolate - Cal-a-VieThe Spa Havens in Vista California

Chocolate continues to hold its place in history as the sweet treat for lovers and for those longing for that delicious state of being in love.
Indeed research has found that cocoa beans contain hormone analogs that are very much akin to those we give off when we are deep in some romantic episode. One researcher at the University of California at San Diego isolated a substance in cocoa that he dubbed “anandamide” and which he determined to be a powerful euphoric (ananda means bliss in Sanscrit). No wonder Liz Taylor was once quoted as saying, “I only eat chocolate between marriages.”
Chocolate is the eternal symbol for lovers, the usual gift offered on Valentine’s Day. Yet, it can also be a curse for those trying to become more sleek and attractive for the sake of romance. Mind you, the culprit is not the cocoa itself, but rather the fat that is almost invariably married to it in those rich, creamy confections. Unsweetened baker’s chocolate has about 15.7 grams of fat per ounce (10g of which is saturated) and has 148 calories. Cocoa powder on the other hand is almost sin free with only 2.5 grams of fat and about 50 – 60 calories per ounce. If you want to be extreme, there is a decaffeinated, defatted cocoa powder called Wonderslim available in health food stores that actually still tastes good.
Other than evoking the feelings of love, chocolate has been shown to be good for the heart in other ways. Chocolate is a rich source of magnesium, which is a powerful muscle relaxant, including those hardworking muscles of the heart. Additionally, researchers at the University of California at Davis have found that chocolate is extraordinarily high in phenol, a phytochemical that helps reduce heart disease risk by preventing cholesterol in the bloodstream from oxidizing (hardening in the presence of oxygen and thereby clogging the arteries). The phenol level in 1.5 ounces of milk chocolate is the equivalent to that in 5 ounces of red wine. This is good news indeed for those that choose not to drink.
The Eastern Ivy League has also been studying the health benefits of chocolate. Several years ago Harvard’s School of Public Health surveyed data from 7,841 alumni and found that those who ate chocolate regularly had a 36% lower risk of death compared with the abstainers. That makes chocolate a pretty powerful medicine.
Next time the chocolate urge strikes, instead of those calorie rich desserts, try the following light alternative from . In place of fat laden baking chocolate, cocoa powder and a fat free chocolate sauce is substituted in this Chocolate Madeleine with Pearl created by Steve Pernetti, Cal-a-Vie’s Executive Chef. This dessert is a beauty to behold and a delight to eat. The Madeleine is moist and delicious, and equally nutritious owing to whole, natural ingredients. Enjoy every morsel with a conscience that is free and clear, and live more happily and maybe longer for having done so.

Spas Finder

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

South Carolina Spa Deals - Heavenly Spa by Westin - Hilton Head Island Spas

Two Grasslawn Avenue · Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928 · United States · Phone: (843) 681-4000
Renew Your Spirit.
Renew your soul with a nourishing indigo wrap, indulge in a diverse collection of exfoliations and scrubs, or surrender to a variety of massages from hot stone to Swedish.
Our Spa Package includes $100 credit to use toward the treatment of your choice. Simply book this one night stay and enjoy this special offer.

