Nourish
New Flavors from LARABAR
April 27, 2011
I was at Target stocking up on snacks for a trip and came across my favorite, LARABAR, in a flavor I’d never seen before…chocolate chip cookie dough! I was about to have a word with my neighborhood Whole Foods, but it turns out LARABAR has just added a bunch of new flavors. LARABAR is one of the parting snacks that the Ashram gives their guests, and was also featured on The Biggest Loser. The bars are made from unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices and are made from 100% real food, so you get the nutrients the way nature intended. www.larabar.com
Equinox Spa – Highland Park
April 8, 2011
I guess it’s a good sign when the person who had the massage therapist before your appointment emerges with tears in her eyes because the experience was that good. That’s what happened the other day when I went to see Melissa Brandt for an “Equissage” at the spa at Equinox in Highland Park. (I am not sure how I got on the list for two complimentary spa treatments, but to the powers at be who arranged this….thank you!) Melissa is a pro massage therapist who clearly knows her stuff. She was very technical as she zeroed in on my problem areas, eventually releasing the “knots” and leaving me feeling so relaxed I could barely get up from the table. We talked at length about how certain areas of tension can lead to headaches, how my problem areas were responding, etc. In other words, this was not your average fluffy massage experience. This was the real deal.
I had a similar experience with the deep cleansing facial. Equinox seems to hire extremely talented and experienced staff who provide treatments that achieve results. I’ll be back for sure. www.equinox.com
Location: Dallas
Blue Pearl – Yoga, Hiking, Cleansing Retreat – Laguna Beach
April 3, 2011
So far we have personally remained loyal to The Ashram, the famous hiking and cleansing retreat in Calabasas that my husband and I have both greatly benefited from, but here is a similar program that is also getting good reviews. Blue Pearl follows the same principles–a rigorous six-night program of hiking, yoga, and other speciality classes accompanied by a detox diet and daily massages–for those looking to lose a few pounds and/or jump-start or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Blue Pearl is the least expensive of the three similar retreats we’ve mentioned on this site, with The Ranch ranking as the most expensive (but also getting very favorable reviews from our friends who recently visited).
Location: Laguna Beach
Gilt Groupe and Exhale spa
March 16, 2011
Did you know that Gilt Groupe is not just for clothing? Now you can shop for discounted spa treatments and exercise classes! Tomorrow (St. Patrick’s Day) Dallas’ Exhale spa is offering special prices via Gilt on classes, nutritional consultations, massages, facials, mani/pedis and more. This is a great way to get mind and body pampering for less at one of Dallas’ best day spas. For example a Day of Zen (60 minute massage and 60 minute facial) is usually $270, but will be available tomorrow on Gilt for $185. Sign up for Gilt free here to access all their private sales.
Location: Dallas
Dancing Cacao Super Chocolate – Dallas
February 11, 2011
Have you heard that chocolate is the new broccoli? There are so many health benefits to consuming organic, raw chocolate that it is considered a superfood. It reportedly helps lower blood pressure, fights free radicals, improves circulation, balances blood sugar, boosts immunity, increases energy, and can even lift your mood. I eat the organic stuff so often now that even M&Ms have lost their appeal. I’ve already written about Hail Merry’s chocolate tart. My other favorite is Dancing Cacao, which is made by trainers and nutrition gurus Rebecca and Robb Peterson of Larry North Fitness. You can order boxes of Peterson’s Dancing Cacao fudge in chocolate or peppermint chocolate, $15 for a box of 6, by contacting them via email at rebecca4health@yahoo.com or 214 697-2273.
Location: Dallas
Ryan Patterson – Massage, Yoga, & Adventure
October 15, 2010
Ryan Patterson is the massage therapist at The Ashram who fixed my previously unfixable hip. As I mentioned, all the massage therapists were amazing, but when it came to working on my hip, Ryan was double amazing. He’s also a super nice, positive person and an awesome yoga instructor. I just went to his website, and who endorses him there? Cindy Crawford! I’m not surprised. I’m sure he has a list of celebrity clients a mile long. If I lived in LA or NYC I’d be ringing him up all the time. www.rpbodyworks.com (818) 624-3326
Location: los angeles, Manhattan
Ten Thousand Waves – Santa Fe
September 30, 2010
I was just looking at my list of Santa Fe entries and realized I’ve forgotten to post one of my favorite places in the world–Ten Thousand Waves. Ten Thousand Waves is a Japanese spa just a few minutes from downtown Santa Fe. It is mostly a day spa, but it does offer a small amount of lodging for longer stays, including accommodations in a 19-foot Airstream. The place is famous for its relaxing hot baths, both public (communal) and private, all accompanied by nearby cold plunge pools. I highly recommend making a reservation for one of the private baths, for just yourself, you and a significant other, or a group of friends. Each bath is different and you can view them on the website. (Warning: bathing suits are optional in all baths, so the communal baths are not for the modest!) Then enjoy the other spa treatments, specialty massages, salt glows, facials, etc. Yes, this is another hippie hangout and that’s one reason why I love it, but it has become very popular over the years so you’ll see all types there. I think there is something especially magical about the experience at night. And I always like to finish my time there by relaxing with a cup of hot tea on the deck looking out at the mountains. Check out the packages online when planning your little escape. www.tenthousandwaves.com
Location: Santa Fe
Final Thoughts About The Ashram
September 26, 2010
So the end result was…me: minus 6.5 pounds and 18.5 inches and my husband: minus 14 pounds and 24 inches (and we left a day early due to schedule conflicts!) I am inspired to eat better and exercise more, although I returned home to two sleepness nights and a trip to the ER with my daughter so that plan hasn’t exactly kicked in yet…but there’s always tomorrow!
