THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE

Ready to reset and recharge?

Here, our shortlist of feel-good places across the globe – from Carlsbad to Koh Samui.

BY VAWN HIMMELSBACH

THESE DAYS, a trip to the spa isn’t just about getting a massage or a facial. Health and wellness centres are becoming destinations unto themselves, often combining ancient healing techniques with the latest in cuttingedge medical research. Many offer packages or programs that tackle a range of health issues to leave you glowing from the inside and out.

The Spa At La Costa

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Carlsbad, California

BEST FOR: Whole-body wellness

As you step into The Spa at La Costa, you’re immediately wrapped in the aroma of earthy vetiver, soothing sandalwood and sensuous jasmine – a new signature scent inspired by the famed flower fields of Carlsbad. This scent, Sundarya, is infused into all of the spa’s signature treatments.

When Omni La Costa Resort & Spa first opened its doors north of San Diego in 1965, it attracted Hollywood’s elite – like the Rat Pack – for its seclusion and sunny SoCal vibe. Spread out over 400 acres dotted with palm trees and bougainvillea, it was known as the “original destination for mind, body and sport.” The resort has changed and expanded over the years, but continues to carry this tradition forward in its spa, offering a whole-body wellness experience. The sprawling 43,000-square-foot spa features Spanish Mission-style architecture and an outdoor courtyard with a private pool, waterfall showers and spa café, which uses herbs straight from the spa’s very own herb garden, warmly known as Alicia’s Garden, named for the long-term member of the culinary team who tends to the herbs. There’s also a therapeutic reflexology path, with smooth beach stones laid in a pattern that stimulates pressure points on the feet.

The spa recently entered into a new partnership with Ayurvedic skincare brand Shankara, which uses synergistic blends of anti-aging, antioxidant-rich ingredients and therapeutic essential oils in its products. Ayurveda is a traditional system of health and wellness developed in India – practiced for thousands of years – based on a holistic approach to physical and mental health.

Shankara has been a pioneer in the beauty and wellness space since 2001, sourcing allnatural ingredients in a responsible manner and donating 100 per cent of its profits to humanitarian causes worldwide. omnihotels.com/hotels/ san-diego-la-costa

Embracing the Shankara philosophy, The Spa at La Costa has introduced five new face and body treatments to its spa menu, including the Shirodhara Treatment, in which a stream of warm herbal-infused oil is continuously poured over the forehead to quiet the mind, calm the nervous system and ease tension held around the head and neck.

Also noteworthy is the Chakra Balancing Treatment, which balances the body’s energy centres (known as ‘chakras’) with an Ayurvedic kansa massage wand, full-body aromatherapy massage and the placement of chakra stones.

Circular massage motions along the spine with the kansa wand helps to awaken the chakras, while specific stones are used to balance the body.

You can take your wellness journey a step further with customizable half- and full-day retreats. The spa has also teamed up with the health experts at Best Life-ing to offer private healing experiences and custom-curated wellness retreats. Best Life-ing, a ‘wellness concierge,’ opened its first location in Miami Beach two years ago, followed by a second location at The Spa at La Costa. By bringing together different healers, teachers and coaches, you can choose from a variety of healing modalities, workshops and experiences to support your individual journey.

The healing modalities include regression hypnotherapy (exploring your subconscious mind to discover past-life memories, heal trauma and align with your purpose), conscious breathwork (controlled breathing for relaxation, meditation or therapeutic purposes), reiki (an ancient healing method that manipulates energy flow in the body), yoga (Kundalini, Bhakti or advanced), guided meditation and life coaching, as well as massage and bodywork.

Also on offer are massages, facials, body wraps and clinical treatments, as well as couples massages with Champagne and chocolatecovered strawberries. Along with an Athletic Club, eight pools and two golf courses –complemented by the Golf Performance Institute – the resort makes for an idyllic getaway with a focus on whole-body wellness.

We may have started on the road to wellness in California, but here are three more destinations to get your healthy glow on.

1.THE SPA AT WALDORF ASTORIA

Los Cabos Pedregal

Los Cabos, Mexico

BEST FOR: Self-love retreats waldorfastorialoscabospedregal.com/ spa

At the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula is the Waldorf Astoria Spa, spread out over 24 secluded acres, offering treatments inspired by the phases of the moon, the power of the ocean and Mexican folk healing techniques. Through the use of herbs, rituals and energetic healing, the spa creates bespoke experiences in open-air treatment rooms. Come here for the spa’s wellness vacations, including its new Self-Love Retreats, which include breathing sessions, mindfulness workshops and spa treatments.

2. KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI

Koh Samui, Thailand

BEST FOR: Boosting longevity

This Thai wellness sanctuary – nestled in lush tropical vegetation alongside a stretch of private beach – combines holistic medicine traditions from East and West, with a menu of more than 70 therapies and treatments. It also offers a range of comprehensive wellness programs, including Wellbeing Sabbatical, Sleep Enhancement and Embracing Change. New is Kamalaya’s Longevity House, which features regenerative treatments such as IV vitamin infusions, ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. kamalaya.com

3. EAU SPA

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Palm Beach, Florida

BEST FOR: Indulgent self-care

Eau Spa takes self-care to a whole new level. You’re greeted with a glass of Champagne upon arrival at this 42,000-square-foot spa playground for adults – where indulgence is encouraged. Float a candle in the bronze wishing well before your treatment, complete with customized scents, music and lighting colour. Then relax in a swinging chair with bubbly and whipped cupcakes in the SelfCentered Garden, an oasis with draped cabanas, lush water gardens and central dipping pool. eaupalmbeach.com