Day Spa Locator

Friday, February 29, 2008

Spa Experience - Flotation Tank - Reduce Stress

For years, isolation tanks have been fodder for science-fiction films and the butt of sitcom jokes. In the 1980 thriller Altered States, William Hurt’s character devolved into a primordial blob after a succession of drug-fueled sessions in a tank. Other incarnations have been lampooned on everything from The Simpsons to Ab Fab.
But could the enclosed chambers, in which people float in the dark atop 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts dissolved in filtered and oxygenated water, unable to access (or even hear) handheld computers or cell phones, be the next hot item for stressed-out executives? Operators of flotation centers and tank manufacturers from around the country say yes.
Consider Blue Light Floatation in New York. Since 1985, Sam Zeiger’s Manhattan apartment has doubled as a homespun spot for the hurting or overstimulated. Within his fiberglass tub, kick-boxers regularly float before competitions. An out-of-town client recently floated for three hours every day to speed his recovery from shoulder surgery. The cost for a session is $70 an hour, considerably cheaper than the $100 or more many spas charge for massages, and last year was a record success for the business.
“It seems like you’re in the vastness of space,” Zeiger says. “You won’t even feel where your skin leaves off and the water and air begin.”
Dr. John C. Lilly invented the first light- and soundproof flotation chambers in the 1950s—complete with clunky helmets for breathing underwater. The modern incarnations are more streamlined and sophisticated. The dissolved salts allow people to float effortlessly, and the water is set to 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit to match the surface temperature of skin.
The wacky, retro image hasn’t completely faded, but a new generation has been warming to isolation tanks.
Marc Arendt, a semiretired project manager for an investment information company and a longtime regular at SpaceTime Tanks in Chicago, has been averaging two visits a week over the past few months. “It just makes me feel better,” says Arendt, who has used his sessions for everything from meditation to recovering from his triathlon and marathon training. “I’ve liked it so much, I’m considering starting my own flotation center.”
One Bay Area real estate developer says his weekly sessions at Float Matrix in San Francisco have helped him visualize his financial goals and keep perspective despite his nose-diving stock portfolio. “It’s cheaper than a massage, and it actually relaxes me more,” he says.
Meanwhile, Kane Mantyla, who co-owns Float Matrix with his wife, Grace, says their two-pod flotation center hit the break-even point just 14 months after it opened, and that business has been growing at the brisk pace of about 15 percent a month. “People are definitely opening up to something that was truly a mystery,” Mantyla says, blaming past misconceptions of isolation tanks on oversensationalized media depictions.
The flotation units don’t come cheap. Andy Vendetti, president of the Bristol, Pennsylvania, company High-Tech Floatation, one of three builders in the United States, says a handcrafted tub and custom enclosure like the combination he installed for Zeiger in New York costs about $25,000. Preparing the surrounding room, water heater, filtration system, and other necessary extras could easily tack on another $10,000.
In London, the Floatworks draws 1,200 customers every month to its nine-tank center, billed as the largest in the world. Sales and marketing director Simon Blake says the center will soon debut a futuristic tank design and hopes to open a second location in the city.
Blake also says he’s gaining traction with corporate human-resources departments about using the Floatworks as an antidote for stressed-out employees, and is in talks with the United Kingdom’s Blood Pressure Association about flotation’s potential for reducing hypertension. An Olympic triple-jumper who found relief from a cracked disc at the center could become the ultimate celebrity endorser should he win gold in Beijing this summer.
Even without Olympic-size aches or work-induced stress, business travelers far from home may appreciate another benefit Blake swears by. “When you suffer from jet lag, one hour of floating can be like four to six hours of sleep,” he says. “It’s all about resetting your body clock.”
Manufacturers of the tanks say that, in addition to using them at commercial centers, individuals are also buying units. Lee Perry, longtime owner of the Samadhi Tank Company in Grass Valley, California, says demand for her company’s freestanding $7,300 flotation tanks is surging. Though she won’t provide specifics, she says her roster of both individual and commercial clients is longer than it’s been in years. “Suddenly, I’m getting emails from Alabama and Georgia. Places that we’ve never ever heard from before are showing interest.”
Perhaps, she muses, the omnipresence of information and popular culture is driving people to escape from all the light and noise. “When we first started, we never, ever said, ‘sensory deprivation,’ because those words were enough to turn people away,” Perry says. Now, many of her customers crave it

Spa Gift Certificate

Thursday, February 28, 2008

AZ Sedona Spa Resort - L’Auberge de Sedona - Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List 2008

