4.1.21 LuxuryCard RLP Overview
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California Calm As the concept of wellness has ballooned from trend to lifestyle, evolving from garden-variety salt scrubs and spa days into a global industry three times larger than pharmaceuticals, it’s become all about personalization. Tailored experiences address not just your physical needs but what’s going on emotionally and spiritually. And detox no longer equals deprivation. These highly customizable, weeklong journeys invoke all the buzzwords (longevity, biohacking, alternative medicine) to possibly change your life. Rancho La Puerta Its name, “the Ranch Door” in English, is an homage to two bowing oak trees that formed the entrance to a campsite in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, that the co-founders first used in 1940. Today the site remains couched in a chaparral- and granite-festooned valley amid sycamore trees and guarded by the sacred Mt. Kuchumaa. All 4,000 private acres of gardens, mountains, and meadows remain central to the retreat resort’s mission. “Live simply, respect the body’s inherent wisdom, and embrace a life in nature,” said wife and husband co-founders Deborah and Edmond Szekely. (Deborah, now 98, later founded the Golden Door.) Today, the couple’s motto siempre mejor (meaning “always better”) translates to a sequential program— epitomized in the newly launched 21-day Perfect Balance Sabbatical. The plan requires guests to zero in on three things: focusing, recharging, and strengthening. Morning mountain hikes precede energy-filled
Transcript of 4.1.21 LuxuryCard RLP Overview
CaliforniaCalmAstheconceptofwellnesshasballoonedfromtrendtolifestyle,evolvingfromgarden-varietysaltscrubsandspadaysintoaglobalindustrythreetimeslargerthanpharmaceuticals,it’sbecomeallaboutpersonalization.Tailoredexperiencesaddressnotjustyourphysicalneedsbutwhat’sgoingonemotionallyandspiritually.Anddetoxnolongerequalsdeprivation.Thesehighlycustomizable,weeklongjourneysinvokeallthebuzzwords(longevity,biohacking,alternativemedicine)topossiblychangeyourlife.RanchoLaPuertaItsname,“theRanchDoor”inEnglish,isanhomagetotwobowingoaktreesthatformedtheentrancetoacampsiteinTecate,BajaCalifornia,Mexico,thattheco-foundersfirstusedin1940.Todaythesiteremainscouchedinachaparral-andgranite-festoonedvalleyamidsycamoretreesandguardedbythesacredMt.Kuchumaa.All4,000privateacresofgardens,mountains,andmeadowsremaincentraltotheretreatresort’smission.
“Livesimply,respectthebody’sinherentwisdom,andembracealifeinnature,”saidwifeandhusbandco-foundersDeborahandEdmondSzekely.(Deborah,now98,laterfoundedtheGoldenDoor.)Today,thecouple’smottosiempremejor(meaning“alwaysbetter”)translatestoasequentialprogram—epitomizedinthenewlylaunched21-dayPerfectBalanceSabbatical.Theplanrequiresgueststozeroinonthreethings:focusing,recharging,andstrengthening.Morningmountainhikesprecedeenergy-filled
Abigail Wry
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reflexologytreatments.Therearetinytrampolinecardioclassesandhulahoopingsessionsfollowedbysoundbathingandpupusa-making,allofferedinopenair.Althoughthefamily-runRanchoLaPuertaturned81thisyear,thesentimentonthepropertyfeelslessseniorandmoreteenager—alittlebitrebelliousandconstantlycurious.Whileeachofthe87roomsisindividuallylandscapedandsprinkledwithMexicanfolkartwork,theforthcomingResidences,awellnessvillageof108privateresidencesavailableforpurchase,willfeatureMediterranean-inspiredsceneryandcompleteinteriorcustomizationoptions.
Walkingaroundthepropertyintheevenings,waftsofsageandartemisiafloatinwiththecool,high-desertbreezes.ThelateEdmondSzekelywasconversantin17languages;thusthenightlyschedulereflectshisdesiretoshareknowledgeviaarotatingarrayofworkshops,musicians,andlecturers.From$4,000/person;rancholapuerta.com—AlexandraCheney
GoldenDoorPassingthroughbejeweled,goldendoorsinSanMarcos,California,you’llnoticeapurposefulcrookinthewoodenfootbridge.Theukiyomoment(meaning“thefloatingworld”inJapanese)ismeanttohelpyoudetachfromthebothersoflifeandreturntothemoment.“Howdowetransformsomeone’slifeinsevendays?”asksKathyVanNess,GoldenDoor’schiefoperatingofficer.“Itstartswithbreathingoutandallowingyourselftobenurtured.”Eachofthe40deliberatelyspaciousandsimplyappointedroomsaresingleoccupancy,allowingforgreaterreflection.Japanesesandandrockgardensencourageadetanglingofthoughts.Dailyin-roommassagesandfacialspamperandencourageroutines.Asthebodyslipsintoaschedule—dawnhikes,morningprivatefitnesstrainersorclasses,afternoonsfilledwithtreatments,eveningsofpauseandmeditationfollowedbycommunalunder-the-starsmeals—deeperrejuvenationandhealingbegins.
