When you think “Girls Weekend,” your mind may take you to venues like Las Vegas or South Beach. While those backdrops definitely have their times and places, there are also moments where our minds need to be unwound, recentered and simply relaxed—and what better way to spend some quality time with your closest friends than by getting some much-needed rest and relaxation in a place with those exact needs in mind?
According to Wendi Gelfound, marketing and public relations director for Sunrise Springs Spa Resort in Santa Fe, it’s a trend that is gaining traction and for a good reason: Individuals are now looking to “press the pause button,” and return from a trip feeling renewed rather than depleted.
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A weekend at Sunrise Springs Spa Resort (which happens to be Santa Fe’s only natural springs spa destination) is all it took for me to understand firsthand why girlfriends, couples, individuals and even corporate trips are flocking to the location for one-of-a-kind experiences that can’t be found elsewhere. Regardless of the package you opt for—there’s even an option fittingly dubbed the “Girls’ Getaway,” or the “Immerse and Thrive” package, which focuses on a full-on health reboot—Sunrise Springs focuses on experiential services and interaction-based classes to boost wellness and nourish even the most tired, worn-out mind.
Gelfound explains that the resort’s main aim is to allow guests to rest and recharge during their stay, “delivering a complete spiritual transformation”—so complete, there’s even a medical director on staff, Dr. Sally Fisher, who is board-certified in Preventative Medicine, Integrative and Holistic Medicine and is a physician nutrition specialist, to address any wellness concerns and answer any questions guests may have. And while most resorts will only offer a spa to calm your mind, the spa menu—including a must-try magnesium-based, mineral-infused Ojitos open-air soaking experience (plus an infrared sauna and floating tank that will be open to the public in the coming months)—is just the tip of the iceberg for this property, as every tiny detail is thought through to ensure stressors are “shut off” for as much as possible (in fact, you won’t find televisions in the rooms, either, to encourage a “digital detox”).
Image/Sunrise Springs
At the moment, there are more than 70 classes offered on the property that aim to relax, recharge and tap you back into your childlike side in ways you wouldn’t originally think to. Ranging from recentering candlelight yoga, walking mediation and “Chakra Checkups” to unconventional offerings like experiential classes in the Puppy Enrichment Center where you can help train future service dogs, horticulture (there is an expansive garden and on-site greenhouse where herbs and vegetables are organically harvested for farm-to-table use at Blue Heron, the property’s restaurant) where, depending on the class, you can learn how to create your own herbal salves and teas or learn the basics of at-home fermentation and how to maximize the health benefits of your smoothies and spice rack after the trip, you’ll absolutely find yourself doing something for the first time here.
It’s not every day you come across a destination that so seamlessly marries the effects of a wellness retreat with a luxe spa resort’s atmosphere, so whether you have a getaway coming up that still needs planning or are looking for an excuse to take one with the girls, take my word for it when I say that everyone’s mind can use a dose of stillness that only this property can deliver in such a short period of time. You (and your newfound sanity) won’t regret it.
Image/Sunrise Springs