Condé Nast Names L’Auberge de Sedona to Gold List in Sedona Arizona
This article is brought to you by Spavelous.com.
L’Auberge de Sedona, a luxury creek side resort nestled in the heart of Arizona’s Red Rock County, has been named to Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List 2008, for the third year in a row. Considered the “ultimate guide to the world’s best hotels,” the list recognizes a selection of properties that feature the best in a variety of categories, including rooms, food, ambience, service, design, location and facilities.
Based on consumer traveler reviews and the Condé Nast 2007 Reader’s Choice Awards, hotels named to The Gold List are selected by the publication’s top travel editors, whose knowledge, selectivity, and tasteful discrimination are respected by the travel industry as well as the world traveler.
L’Auberge de Sedona’s Gold List honor follows its recent recognition from Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Award for being “One of the Top 100 Hotels in the United States.” The resort was also named to Travel & Leisure’s Top 500 Hotels in the World and Zagat’s Top U.S. Hotels, Resort & Spas in 2007.
The perfect setting for business or leisure, L’Auberge de Sedona offers the ultimate in luxury accommodations, fine dining, meeting facilities and spa treatments. The tranquil retreat touts 56 meticulously appointed guest rooms, including 31 private cottages, as well as the award-winning L’Auberge Restaurant on Oak Creek, named “one of the top ten restaurants in the Southwest” by Condé Nast Traveler. The four-diamond restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine with Mediterranean influences with menus designed by renowned Chef David Schmidt. In addition, the Spa at L’Auberge de Sedona provides an intimate and rejuvenating experience with unbeatable spa treatments featuring the purest and highest quality products, including those by Instituate Esthederm, L’Occitane, and Elizabeth W.
L’Auberge de Sedona is an intimate creek-side retreat surrounded by the stunning Red Rocks of central Arizona. The Inn’s 11 acres of lush forest grounds offer 56 king bed accommodations; including 19 guest rooms and two junior suites in the European style Lodge, 31 private Cottages and four rooms in the expansive Creek House. The AAA Four-Diamond L’Auberge Restaurant on Oak Creek features the culinary artistry of Executive Chef David Schmidt with breakfast, lunch and dinner services along with a popular Sunday brunch. L’Auberge de Sedona’s luxurious spa opened in mid-September of 2006. Guests of L’Auberge are treated nightly to an informal, complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres reception in the living room of the Lodge.

Spa Finder

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Arizona Destination Spa Deal - Miraval

Miraval Tucson’s 400 acres of lush Sonoran Desert at the base of the stunning Catalina Mountains creates an inspiring backdrop. But that is just a small part of its warm welcome. Now, visitors can receive even more. Through April 24, 2008, guests can stay five nights at Miraval and receive the fifth night free. They will revel in luxurious accommodations while enjoying complete access to resort facilities and daily programs that help individuals learn new ways to live and have made Miraval the world’s No. 1 rated spa.
World class spa, whirlpool, quiet room, steam room and sauna with new Outdoor Treatment Rooms
Body Mindfulness Center featuring Olympic lap pool and state-of-the-art equipment
On-site climbing wall, hiking, mountain biking
Tri-level pool with cascading waterfalls, acupressure stone walk and whirlpool
Agave yoga center and Yucca Pilates studio
Zen and desert gardens
This package includes three gourmet meals each day featuring award-winning cuisine, unlimited snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres and all non-alcoholic beverages. Each person also receives one spa service or round of golf up to a $125 value per night. Round trip transportation from Tucson International Airport is available.
Miraval provides hundreds of one-of-a-kind experiences for its guests that are not only unforgettable but epitomize true luxury.
Call 800.232.3969 to book
Special Code: Sweek5
DISCLAIMER: Valid through 4/24/08 for a minimum 5-night double-occupancy stay. Offer good for new reservations only, not valid for groups, special events or workshops. Only one discount offer is applicable per stay.

Miraval, located north of Tucson5000 E. Via Estancia MiravalCatalina, Arizona 85739

