Sometimes, the hectic lifestyle of working and raising a family can become overwhelming. With summer approaching, adding even more activities to your busy schedule, this might be a good time to treat yourself to a relaxing getaway. A place where you can unplug from the hustle and bustle, slow the pace, and reconnect with yourself. Such a place exists just over half a day’s drive from the River Valley in Austin, Texas.
WELCOME TO MIRAVAL
Miraval Resorts & Spas emerged in 1995 with a unique vision. Through part experiment and part personal dream, the family-owned business developed a blend of mindful meditation and physical activity to help their clientele achieve balance in life.
As you enter the resort’s heavy oak front gates, you leave the “civilized” world behind. Literally, because this is a no-cell phone facility. There are limited cell-use areas, but Miraval encourages visitors to step away from phones and other daily stressors to create a deeper sense of clarity and connection.
Prior to arrival, guests sign onto the Miraval website to reserve their activity sessions. By scheduling activities in advance, guests can begin their Miraval experience immediately upon arrival.
Guests can begin the day with movement and mindfulness classes ranging from stretching and barre to meditation, breathwork, and yoga practices designed to encourage balance, energy, and presence. Whether focusing on physical wellness or mental clarity, the sessions invite guests to slow down and reconnect.
Culinary activites range from smoothie workshops focused on balanced nutrition to honey tastings exploring how environment and bee behavior influence flavor and color.
Like many Miraval sessions, these events are offered as social gatherings, providing guests with an environment for interaction and exchange of shared experiences. The gatherings also provide practical wellness tips guests can continue incorporating at home.
Come lunch, the elaborate buffet offers guests the option to serve themselves or order from a menu. As with everything else at Miraval, the food is expertly prepared and delicious. Meals and gratuity are included with your stay. Following lunch, guests can choose to lounge at one of two outdoor pools and jacuzzies, return to their rooms, follow the mindful path of a labyrinth, or select another activity.
There are several informative activities offered at the adjoining Cypress Creek Farm. Many find the connections they form with animals therapeutic and soothing. Additional activities and lectures covering beekeeping, vegetable greens, and poultry raising are professionally tailored to foster a closer connection with nature.
Other outdoor activities, such as hatchet throwing, slacklining, and archery, are designed to challenge visitors to try something new. Many leave surprised by what they were willing, and able, to try.
The truly adventurous visitors will enjoy Miraval’s challenge course. The elevated course features climbing nets, suspended bridges, log crossings, tightropes, and a zipline soaring up to 30 feet above the ground. For many, simply attempting the course after years of being led to believe they could not participate in such feats is rewarding. Those not interested in physical challenges can choose from other creative outlets, including handcrafts, music, performance, and visual arts.
In line with Miraval’s theme of teaching “Life in Balance,” the resort offers a wide variety of spa treatments. Ginger oil-infused deep tissue massages, foot reflexology, transformative experiences that embrace the relaxing weightlessness of water, and many other and many other holistic experiences designed to encourage relaxation and inner wellness.
“Miraval meets the guest where they are at on their wellness journey,” shares General Manager Kim Rossi on the Miraval experience. “Some guests find wellness in familiar activities, while others get curious and try things that are new to them. Miraval, a pioneer in wellness journeys, makes wellbeing accessible, interesting, and fun!”
At Miraval, wellness is less about perfection and more about balance; it’s a chance to step away from everyday demands and return home feeling restored.
Miraval Resorts and Spas are located in Texas, Arizona, the Berkshires, and the Red Sea. Visit them online at miravalresorts.com or call 855.690.8163.
