The place to be for a transformative, health-enhancing experience this year is Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Southern California’s only Relais & Châteaux property. In partnership with San Diego’s Lifewellness Institute, the resort launched Movement & Fitness in 2017 — the first of a year-long series of themed, 60-day retreats that make up the Wellness Collective.
Future retreats in the series focus on Attitude & Perspective (March/April); Nutrition & Toxicity (May/June); Sleep & Respite (July/August); Relationships & Connection (September/October); and Stress & Balance (November/December). Each integrated program is tailored to participants and combines workshops, lectures and activities grounded in the science of epigenetics — the concept that lifestyle and wellbeing can influence how genes are expressed.
Retreats are open to Rancho Valencia spa members and resort guests and can be booked as comprehensive 60-day experiences or as shorter stays of three, four or seven days. Every program begins with a personalized wellness consultation and includes three spa cuisine meals daily, individualized training and private fitness sessions, and access to unlimited group classes such as yoga, Pilates, spin, barre and TRX.
Guests also receive a daily 90-minute spa therapy session, a welcome wellness gift, and opportunities to attend lectures led by industry experts. In addition, participants may schedule a private consultation with Lifewellness Institute founder Lee Rice, DO, FAAP, FAOASM. Together, these elements create a balanced, evidence-informed approach to improving health, fitness and overall wellbeing during a stay at Rancho Valencia.