Spa Gift Card

Monday, February 25, 2008

Holistic Spa - Katie’s Spa in the cancer center

In the business of healing
Katie’s Spa part of growing trend toward holistic, cosmetic services for cancer patients
When her hair started thinning from chemotherapy last July, Cheryl Springs-Cortese sought expert help at Katie’s Spa.
Inside the warmly painted upscale-salon is a one-stop shop for women seeking some comfort — from wigs and mastectomy prostheses to manicures and massages — as they battle cancer.
“It’s inviting, it’s cozy and comfortable,” said Springs-Cortese, 49, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. She drives 45 minutes from Fenton to Katie’s in Lapeer, where owner Kim Adams cut off her hair last summer and helped her select two wigs.
Adams, a hair stylist, opened the salon in June 2005, specifically to care for cancer patients. She opens her second location in Lapeer this week in the Great Lakes Cancer Institute-Lapeer, a few miles away from her existing spa. Across the street from McLaren Health Care’s Lapeer Regional Medical Center, the $9.5 million cancer center began treating patients Monday.
The Katie’s Spa in the cancer center will be open a few days a week and point patients to the full-service location, where Adams sells turbans (various snug hats that she designs), and skin care products designed specifically for cancer patients. Spa services include facials, manicures, pedicures and massages. But visitors can also buy purses, jewelry and even cards, while they munch on always-handy snacks like cookies and coffee.
“It’s a place that people can come to and feel that it’s going to be OK,” Adams said.
Facilities like Adams’, as well as hospitals and cancer centers, are responding to a growing recognition that complementary medicine for cancer patients can help them cope and heal. Hospitals and cancer centers usually refer patients to outside facilities for wigs and mastectomy prostheses, but are increasingly offering nonmedical services to cancer patients.
“The whole area of complementary medicine as it relates to cancer therapy has been growing by leaps and bounds,” said Kelly Brittain, director of community education at Karmanos Cancer Institute. Patients can get massage therapy and participate in a variety of programs, from art therapy to yoga classes. “Research has shown that whatever can create a positive outlook helps with medical results,” she said.
Four St. John Health facilities offer “Healing Arts” centers, places where patients can get nonmedical support, from massage therapy to reflexology to yoga, acupuncture and Tai Chi classes. The centers are in St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Providence Hospital and Medical Centers in Southfield and a cancer center at the health system’s Providence Park Novi campus.
“We recognized that nonmedical treatment helped patients cope with their disease better and helped achieve better outcomes,” said Donna Handley, vice president of clinical services for St. John Hospital and Medical Center.
Adams named her spa after Katie Kirkpatrick Godwin, a customer and friend who passed away in January 2005. Godwin, 21, was well-known within the Lapeer community as she battled brain and then lung cancer. A high school valedictorian and star athlete, Godwin died five days after marrying her high school sweetheart in January 2005.
The spa draws patients from across Southeast Michigan, most of whom are referred by doctors’ offices who hear about the establishment from patients. What’s covered by insurance varies by the company. Some cover wigs (which at Katie’s cost anywhere from $200 to $600), and some also cover mastectomy prostheses.
Sue Grant has been referring patients to Katie’s Spa for a couple of years, first while working at Crittenton Hospital Medical Center and now as clinical nurse specialist with Michigan Hematology Oncology, with offices in Rochester, Bloomfield Hills and Lapeer.
“Even though it’s a business, it feels more like a home,” Grant said of the spa.
That welcoming environment and extra care is important in treating cancer, she said, because “emotional health is just as important as physical health.”

Spa Deal Finder

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Arizona Spa Resort Deal - CopperWynd Spa Scottsdale

Enjoy world-class luxury and unlock the healing powers of the Sonoran desert at CopperWynd Resort and Spa, an intimate boutique resort in Scottsdale Arizona.
Wake up and experience four spa breakfast treatments for two including two signature body treatments, two facials, two manicures and two pedicures. Treatments are enriched with stimulating coffee, rich egg whites and cream, uplifting grapefruit and sweet orange oils. All this, while staying two nights in a luxurious guest room with private balcony and gas fireplace and savoring award winning culinary excellence in Alchemy, our Four Diamond restaurant.
*Package includes:
* A two-night stay in a luxurious guestroom with unparalleled views
* Gourmet breakfast for two in our award winning restaurant Alchemy
* Two breakfast enriched signature body treatments
* Two breakfast enriched facials
* Two Manicures
* Two pedicures
* Resort fees and gratuities
Package price:
*$1795.00 double occupancy plus tax
Package is subject to availability
Package pricing is valid February 4 through May 15, 2008
For reservations call 1-877-707-7760
or 480-333-1900

