Unleash your new year potential with an Arizona spa experience steeped in positivity.
‘Tis the season to take a deep, cleansing sigh of relief. The new year calls on us to close our eyes, breathe in, open our minds to possibility and take a warm soak in positive vibes. And where or where could you possibly do that? At a spa near year of course. From lavish all-inclusive retreats to award-decorated spas in your own background, Arizona is home to arguably the best spots in the world to thoughtfully and introspectively welcome in the new year.
Here’s what’s new at top relaxation havens across our state and how to get your piece of positivity.
Dream on: The Phoenician Spa, Scottsdale
The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale steps into 2019 draped in newness, including a new name, expanded offerings and an architecturally stunning renovation. The three-story, nearly 40,000 square-foot Phoenician Spa transcends time and space with a nap-inducing relaxation room, a rooftop pool complete with outdoor rain showers and fireplace-lit gathering area, and private men’s and women’s changing lounges with Vitality Pool hot tubs and Finnish-inspired saunas among other amenities.
Notable on the expanded spa menu are new signature offerings focused on nurturing the individual spirit. Among them, the Sleep Ritual Massage is an 80-minute experience interweaving dreamy music and intoxicating body potions with expert massage therapy for an incredibly relaxing and stress-banishing journey. Tense muscles are relaxed while the mind is quieted, creating the ideal state of sleep readiness. And it doesn’t end there. The treatment includes a take-home DreamKit complete with a download link to specially designed music, face cream, pillow mist, foot oil and nighttime instruction booklet.
The Phoenician Spa at The Phoenician Resort is located at 6000 East Camelback Road in Scottsdale, AZ. Call (480) 423 2452 or visit www.thephoenician.com for more info.
Wade in the Water: Spa Civana, Carefree
Also enshrined in newness is the 22,000-square-foot spa at Carefree’s recently unveiled sustainable wellness property, Civana. At the heart of Spa Civana is a hydrotherapy thermae circuit of hot and cold pools, cold shower and a saunarium with adjustable humidity levels. This ritual of “taking the waters” helps to ground the mind and body before and after treatments.
Spa Civana offers signature treatments that incorporate the healing power water and the earth’s elements. Case in point is the spa’s 90-minute Sonoran Sea Facial, where the skincare provider uses fast and slow hand movements, percussive strokes and varied pressure to mimic the ever-changing rhythms experienced in the once-ancient-sea desert. Ethically sourced rose quartz crystals, protective turquoise and calming obsidian are incorporated throughout the facial to energize and balance the skin. Suitable for all skin types, this skincare treatment is especially ideal for those experiencing jaw tension, headaches and anxiety.
Spa Civana at Civana Carefree is located at 37220 Mule Train Road in Carefree, AZ. Call (480) 653-9000 or visit www.civanacarefree.com for more info.
Aim for the Moon: Mii Amo, Sedona
Adorned in accolades, including the No. 1 spot in the Top 10 Domestic Destination Spas category on Travel + Leisure’s 2018 World’s Best Awards list, Mi Amo is every bit as magnificent as it is magical. At every turn, windows framed by brilliant sky and the vivid hues of Boynton Canyon call on Mii amo’s visitors to release negative thoughts and embrace possibility.
Before you make your own visit, you may want to consider the moon. Mii amo’s 90-minute Spirit of the Moon rituals will realign your new year intentions depending on what you feel you need most. The full moon is the best time for letting go what no longer serves us. In that spirit, the Spirit of the Full Moon treatment begins with you writing down what you would like to release followed by a warm oil scalp massage to clear the mind and a full body massage. With the new moon being the best time to manifest your deepest desires, The Spirit of the New Moon journey starts with you writing down your intention for the coming months. A foot bath then soaks in your intentions, which is followed by a full body massage. Each ritual is offered only during the days surrounding the full or new moon, respectively.
Mii Amo, A Destination Spa at Enchantment is located at 525 Boynton Canyon Road in Sedona, AZ. Call (928) 203-8500 or visit www.miiamo.com for more info.
Walk this Way: Miraval Arizona, Tucson
Just outside metro Tucson, Miraval Arizona has also earned a spot on Travel + Leisure’s Top 10 list by continually challenging its visitors to reach for a higher state of relaxation and introspection. Rooted on 400 acres along the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, this destination retreat for mind and body merges the wild Sonoran Desert scape with programs focused on inspiring balance through mindfulness.
Among the many self-affirming experiences Miraval offers, The Path of the Jaguar is a transformational 50-minute journey that clears the way for a new year ablaze with possibility. Through a series of Chakra-clearing healing practices led by a Shamanic healer, you will be gently guided along a path beyond fear and coaxed to leave the past behind and embrace the trail ahead. Negative energies are released and harmony is restored through energy and light body work. You will arise from this experience with a strengthened connection between spirit and self and with a sense of lightness and renewal.
Miraval Arizona is located at 5000 East Via Estancia in Tucson, AZ. Call (855) 234-1672 or visit www.miravalarizona.com for more info.
Fan the Flames: La Vidorra Spa at The Scott, Scottsdale
With its recently completed $15 million resort-wide renovation, The Scott Resort & Spa hides a secluded escape amid its balmy foliage and lively social vibe. The Scott’s La Vidorra Spa wraps guests in a charming living room-like comfort and gives credence to the adage that big things come in small packages. Punctuated by a Sonoran bungalow style decor, the spa’s hardwood floors and unique features such as a copper soaking tub, La Vidorra offers treatments that embrace ease and simplicity.
If rekindling your relationship tops your resolutions list, La Vidorra’s Couples Massage will do the trick. After side-by-side massages in one of the spa’s two spacious couple’s suites, guests receive a take-home gift of a Creative Energy Soy Lotion Candle. When burned, the cosmetic-grade soybean wax melts to create a sensual fragrance along with a soothing body lotion. Be sure to check with the spa when booking your service about the resort’s monthly wellbeing workshops, including a couple’s massage workshop planned for February.
La Vidorra Spa at The Scott Resort & Spa is located at 4925 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, AZ. Call (480) 945-7666 or visit www.thescottresort.com for more.
Take a Breath: Sanctuary Spa, Paradise Valley
Yet another haven worthy of your New Year reflections, the spa at the terrain-embracing Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain has unveiled an expanded women’s spa lounge along with two innovative yoga programs—one that challenges your inner balance and one that eases you into a blissful state of deep relaxation. The new addition to the already tranquil lounge, the Women’s Quiet Room offers a cocoon-like design and is dimly lit by a one-of-a-kind art piece crafted of paper and wood by artist William Leslie called “Wave After Wave.”
Now offered in the adjacent movement studio, the spa’s newly introduced Aerial Yoga class incorporates soft fabric slings, suspended at waist height to encourage students to experience the benefits of yoga in new ways. A good night’s sleep is the goal of the new Yoga Nidra class. Done lying down, the instructor guides students through gentle yoga postures and easy breathing techniques to slow down the mind’s thinking process, and in doing so releases stress and toxins from the body naturally. Both yoga classes are complimentary on the day of your spa visit.
Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa is located at 5700 East McDonald Drive in Paradise Valley, AZ. Call (855) 245-2051 or visit www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com for more.
This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of The RedBook Magazine. View the full issue here. Photo credit: Organizations.
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