ÀlacarteofferingslikeFeldenkrais(askforTracey),watsu(“watermassage”),oracupunctureandcupping(bookJill),encourageinnateconnectionorreconnectionwithoneself.In-roombreakfastisservedwithasideofhaikutomindfullyaddmeaningthroughoutthedurationofone’sstay.Theratioofstafftoguestshoversat4:1,creatingadedicatedspacefordetail.Mostweeksaredesignedtobesinglesex;separatemen’sandwomen’sofferingspromotenurturingandkinship,strippeddowntorevealasimplicitypreferredbythemajorityofguests.“Everythingwedohereisallabouttheexperience,”saysVanNess.Thelongstandingbusinessmodelremainsthat100percentofthenetprofitsfromGoldenDooraredonatedtoorganizationsthathelptoendchildabuse.“Verysimply,webelieveinchanginglives.Howwonderfulisittoexperienceapowerfulchangeandthen
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becomeaforceforchange?”From$7,950fortheLandandWaterpackage;goldendoor.com—AlexandraCheney
Cal-A-VieHealthSpaLosingoneselfamongCal-A-VieHealthSpa’s500acresinVista,California,cantakemanyforms:listeningtothewhooshingofthefunctioningwindmill,stargazingsolofromtheprivateobservatory.Thisretreat(onlya10-minutedrivefromGoldenDoor)ismodeledafterasmallvillageinthesouthofFranceanddottedwithhistoricantiquesandcharmingstructures,likethe400-year-oldchapelshippedoverfromEuropeandreassembledbyhand.
ServedalongsidetheProvençalcharmarehealthydosesofscienceandbiohackingtoaidinself-discovery.TaketheBodPod,acompositiontrackingsystemthatanalyzesbodyandfatmass.Thetrainingstaff,whichincludesregistereddietitians,takesmeasurementsandthenprovidescomprehensiveevaluationsandbespokeprogrammingtofasttrackreachinggoals.TheprogramcombinescryotherapyinanOlympic-sizepoolwithrobustclasseslikeHydroriding(in-watercycling)orbody-boardbootcamp(HIITtrainingonafloatingraft)withdeep-stretchingopportunitieslikeMeltMethod.
Anon-sitenaturopathicmedicaldoctorandtwonutritionistsworktoexaminetherootcauseofanillnessorache.Wellnessinjectionsandimmuneboosterscombinemedicalscienceandnaturalpractices,allowingthebodytohealandrecover.Bookanacupuncturesessionandadeep-tissueorThaimassagetoallowmusclenigglestodissolve.
AsteepwalkuphilltoL’Orangerierewardsguestswithuninterruptedvistas;onacleardayit’spossibletoseeaglimmerofthePacificOcean.Sitamongthemanycitrustreesoroptintoguidedmeditationontheperfectlymanicuredlawn.Createdwiththegreatestflexibility,guestscanselectathree-,four-,orseven-nightstayinoneof25villasor7suites.LaPetiteStayfrom$4,950/person;cal-a-vie.com—AlexandraCheney
TheRanchMalibuSpanning200acresintheSantaMonicaMountains,TheRanchMalibu’ssignatureweeklongprogramofendurance,nutrition,andwellnesshasalwaysfocusedonsmall-groupfitnessonspaciousgroundswithopen-aircommonareas.Aspeoplebegintotravelagain,embracingnatureandfocusingontheirhealth,thelifestyleresorthasintroducedTheRanchPrivate,aprogramtailoredforthosetravelingsoloorinagroupofuptofour.Allelementsoftheoriginalsix-night,seven-dayprogram—daily10-milehikes,plant-basedmeals,massagetherapy,andstretch,fitness,andyogaclasses—takeplaceinamoreintimate,secludedsetting.
“Afterweeksofhomeisolation,peoplearereadytogooutsideandmovetheirbodies,”saysAlexGlasscock,founderandCEOofTheRanch.“TheRanchPrivateisforthosewhofeelmorecomfortabledoingtheprogramaloneorwithfriends,andforthosewhowantamorecustomizedexperiencetoachievetheirpersonalgoals.”
Designedtorecalibratethemindandbodythroughanintensefitnessregimenandahighlystructurednutritionaldiet,TheRanchprogramistheoppositeofrelaxedspatreatmentsandlazypoolsidenaps.Afterthosefour-hourhikesandback-to-backstrengthtrainingsessions,guestsreceivedailymassagesatprivatehutsonproperty.Bepreparedtobreathedeeplyandworkthroughthepain.Ifyoucanbearit,youwillbemorethanreadytostartanewthenextday—andtakealltheskillsanddisciplineyou’veacquiredtomakelastingchangesoncehome.TheRanchPrivateis$11,000/person;theranchmalibu.com—DeborahFrank