Day Spa Finder

Friday, February 22, 2008

Anti-Wrinkle Laser

A new laser treatment is making that possible.
Two weeks ago, Jeanie Diamond, 57, said her face looked much different.
“I had a lot of sun damage, photo aging that was starting to wrinkle pretty badly, and I just wanted to do something to improve my skin,” said Jeanie Diamond, who had laser treatment.
She didn’t want plastic surgery.
The solution was a new and improved CO2 laser.
“You get wrinkle reduction, reduction in pigment and skin-tightening, that you wouldn’t otherwise get with other Fraxel-type lasers,” said cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis.
It’s called the Fraxel repair.
First, doctors numb your face.
Next is the laser treatment.
It penetrates deeper into the skin than traditional CO2 lasers, so your skin contracts.
“It seemed really quick. I think it took less than 30 minutes, didn’t feel a thing. I expected something afterwards, but really, there was a little bit of redness and swelling
but no pain at all,” said Diamond.
In two days, Diamond was healed and ready to go back to work.
Healing time with traditional lasers is usually over a week.
“And then you have continued improvement over the next four or five months,” said Nikolaidis.
Plus, it’s a one time treatment.
The cost is a little more than $3,000.
Doctors said people who have sun damage or acne scars are perfect candidates for this laser treatment.

Spa Gift Certificates

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Northern New Jersey Luxury Resort Destination

Like millions of others, I had an image of North Jersey formed mostly by how it looked from the congested Turnpike, with unsightly oil tankers framing its borders. Who thinks of vacationing in New Jersey, unless you’re headed toward the shore with a pocketful of coins and a beach bag filled with tanning lotion?
Spas, skiing and luxury resorts in North Jersey? As Tony Soprano would say, “Fugeddaboutit.”
But that’s exactly where my husband, Weller, and I found ourselves headed one three-day weekend.
Instead of speeding toward the New York skyline, we were headed to the Grand Cascades Lodge and its sister resort, Minerals Hotel & Spa, at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, N.J., about 2.5 hours from Philadelphia.
Take Exit 11 off the Garden State Parkway and soon you’ll be treated to the forested countryside of the Sussex Skylands, a five-county, pastoral region.
This time of year, you may find snow-covered fields and forests. In the fall, you’ll seldom see foliage ablaze in red, gold and yellow. A visit during the warmer seasons takes you through bucolic towns where yellow forsythia blooms and flowers tumble from front-porch planters and farmers tend fields.
Though don’t become too distracted once you leave I-80. Traveling the pretzel-twisted two-lane roads make it easy to get lost on your way to the resort.
With the Kittatinny Mountains as its backdrop, the Grand Cascades Lodge provides a commanding view as you swing into the driveway. The lobby’s gray stone floor and the massive wooden beams crisscrossing the soaring ceiling invoke the fine style of Western ski lodges.
Grand Cascades Lodge is a 250-room luxury resort that opened in 2007 under the same ownership as nearby Minerals Hotel & Spa in the tucked-away playground of Crystal Springs, a resort complex of homes, golf courses and hotels.
Besides the Elements Spa at nearby Minerals (a second spa is due to open in April at the Lodge), there are walking trails and seven golf courses. Minerals has a ski-in, ski-out area, as well as an entertainment complex with an indoor/outdoor pool, racquet and basketball courts, a fitness center and several restaurants and cafes. Guests at one resort can use the other’s facilities, and there’s a free shuttle between the two.
Of the two properties, located about eight minutes from each other, Minerals has the more casual, wallet-friendly accommodations. With so many activities under one roof, it’s also good for families.
Mountain Creek Ski Area is adjacent to Minerals hotel. If you don’t ski but your children do, you can drop them off at the mountain, then walk back to enjoy the comfort of the lodge. Available, too, are two- and three-bedroom condominiums for rent.
The one- and two-bedroom luxury guest rooms and suites at the Grand Cascades Lodge are more elegantly designed, with fully equipped gourmet kitchens, dining areas and sitting rooms with stone hearth fireplaces.
There are balconies, some with outdoor fireplaces, that offer either sweeping mountain or golf course views.
If you’re into self-pampering, it’s easy to settle back into the elegant, rustic decor of a bedroom that features comfy, king-sized beds, fine linens, a flat-screen television and a bathroom Jacuzzi tub.
However, we managed to pull ourselves together for an unparalleled, old-worldly experience in the cool, dim wine cellar of the Lodge’s Restaurant Latour.
Dinner is pricey ($65 to $75 a person, or a seven-course menu with five wine tastings for $140 a person), but it’s an extraordinary experience. We were led through tastings of lobster agnolotti, mascarpone-enriched pasta, scallops with a citrus sauce, a veal dish and seared monk fish prepared by Chef Michael Weisshaupt. Wines such as Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs, New York sparkling wine and rich, round Burgundy were paired and poured by John Osborne, the resort’s nationally recognized wine director.
With the thoroughness of a grade school teacher and no hint of snobbery or condescension, Osborne explained the wines and his reasons for the pairings. He also talked about the award-wining cellar’s collection of more than 3,600 labels. Before or after dinner, Osborne also gives tours of the cellar where the wines range from a modest $15 to a whopping $28,000 a bottle.
The wine dinners are in demand, so make reservations at least a month ahead. Guests can arrange similar tastings in Latour’s main dining room, while gazing out of a panoramic wall of glass at the Kittatinny Mountains.
The next time you’re looking for a luxurious, romantic getaway or a family-friendly ski destination removed from the noise and bustle of urban life, try New Jersey. You’d probably be perfect together. Capisce? *