A typical day at The Ashram consists of 5:40 a.m. wake-up, 6 a.m. yoga, 7 a.m. breakfast, 8 a.m. depart for hike (some last up to five and a half hours! Can you imagine hiking for longer than it takes to drive from Dallas to Houston?!!) Then return home for lunch, except for one day when you have a picnic on the beach in Malibu. (I saw dolphins and a sea lion. So awesome!) After lunch there is a one hour break followed by a pool class (including surprisingly fun water volleyball games), weights class, and sometimes a core class. You get a daily massage in lieu of one of the previous classes, so your schedule varies a little bit each day. Then yoga (mostly stretching), dinner, and nightly optional activity (meditation class, handwriting analysis, nutrition lecture, music performance). You also get one watsu water massage during the week, which is a zen-like experience probably similar to what it feels like in the womb.
The setting is a cozy house on a few acres in Calabasas, California. It’s casual and not at all fancy, in fact, you share bathrooms. But that reinforces the family vibe about the place. And you’re not going there for the accommodations anyway.
The instructors are incredible. All in amazing shape, of course, but also so up beat and inspiring and professional and fun. They all had that hippie/adventurer/positive attitude/healthy lifestyle going on that has always attracted me to California. I just wanted to follow them home and see what their off-hours lives are like. The massage therapists were the best I have ever experienced. One in particular made my hip stop hurting for the first time in 2 years. (I’ll post about him later.)
Our group was great. 13 diverse people from across the country. One other married couple, some people who came solo, two sisters, and two friends. Due to some sort of cosmic alignment, the owners of Blackberry Farm were the other couple in our group! I had just written about that place before I left. Now that I know even more about the farm and the family behind it, I am going to be taking trip there as soon as possible. One more reason to go? Fox hunts! (Don’t worry, despite the way it sounds the fox doesn’t get hurt.)
The Ashram is a great place to kick start a healthy lifestyle. It is not for everyone…you have to be OK with a lot of exercise, and you should probably already be in decent shape. I love working out and even I had a moment on Monday when I did not think I was going to make it through the hike or the week. The food is very tasty–all vegetarian and much of it salads–but it is a lot less than you are used to eating. Somehow I was not ever that hungry. I guess you keep moving and you don’t have time to think about it.
Another highlight was the rattlesnake we ran into on our last hike. After a stare down it eventually went on its way. I asked, and no one has ever gotten bit. Glad we weren’t the first.
Would I go back? Absolutely. For now I am going to try to keep up the healthy lifestyle and do what one of our guides suggested….leave my worries out there on the mountain.
the view of Malibu as I made my way down the last hike
Location: los angeles
Update From The Ashram
September 23, 2010
Hello from The Ashram! I think I’ll wait to give a full report later after I’ve completed the entire program, but for now just wanted to let you know that we have completed Day 4 of this famous boot camp, and I already feel lighter mentally and physically. Day 1 was great, but I have to admit that on Day 2, the first full day, I was completely skeptical as to whether I could make it through this week. (And I’m pretty tough!) The hike that day was steep and brutal and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish it. I did, but then I was so nauseous I could barely eat lunch. I definitely hit a low point, which the instructors here say is normal, but then it quickly turned around and Day 3 and 4 were tough but doable and very fulfilling. Now I feel energized and ready for another challenging day. I think I’ve lost a couple of pounds, we’ll know for sure on Friday, but I feel lighter and stronger and inspired…and that’s enough for me. More details soon!
Happy Anniversary to us…at the top of the mountain overlooking Malibu and the Pacific
Location: los angeles
BodyBLAST – Dallas
September 9, 2010
Stacy with Bart from Tread
For my Dallas readers who want a great, early-morning workout…Stacy Mullikin’s next BodyBLAST boot camp starts September 13th. Stacy is a long-time friend of mine–in fact she was the very first friend I made at college–but I am not just writing this because I am a huge fan of hers. I know many people who have lightened up, toned up, and basically credit looking all-around amazing to Stacy. She is upbeat, inspiring, and an incredible athlete herself, and she has trained everyone from triathletes to moms who just want to lose the baby weight. Each session is an hour-long hard core full body workout. The next boot camp consists of 12 sessions starting September 13. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6am-7am, at Preston Hollow Park. $160 or save $10 if you bring your own weights (she suggests 5 lbs.) For more information or to sign up email stacymullikin@sbcglobal.net.
If, like yours truly, you can’t get up quite that early, she will offer a 9:30 version in October.
Location: Dallas
