Archive for October, 2009
Day 2 at the Ranch…Our first Hike, Raja Yoga, and Reflexology Walk
So we woke up at 5:30am to go on the 6:15am Professor Hike for 3.5 miles. Tara and I are in pretty good shape, I mean we work out all the time running, lifting, and cycling. So we are off to the races with a majority of other people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. So we are on the hike, and the first 3/4 of it is all UPHILL! People are pushing up the mountain competitively. Let’s just say I was in Zone 3 and above Zone 3 the whole way up! It was intense. I was humbled as several women and men that were 15-20 years my senior passed me up! I was shocked. Hiking was hard! But I loved the challenge. After our hike we had breakfast then off to shower; lift; personal reflection & reading pool side; Raja Yoga; Lunch; teach the fitness staff for 2.5 hours, then off to dinner. This was my schedule pretty much every day that we were there. I loved RAJA Yoga with Medrad Nazari. It is my new favorite. I left after 1.5 hours feeling relaxed, energized, and more connected and loving to myself and the world around me.
The beautiful sculpture outside our yoga studio and the quote wall that changed daily! I loved stopping on my way to Raja Yoga to read this quote, ponder it, and feel it in my body and soul.
Another great part of the Ranch is the Reflexology. Unconsciously we seek the path of least resistance and maximum please. With each step on these somewhat painful stones muscle tension melts, balance returns, and your body is more in tune with the earth. The reflexology pathway brings the soles—and soul–into energetic focus as you walk over patterns of stones laid flat or on edge to evert varying degrees of pressure on the feet. The spiral pattern represents the cycles of life and the sequential order of things….a soothing simplicity, an intriguing complexity. Even though this path is new to the Ranch as of 2009, the tradition there dates back to 1950’s when the Professor led guests on walks along the river over paths strewn with naturally tumbled stones.
It did feel good AFTERWARDS..but during it was slightly uncomfortable but I knew it was working 🙂 I like when human fingers are rubbin’ my feet!
There are so many beautiful things to do here without needing anyone else to do it for you.
Wellness & Fitness Retreats as a Vacation?
Now I don’t know about you but when I think about vacation usually the following slips into my mind……laying on a beach, with the sun beating on me, reading gossip magazines and catching up on my books, relaxing daily and doing absolutely nothing!
Well several of my clients actually go on a yearly vacation that is at a Destination Resort. You have heard of Canyon Ranch, Kripalu Center, and Rancho La Puerta! Well, I decided that as a Fitness and Wellness Professional that loves to experience new things that I should try one of these out. One of my long standing clients has been to Ranch La Puerta 33 times! She goes every year for two weeks. She always comes back refreshed, energized, excited about setting new fitness and wellness goals, and recharged with a new look on the new year. So I connected with the wonderful Director of Client Experiences Barry Shingle at Rancho La Puerta to see if I could visit the Ranch and provide his fitness staff with Continuing Education Credits. He agreed and I was off to the Ranch to teach the staff about the following:
Day 1-Movement Science: How to Incorporate Innovative and Advanced Assessment Techniques.
Day2- Integrated Core Training for Optimal Results
Day 3-The Key to Maximizing Your Clients Potential-an in-depth look at self-myofascial release and proper techniques for pre & post workout.
Day 4: Creative Exercise Design
So I brought my wife with me to the Ranch for a work/vacation retreat for us both, with it landing one week before our 1-year anniversary. We arrived a day early and explored San Diego, here we are taking the ferry over to Coronado. It was my wife Tara’s first time to Cali, so we walked all over San Diego for about 6 hours, then took the ferry over to Coronado.
After walking all day in flip flops (I know BAD BAD for a Corrective Exercise Specialist) we were tired so we hired a Peddy Cab, which are people on a bike pulling a carriage. When we got off the ferry the only one left was this little European Girl from Russia, I think we were so embarrassed because she must have weighed a buck twenty pulling two big girls.