Spas Finder

Saturday, February 16, 2008

South Carolina Spa Deals - Heavenly Spa - Hilton Head Spas

Girls Getaway
Grab the girls and cherish the moments at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. We are giving you an excuse for a girls weekend with the following:
2- 50 Minute Spa Services (2 per stay)
Women’s Welcome Spa Amenity (1 per stay)
1 Night Traditional Guestroom Accommodations
Offer valid now through December 31, 2007.
Book This Online
heavenly spa by westin
Two Grasslawn AvenueHilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928United States(843) 681-4000

Day Spa Locator

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Valentine’s Day California Spa Deals - Spa Xanadu - Best Day Spas In Los Angeles California

Spa Xanadu 26 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91006 Tel: (626) 821-0687 Fax: (626) 826-9679
SPA XANADU Valentine’s Packages (Exclusively available from February 1st thru the 29th) Chocolate contains over 300 different compounds, which can have a significant impact on health and beauty. A few antioxidants in chocolate are: Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, and Polyphenols. All of which reduce, the presence of free radicals which are responsible for cell aging. They incredibly have substantial slimming and stress reduction effects. All of these wonderful benefits derived from the pleasures of chocolate.
Chocolate Spa Treatments:
Chocolate Bliss - 60min. $200.00 (per couple)
Side by side Chocolate scented hot oil massage for two.
Chocolate Indulgence - 120 min. $400.00 (per couple)
This tranquilizing experience begins with a full body Chocolate scrub exfoliation, leaving your skin smooth and silky. Followed by, a warm Cocoa hydrotherapy bath to increase circulation. Ending with a full body, chocolate scented hot oil massage.
Chocolate Oasis - 120min. $400.00 (per couple)
Exfoliate your whole body with a chocolate scrub for smooth and silky skin. Followed by a lush full body self heating chocolate mousse mask to detoxify and replenish your body. Continuing with a hydrating facial and scalp massage to maximize relaxation. We then rinse with a Vichy shower and complete this amazing renewing treatment with a body butter and face moisturizer to nourish the skin.
Add on for Chocolate Oasis:
A side by side massage for two for an additional $200.00 and you will receive a memorable gift. (Two Spa Xanadu logo bathrobes a value of $100.00)
Please call for details or any restrictions.

