Signature Luxury Travel & Style
canyon ranch
With its newest addition in turkey, canyon Ranch further embraces its 40-year history offering wholeness, health, spirituality – and luxury. Debbi K. Kickham gets up close and personal at this world-famous spa.
The quintessential American health experience expands to Turkey.
canyon Ranch is not your typical destination spa where you can take one or two fitness classes and then get a plain-vanilla massage. this uber-spa and winner of travel awards too numerous to mention is in a world league of its own, offering an integrative, comprehensive approach to your wellbeing.
on a typical three-night stay, for example, at its locations in tucson, arizona or lenox, Massachusetts, you can choose from about 300 activities, 200 services and 70 lectures. You can also schedule appointments with professionals who include registered nurses, doctors, acupuncturists, nutritionists and licensed therapists.
You want rest and relaxation? check. how about a plan to stop smoking, lose weight or confront sleep disorders? easy. What about addressing chronic health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure? Done.
“people have an intention when they come here,” explains emilie Goudey, General Manager of canyon Ranch in lenox. “from there, we customise
classes, lectures and services and we put a programme together.”
led by Vice chairman Richard carmona, MD, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006), and Mark liponis, MD, canyon Ranch corporate Medical Director, canyon Ranch’s physicians collaborate with its other health professionals to provide a personalised approach to wellness, in Western and non-traditional ways.
it’s no wonder that canyon Ranch has a booming repeat business, and is popular among the well-heeled – many of whom sometimes fly into lenox on helicopters or zoom in on their private jets. it is also not unusual to find affluent guests who stay for weeks at a time, to simply lose weight or learn a healthier lifestyle. (on one of my trips there, i met a stressed-out new York ceo who chose 21 days in lenox instead of three vacation weeks in europe.)
i’m lucky to say that i’ve visited canyon Ranch in lenox at least 10 times in the past 20 years. every day is jam-packed with fitness classes, complemented with lectures on health, wellness and spirituality, including those by author and executive life coach Jerry posner, who gives acclaimed presentations about creating miracles in your life. (he uses the movie ‘the Wizard of oz’ as his template, urging attendees to properly utilise their brains, heart and courage, as he hands out humorous cards that serve as daily reminders.)
a cornucopia of classes
You name it, you’ll find it at canyon Ranch in lenox.
exercise? During a typical day, you’ll enjoy countless programmes such as yoga, cycling, muscle conditioning, kettlebell, cardio, ropes challenges, fencing, barre workouts, racquetball — or a simple workout in the huge gym, along with a swim in the indoor or outdoor pool.
Because of its location on bucolic grounds, you can also enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing and more.
Spirituality? it’s accounted for — in abundance. classes and lectures are a-plenty in subjects such as meditation, mindfulness, synchronicity, relaxation, grief work, and there are even 12-step recovery meetings. Knitting classes, tarot card readings and bingo (very popular) are also available.
posh pamperings? the full Monty of silken services includes everything from over-the-top massages, facials and reflexology, to Japanese and finnish rituals, to the famous candlelit euphoria: a $320 100-minute body and scalp massage, body mask and aromatherapy soak.
eat, treat and be petite
for its gourmet cuisine alone, canyon Ranch is a dieter’s dream. the delicious food here has had the fat and calories kicked out of it, so you really can indulge without guilt. everyone goes crazy for the homemade chocolate chip cookies — chewy, moist and filled with imported callebaut chocolate – for just 85 calories each. the menus all list calorie counts, carbs, fat grams and more, so you can easily ascertain your daily allotment. Vegetables, mountains of fresh fruits, salads and dressings abound. if you’re pernickety about your plate, you’ll be pleased with the yummy choices, which are all as healthy as is humanly possible. for snacks, the trail bars (to be lusted after) are 130 calories each, and you can have them anytime you want. Don’t miss the daily ‘lunch and learn’ cooking demos that are as educational as they are entertaining – and tasty.
the canyon Ranch tour of beauty, fitness and wellbeing will soon be available in turkey. cashmere-care treatments and amenities will be offered at the new canyon Ranch Wellness Resort at Kaplankaya, opening in July 2016. it is nestled on the breathtaking South aegean coast known as the turkish Riviera. here, the resort will offer treatments to incorporate its surroundings, including, of course, turkish hammam, and an aloe sun wrap featuring rose quartz crystals. Says canyon Ranch ceo Susan Docherty: “With its breathtaking beautifully natural landscape and ancient, healing lands, it is the idyllic location for our first international immersion destination, and will redefine the concept of a luxury wellness experience.”
Slated to open in 2017 is canyon Ranch Bintan, a resort and living community with the treasure Bay development in indonesia.
at this point, shouldn’t “canyon Ranch” be your mantra?