I ‘anti-aged’ my brain ...by horse whispering at Jane Seymour’s spa
SINCE I turned 60 last year, a funny thing has started to happen to my emails. I write January when I mean September or use a word that looks like the one I intended but isn’t. I struggle to stay focused on work and my memory just isn’t what it used to be. It’s troubling, and I’m sure I can count myself among the legions of middle-aged worried well, silently fearing our minds may go years before our bodies.
So please forgive my suspension of disbelief when I was invited to try out a US-based spa that claims to be able to ‘anti-age’ the mind, rather than simply pampering the body. Never mind it has a Director of Spirituality on its staff. Nor that it offers ‘healing therapy with horses’.
It also has an ex-US Surgeon General on the board, and the plan promises ‘a better brain in 30 days’. The idea of a magic formula to help stave off dementia is irresistible – even if it may mean cutting through a sea of American psychobabble.
WHERE’S THE SOLUTION? Canyon Ranch was opened 35 years ago in Tucson, Arizona, by a couple determined to embrace New Age therapies as well as Western science. It will be familiar to cruise-ship fans, as there are branches on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 as well as the liners of Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Celebrity Cruises. It attracts a slew of wellheeled workaholics and the
odd celebrity, including Mad Men’s January Jones, Strictly winner Caroline Flack and Jane Seymour, who famously played Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman.
WHAT’S THE TREATMENT?
The Brain Health and Longevity Programme is delivered over six days. First, former US Surgeon General Dr Richard Carmona delivers some great news: our brains may be shrinking but they are endlessly malleable, capable of building new cells at any age in response to new experiences.
This ‘neuroplasticity’ is bolstered by correct nutrition (Alzheimer’s disease is now called type 3 diabetes in the US because it’s so closely connected with poor sugar metabolism), deeper sleep and regular exercise.
After this comes the unexpected shock of high-intensity interval training in the gym – Dr Carmona says vigorous exercise is vital to get blood flowing to the ageing brain before we put it to the test. Spurred to go hell for leather on the treadmill for 30 seconds at a time, we all agree we feel fantastic afterwards. I rise at 6.30am the next day for a desert hike. I need a double espresso to make it to the starting point but feel proud of managing two miles before breakfast. This becomes a daily habit, like the yoga classes and meditation.
Animal therapy is well known to reduce blood pressure and stress and increase selfesteem – and a particularly powerful effect has been observed when a variety of patients interact with horses. This is why neuro- surgeon Dr Allan Hamilton and his psychotherapist wife Jane offer equine-assisted therapy – at £270-plus for a three-hour session, although the cost can be covered by a £800 treatment allowance which is included in the price of a stay.
It’s one of the optional extras the brain-raddled might find useful to help ‘quiet their minds’ (one of the Big Ideas we are exhorted to adopt) but involves no horseback riding. Instead, we spend the session getting a horse to obey our simple commands.
They are such big, powerful animals, it takes a lot of attention to try to get their trust and overcome the fear of being stepped on – a meditation in itself and a shining example of the power of focus. It’s a shame the horses are several miles away on the Hamiltons’ ranch, and that working with them is so expensive.
THE VERDICT?
It’s hard not to feel better after several days in a sublime location, breathing fresh air and eating tasty organic food in an alcohol-free environment. I’ve managed three gym visits a week since returning, for the first time working up a sweat thanks to high-intensity training.
At the ranch, Spiritual Wellness Director Julie Haber told me to create ‘a sacred space’ at home – a comfortable corner to retreat to with candles and cushions when I need to get my mojo back.
Well, I have not yet decluttered or knowingly meditated, but now that I think about it I’m not feeling as scatty, forgetful or stressed and I think the exercise must have a lot to do with that. I’m still making those inadvertent typos, though – but I have been reassured by experts this is a common sign of ageing, not a predictor of serious mental decline.