Spa Gift Certificate

Monday, February 11, 2008

Spas Destination Spa Utah /Adventure Spa / Red Mountain

Finding Inspiration Red Mountain Spa, St. George, UT
There are those lucky few, who know their passion from the day they are born. It seems to be almost hard-wired; they are drawn to betterment throughout their life. However, it seems that most of us meander through life searching for something to light the fire within us, to lead us to our successes and happiness in life. Many find that gift, while at Red Mountain Spa.
Red Mountain Spa’s hiking program ignites such inspiration for many people as they embark on their day’s adventures. The connection to the earth, and the power of the towering red rocks, leaves a person who has lived their life surrounded by skyscrapers, mesmerized. Taking the challenge to hike up a steep hill and climb over a rock formation allows one to realize the capabilities of a healthy body. Suddenly a person is inspired to be healthier and seek new adventures. Rewarding the body afterward, with healthy cuisine, reminds us of how important it is to give the body the nourishment it deserves. Taking time out to relax and reflect overlooking the red rock cliffs outside Sage stone Spa and Salon gives one the time to collect their thoughts, and be inspired to experience even more the next day.
Red Mountain Spa hopes that you are inspired to find better health, happiness and many adventures each day of your life.

Spas Finder

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Florida Spa Deals - Cheeca Lodge

The Classic Favorite Amongst Luxury Resorts in the Florida Keys
Beautiful, romantic and boasting every imaginable kind of recreation, Cheeca Lodge is one of the most unique Luxury Resorts in the Florida Keys.Romance Getaway Package
Couples celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary or just looking for an escape together can take advantage of Cheeca’s “Romancing the Keys” package. This special package includes two nights accommodations in a Deluxe King Room or a Deluxe Resort View 1-bedroom Suite and a daily buffet breakfast. On the day of arrival, couples will be greeted with a romantic welcome amenity. On the second night, a rose petal turn-down service will create a special ending. This package also includes a dinner for two for 1 night and two 50 minute Swedish Massages.
One Deluxe Room with King Bed or a Deluxe Resort View 1 Bedroom Suite for 2 nights.
Rose petal turn-down service on the second day
Daily breakfast buffet
Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries
3 course dinner (excludes beverages).
Two 50 minute Swedish massages at the Spa
Price$1,100 in a Deluxe room with King Size Bed$1,400 in a Deluxe 1-bedroom Suite
Notes:The Romance Getaway package is available for midweek stays only through December 21, 2007, and is based on availability. It is based on double occupancy, and does not include daily resort fee of $39, taxes or gratuities. Other restrictions may apply. Some black out dates apply.
Reservations800-327-2888Phone305-664-4651

Spa Gift Certificates

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance, and Westward Look Resort: Labyrinth in Tucson

Canyon Ranch/ Miraval Life in Balance/ Westward Look Resort / Tucson spa resorts

Walking a Wellness Path: Start the New Year grounded by walking a labyrinth in Tucson.

The ancient practice of labyrinth walking is making a comeback with modern pilgrims seeking relaxation, healing, and community building. The labyrinth is not a maze, but a continuous path that circles back and forth so one cannot get lost. Walking is done at one’s own pace, alone or with others, and is said to have both physical and spiritual benefits.

Three Tucson spa resorts feature as part of their spa wellness programs an outdoors labyrinth laid out on smooth earth and outlined with rocks and other natural materials. For details, contact Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance, and Westward Look Resort

