| Zia-Tripping in the Southwest Seeking Life in Balance
by Laurel W. House
I was so stressed I could barely breathe. My muscles had managed
to mangle themselves in such tightly bound knots that it hurt to touch them.
This LA lady was beyond “wanting” and into the realms of sincerely needing an
intensely relaxing reprieve- for the sake of my health and my sanity.
I headed out to Miraval Resort, which was recently rated the best destination
spa in the country by Travel and Leisure Magazine, but I view as the summer camp
for adults. Upon arrival to this desert oasis, I was promptly escorted to the
activities sign up boards, where an abundance of adventure, spa, hiking, biking,
mindfulness, fitness and lifestyle activities awaited my signature of desired
attendance.
Before heading out for my first activity, I allowed myself a few hours to simply
sit and enjoy the silence- a very foreign activity for me! What I found was
anything but silence. Trees swayed, their branches clanging into each other with
the most bizarre hollow drumming noise. The babbling stream sifted smooth rocks
in its wake. Birds tactfully balanced on cactus needles chirping and peeping in
the splendor of the scorching sun. Nature was alive and well at Miraval;
something that I had forgotten about living in high-rise laden La-La land.
Somehow, two hours quickly passed, and it was time for my first activity.
Despite my lifelong aversion to horses, I felt compelled to sign up for the
Equine Experience. Having no knowledge of what I was about to encounter, a group
of about six of us headed out to the stables where Wyatt Webb, a psychotherapist
and creator of the Equine Experience, awaited our arrival. After a bit of a
psychology lecture on life and happiness, we entered an arena and we were shown
how to brush, walk and clean the hooves of a horse. More than digging dirt out
of a horses’ hoof, the Equine Experience dug deep into my psyche, hauling loads
of mental manure out of the depths of my being, including insecurities and
deeply ingrained personality patterns that hindered my ability to succeed in
certain situations. With tears streaming down my cheek, Wyatt reminded me that
this task wasn’t about the horse, it was about me.
A few yards away was a round corral where Wyatt’s own horse stood. We were told
that our next task was to direct the horse, leading him to walk, canter and
maybe run without touch or words. This control was to come out of the energetic
power in our stomachs! Surprisingly, each guest was able to wordlessly coax the
horse to walk, even canter for a moment. When it was my turn, I imagined my
energy was a laser beam that burned through my stomach and onto the horses
behind. And he started to run. That horse ran in circles until the instructor
yelled at me to stop- harness my energy. I have never felt so calmly in control
in my life. The other guests began to clap and I walked out of the corral with a
smile on my face and feeling energetically sapped.
With the distinct odor of horse on my clothing and skin, I took a quick rinse
off, draped myself in a white robe and headed off to the spa. The Ultimate
Ayurvedic treatment would surely revitalize my body and mind and tame my buzzing
nervous system (the diagnosis of another therapist who said my nerves were
vibrating my skin and causing deep, internal muscle tension, as opposed to the
typical exterior muscle tension). Medicinal scented oils were deeply massaged
into my skin, followed by a warm wrap and scalp massage. I was nestled in a deep
state of bliss; so thoroughly relaxed that I teetered on the perimeter of sleep
and wakefulness. But when the Shirodhara treatment began and a steady stream of
warm oil flowed from my forehead, along my scalp and finally trickling through
my hair, I drifted beyond sleep and into a state of delirium. After 100 minutes
of sheer splendor, all residual drops of tension were extinguished. I slowly
slipped my robe over my ridiculously relaxed body and floated down the cactus
flower-lined dirt path back to my room.
Since my massage therapist advised a daily dose of yoga or meditation to keep my
vibrating nerves in check, I decided to test out a Yin yoga class, also known as
acupressure yoga. What I found was that I had pretty much exclusively practiced
yang yoga; in other words, yoga that is muscular in nature. Emphasizing long
holds, Yin Yoga stretches the connective tissue, working on those deep tight
muscles that go hand in hand with nervous system distress- exactly my ailment!
Connective tissue is like taffy- rigid when cold and soft and flexible when
warm. I found my connective tissue to be cold taffy and I experienced a type of
deep pain that I had never before felt in a yoga class. After an hour, of long
holds that warmed my body to a steady sweat, I walked out feeling like a
boundless rubber-band, free of tension and strain.
For this city slicker seeking a dose of serenity, Miraval, with nature at my
doorstep and a unique opportunity around every bend, was the perfect summer camp
for me. I returned to Los Angeles a little more mindful and a lot more aware of
my body’s needs. I swore up and down that I would do yoga every day, if even
just for two minutes or one sun salutation. Now I know why Miraval is known as a
destination where life is in balance.
Laurel House is a freelance writer, the author
of "The Gurus' Guide to Serenity" (HarperCollins) and co-author
"Raise the Barre" (HarperCollins)
and the
West Coast Editor for Fit Yoga.
Read more by Laurel at
www.bylaurelhouse.com |
 |
|