After this we were ready for the RANCH IN THE AM! So we got up early and went to the San Diego airport to meet the bus that was going to take us to Rancho La Puerta. The staff at the airport were fully equipped with every guests name, welcome packet, smiles, and took our luggage while we waited for everyone. This is when ‘the Ranch Experience’ started. Every one that was waiting to go to the Ranch has been there at least once. Talk about retention of clients…what makes this place so wonderful? One thing that I noticed IMMEDIATELY, was that EVERY staff person was HAPPY, NICE, DELIGHTFUL! Which, when you are around nice people what does it do to you…YOU ARE NICE! Being a stickler for customer service this was probably one of the most refreshing things of the whole experience, ALL the staff from the grounds men, to the cooking staff, to the fitness staff and managers….everyone was extremely NICE, AUTHENTICALLY NICE…WOW! How great would the world be if everyone was authentically nice all the time? (so everyone…..let’s try to be nice all the time!)
Once on the bus we received homemade organic granola snack and a bottle of water. The whole way there Tara could not stop looking out the window and saying “WOW.” The mountains were so beautiful.
We had to stop at the border and get our passports stamped…here I am killing time waiting for everyone!
Then the real experience began..we ARRIVED AT THE RANCH! WOW!
As soon as you get off the bus there is staff greeting you with fresh lemonade and a cool towel that was infused with tea tree oil. Tara and I left our luggage and explored the grounds while we waited for our Casita to be ready. That is right, everyone that stays here has their own casita or little cottage, so cute and home like.
Here are FRESH grapes growing. I pulled one off and it tasted like sugar, so sweet! If grapes really tasted like this in the grocery store I am convinced that America would NOT BE fat. Fresh organic fruits and vegetables have so much vivid, robust, and intense flavors. 
There are also beautiful sculptures all over the ranch, here is Tara posing next to one! 
All around you are mountains. Lush green flowers, plants, lime trees, pomegranate trees, grape vines, lavender, rosemary, and many more are situated all along the grounds. You seem to notice them when you catch a smell of a familiar scent or catch a ripe green lime out of the corner of your eye. The pure beauty around you is enough to make you happy. You seem to forget about all the stress, and as I take a deep breath in I sigh and say “this is why I work so hard, so that I can enjoy this beauty around me with total appreciation and gratefulness.”
So we spent our first day getting acquainted, eating all organic foods, and creating our schedule for our week! At the Ranch from 6am-9pm there is a different activity, yoga class, hike, educational workshop, or some type of learning experience every hour. People come here to get healthy! Also I want to mention that there were couples here from their 30’s up in to their 80’s & 90’s! There was a woman there celebrating her 92th birthday and had been to the Ranch 72 times!
At 5pm we took our Ranch tour with Barry ad then had dinner with some of the best Yoga Instructors in the country that were there to teach a specialty week of Yoga. Michele Hebert and Mehrad Nazari, PhD who teaches Raja Yoga. In fact on the plane ride to Cali the day before I read the “Yoga Journal” and the letter to the Editor wrote about her experience at Rancho La Puerta and was talking about an experience in a Raja Yoga Class with Mehrad. WHAT, I didn’t put two and two together until mid week Tara says to me, “Tanya you know you have been taking yoga all week with Mehrad who was in the Yoga Journal Magazine that you just read,” wow, here I am having dinner with these beautiful souls. While sitting around the dinner table that night, after meeting several of the warm and welcoming fitness staff this place felt like home! There was such a comfortable feel to it that I can’t really explain, but I will never forget my first experience there. I can see why people go back year after year.
What is even more amazing to me is that Rancho La Puerta is one of the first destination resorts that was started by Deborah Szekely, who is now 87 years old and is still active in the community (more on her later). She is a pioneer in the Spa, Fitness, and Wellness Industry.
I am going to leave all of you with a funny note before the next blog posts of our experiences at the Ranch. While exploring the grounds we found this ancient vibration exercise machine! Remember these, or don’t? People actually thought that by vibrating your body the fat would FALL OFF! While have we come a far way in the fitness industry or not so much? Instead of vibrating or rolling your fat off, now we think you can electric stimulate your abs to get a 6-pack! WHAT? Listen I don’t make this stuff up, or maybe I should to make some money!?
Synergy Personal Training Solutions: Balance. Wellness. Sync 