Spa Gift Card

Monday, January 14, 2008

Gentle Massage Techniques for Torticollis

Most of us have had the experience of waking up in the morning with a stiff neck. For some, this painful sensation is a severe and recurring problem. More than just a stiff neck, torticollis is characterized by involuntary contractions or intermittent spasms of neck muscles. Learn how valuable massage therapy can be to clients with torticollis, as well as the precautions to be aware of when approaching this condition.
Torticollis belongs to a broad category of disorders describing abnormal flexion, extension or twisting of the neck muscles. A neck twisted to one side is typical of torticollis. Although the exact cause of torticollis is uncertain, the following are potential scenarios where it may develop:
· In those with a family history of this disorder, symptoms may be present at birth or develop slowly
· As a result of some sort of trauma, torticollis can be acute
· From an adverse reaction to certain medications
When it can be traced to a genetic disorder, the condition is referred to as spasmodic torticollis. Although considered rare, spasmodic torticollis affects close to 90,000 people in the United States. Spasmodic torticollis has three variations of neuromuscular dysfunction:
1. Tonic (a sustained contraction)
2. Clonic (head shaking)
3. Mixed (both tonic and clonic)
Trauma that involves bending or twisting the neck too far can lead to acute torticollis. The acute form can also be the result of keeping the neck muscles in shortened positions for a prolonged period of time. A person who has slept in an awkward position or in a cold draft may awaken to acute torticollis.
Torticollis causes discomfort and pain, forcing many to hold their head straight or rotated to one side. Unilateral in nature, torticollis is irritated when the affected side of the neck’s muscles are activated or even touched. As a contralateral rotator, the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is most commonly involved in acute torticollis, as any position rotating the head to its opposite side for long periods may cause this condition.
Assessment
A massage therapist should confirm that a physician has properly diagnosed any client with torticollis. In some cases, torticollis is mistaken for muscular dystrophy, epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
To assess the condition, the practitioner will be able to palpate and/or observe shortening and hypertonicity in the neck muscles. The head and neck are held in a non-neutral position, often with rotation to the opposite side. The SCM on the affected side is likely to be more prominent than on the other side. In the clonic variation of spasmodic torticollis, there will be some shaking of the head.
The cervical muscles will likely be tightened due to a local muscle spasm. In some chronic cases, the practitioner will be able to palpate fibrotic changes in the affected musculature. Active and passive motions rotating the head in the opposite direction of the contraction are likely painful and limited. There may be pain associated with further rotation to the contracted side depending on the severity of the condition and the percentage of muscle fibers recruited for the activity.
Massage
Symptoms of acute torticollis generally resolve in a couple of weeks. Western medicine’s top offering for this condition is an injection of Botox® to temporarily paralyze the muscles. For those seeking to avoid this toxic injection, the pain and contraction of torticollis responds well to massage. Considering neck muscles in either a tonic or clonic state are highly sensitive, extreme care must be used with any hands-on modality.
With a gentle approach, bodywork’s goal for torticollis is release of the contracted neck muscles. Such a release typically entails:
1. Enhancing circulation in and around the spastic musculature
2. Enlisting passive and active stretching techniques to elongate shortened muscles
While most massage modalities enhance circulation, a gentle technique must be chosen for torticollis. The increase in circulating cerebrospinal fluid accomplished through cranial-sacral therapy (CST) is an ideal match for a contracted neck. Cranial Sacral typically uses the equivalent of a dime’s weight of pressure for its maneuvers, making it an extremely gentle option. Even some of the simple cranial holds of CST can allow the contracted tissues of torticollis to unwind at their own pace. Additionally, the application of heat in a warmth-producing topical gel, heat lamp or hot pack is a non-invasive and safe way to invigorate local blood circulation.
Osteopathic medicine’s passive and active stretching techniques offer a gentle route to lengthening contracted muscles. Myotherapy techniques are ideal for increasing the range of motion that is restricted with torticollis. Additionally, some of sports massage’s stretching techniques are ideal for lengthening neck contraction. All within the realm of osteopathic medicine, some of the applicable stretches in sports massage include:
· strain-counterstrain
· reciprocal inhibition
· proprioceptive neuromuscular (PNF) stretching
· isometric stretching
Warning
A client with torticollis may come for a massage after receiving medical treatment from their physician. Bodyworkers need to be aware that an injection of the Botox® toxin causes motor loss and has no effect on sensory perception. Massage or early manipulation of the injection site can speed up absorption and spread the toxin. Therapists are advised to avoid the injection site to avoid paralysis of the injected as well as adjacent muscles.
The gentle techniques garnered from cranial-sacral therapy, myofascial release and sports massage stretching can be safely and effectively applied to relieve torticollis. A massage therapist familiar with the described methods and the pathology of torticollis will be successful in delivering pain relief and increased range of motion to a client who awoke with a stiff neck.

Spas Finder

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Aveda Fredric’s Institute Wins Green Award

The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment has commended the Indianapolis location of Aveda Fredric’s Institute for its innovative green design efforts.

Aveda Fredric’s Institute in Indianapolis, IN, was recently honored by the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment for its efforts in sustainable design. The award was given to businesses that promoted growth in design concepts while also remaining environmentally friendly.

Day Spa Locator