Wellbeing is an art—and like art, it means something different to everyone. For some, it’s a peaceful journey in silence or an invigorating movement that awakens the senses. For others, it is a therapeutic massage, restorative sound bath, or exhilarating ice plunge. It can be traditional or state-of-the-art, relaxing or stimulating. Oftentimes, it falls somewhere in between. And in every case, it is personal.
At Auberge Resorts Collection, the path to wellbeing is tailored—an individualized experience that begins even before treatments start. “We encourage our guests to have a consultation with one of the spa’s health coaches to discuss their needs and goals,” says Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, Auberge Resorts Collection’s vice president of wellbeing. The aim of any wellness journey, she explains, is a gestalt of experiences, far more impactful than any single treatment.
Every Auberge wellbeing journey connects the body and mind with the elements of nature through the use of heat, cold, and earth—along with pretreatment rituals designed to deliver long-lasting therapeutic benefits. Combined, they are a force for change: Heat promotes relaxation and detoxification, improves heart health and joint mobility, and relieves muscle aches tension; cold invigorates the senses and boosts circulation, awakening the body’s natural vitality; and exposure to nature offers a vital sense of grounding. Finally, movement with curated yoga sessions, dynamic fitness classes, and outdoor adventures, ground the body while enhancing strength and flexibility. These activities, especially combined with pretreatments, will unlock a deeper sense of whatever it is you are trying to achieve in your wellbeing journey.
Fire
Heat is a powerful tool, activating a process in the body called retrostatis and derivation. “Heat causes the fluids and blood that are normally close to the vital organs in the torso and heart to move to the appendicular skeleton: your arms, your feet,” says Garcia-Tunon. “It activates blood flow, muscle contraction, respiration, and circulation.”
What those processes ultimately lead to is a natural state of relaxation—especially when experienced as a pretreatment prior to deep stretching or a massage.
Auberge harnesses the power of heat across numerous wellness offerings, including the infrared sauna at Ash, an Auberge Spa at Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection in Fort Worth, Texas. One of infrared’s strengths, says Garcia-Tunon, is its ability to work at a lower—and more comfortable—degree of heat, between 120 and 140 degrees.
Ice
While heat stimulates relaxation, cold naturally does the opposite, flushing the blood in our limbs and legs back into the internal organs. “That process oxygenates the blood and creates the therapeutic contrast benefits,” says Garcia-Tunon. Cold is also a huge asset in muscle recovery, and is recommended as a post-treatment, following a rigorous training or cardio session.
Pretreatments like cooler baths, breathing techniques, and sound baths prepare the body and mind for frigid temperatures. At The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Resorts Collection in Utah, Wim Hof–certified instructor Dee Dee Lantzy has developed a “transformative” two-hour immersion that reaps the benefits of cold therapy—and incorporates vital pre–ice bath breathing. “If the breath isn’t harnessed, the mind runs wild,” says Lantzy. “We apply stress in the form of an ice bath, then using the breath as a decoder ring, we harness the power of the mind.”
Springhouse at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Napa Valley, offers more cold therapy, this time with the added benefit of heat for a healing circuit that utilizes the benefits of both temperature extremes. Plunges in a cold bath—which reduces inflammation and muscle soreness—can be alternated with dry heat in the cedar sauna and wet heat in the steam room. The former detoxifies the body and aids relaxation, while the latter improves circulation. The facilities at Springhouse also include a tepidarium and a hyperbaric chamber, creating a hot-and-cold journey that works wonders as both a pretreatment relaxant and a post-workout recovery.
With each wellbeing experience at Auberge Resorts Collection, the spirit of the destination also becomes part of the immersive experience. At ONDA, an Auberge Spa at Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Punta de Mita, Mexico the cold plunge and bathhouse, for example, are in a communal space that reflects Mexican culture and spirit.
“We know that cold bathing will activate those dopamine receptors and the happy hormones,” says Garcia-Tunon. “We wanted to ensure that guests can enjoy that within a social space.”
At Susurros del Corazon’s ONDA, an Auberge Spa, a large relaxation room offers refuge between wellness activities. Styled by Mariana Hagerman.
Earth
A deep connection to the earth—whether through mineral-rich mud treatments, forest bathing, or outdoor meditation—offers a sense of grounding and a reconnection to the natural world.
“There’s scientific research on the power of nature, whether it’s decreasing free radicals and eliminating harmful hormones, or improving our blood pressure or our overall sense of wellbeing,” says Garcia-Tunon. It calibrates our circadian rhythms, which helps us achieve better sleep—the holy grail of wellbeing. “Regardless of exercise, cold or hot, or eating well, if you’re not sleeping well, you’re not going to be well.”
The biophilic whirlpool at THE WELL at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection.
A profound sense of nature imbues every Auberge Spa, allowing relaxation to set in long before treatments begin. At THE WELL at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection, guests can submerge themselves in the mellow waters of a biophilic whirlpool surrounded by a forest of plants and nature. At Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Costa Rica, they can immerse themselves in a natural riverside bath, which starts with an aura cleanse and detoxifying coffee scrub, before jumping into the flowing waters of the Calientillo River, followed by a fire-heated bath soak to warm their muscles.
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Los Olivos, is another place nature promises instant relaxation. At its Lavender Barn spa, where a fragrant wall of lavender bouquets permeates the air, age-old remedies rely on natural ingredients such as clay and essential oils local to Los Olivos’s rich soil, which nourishes the skin and the soul. Elements such as magnesium act as a post-clay exfoliation, providing a soothing effect to the muscles.
The sound bath ritual at THE WELL at Chileno Bay Resort and Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection. Photo by Studio Eminence Photography.
The fragrant wall of lavender bouquets at the Lavender Barn Spa, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection.
At Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Costa Rica, guests can immerse themselves in a natural river bath ritual, which starts with an aura cleanse and detoxifying coffee scrub before a dip in the natural water.
The natural sensation of vibration can also prepare us for relaxation, says Garcia-Tunon. “If you get a massage but are very tense until the last two minutes of it, you’re not able to properly receive it,” she says. “But if you step into, say, the sound bowl at Chileno Bay, Auberge Resorts Collection, and the vibrations allow you to relax before the laying of hands, you’re present throughout.” The Los Cabos resort also has an outdoor bathhouse with a new interactive installation featuring a wall of pentatonic tubes for touch, sound, and vibrations, providing still more pretreatment unwinding.
The immersive wellbeing experience doesn’t end once guests leave the property, says Garcia-Tunon. “Our therapists and coaches offer advice that helps guests incorporate these elements into their lives,” she says. Whether it’s daily stretching, weekly cold baths, or a Pilates class once a month, the goal is to instill a sense of wellbeing that is long-lasting.