Rest and Relaxation: Enjoy a Girls Rejuvenation Retreat to Sedona, Arizona (travel article)

As natural nurturers, women tend to focus on the needs of others, often putting themselves last. Continual self-neglect can lead to all kinds of negativity. So, don’t feel guilty about retreating with one—or a few—of your favorite femmes. Your body, mind and soul will thank you. Your loved ones will thank you, too.

In the best-selling memoir, Eat Pray Love, writer Elizabeth Gilbert gets away to Italy, India and Indonesia on a mission of self-renewal, but you don’t have to go that far to reap the same rewards. Sedona has it all: fabulous food, a renowned spiritual environment and a community that you will love.

First, you must attend the body.

Voted “Best Sedona Massage” for multiple years, Stillpoint… Living in Balance offers more than 30 healing sessions to focus on whatever ails you—from specialty body massages and reflexology to aromatherapy and chakra balancing. One customer attests, “The Stillpoint session was a profound experience for me; it was a catalyst for an emotional release of joy and tears, the likes of which I had never experienced during massage.”

Crystal in Sedona[LC1]  brings years of nurturing and healing experience. First as an accredited Waldorf School early education teacher and then as a licensed massage therapist, Crystal’s holistic approach harmonizes the body and spirit, creating a transformational experience as described by this customer, “The universe certainly dumped a rainstorm of good fortune on me as Crystal tended my weakened body and blossoming soul. I carried away some remarkable gifts from the treatment.”

Located alongside the restorative waters of Oak Creek beneath towering red rock cliffs and a 50-foot waterfall, Therapy on the Rocks provides natural relief to chronic pain using John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release Approach. Developed to treat the mind/body causes of pain, rather than the symptoms, the method releases fascial restrictions surrounding muscle tissue. Whether stress-, trauma- or disease-related, patients from around the world experience progress with Barnes’ therapeutic treatments.

“Change your mind, change your life.” That’s the mantra at Firefly Holistics where their emphasis on relieving stress and pain results in a mind free to focus on positive thoughts—a practice that can literally improve your life. Their blend of healing modalities and education aims to put, and keep, you in a positive mental space.

Enjoy services and purchase products that pamper at Body Bliss Factory Direct. Not sure which of their more than 300 locally handcrafted, organic and sustainable aromatherapy products are best for you? Sniff it out with an Aromatherapy Reading. Unleash your inner powers with a Gemstone Oracle Reading to learn which stone to rest upon your body. Or, simply buy a Female Balance Bracelet for you and your girls as an ongoing memento of your getaway.

Replenish your caloric energy with healthy fare at the many conscientious eateries in Sedona. Secret Garden Cafe, where everything is made from scratch daily, includes vegan and gluten-free items on their healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Enjoy your meal or happy hour inside their casual, European-style dining room or on their patio where seating is cozy and comfy year-round. Relish with guilt-free consumption at ChocolaTree Organic Oasis as their vigilant approach respects Mother Earth and everything on it—from their packaging to their ingredients. It’s entirely organic, gluten-free and home-made. The eatery serves three rounds daily and their market offers a bounty of products to please your body. At Local Juicery, fill your tank with an organic, superfood concoction that cleanses, energizes or simply nourishes. But it’s not just juices, fuel up with everything from breakfast bowls and waffles to salads, soups and even raw lasagna. Be ready to glow.

With your physical being satisfied, begin to put your mind at rest.

Got something on your mind? A nagging, persistent worry? An itching curiosity about your purpose? A loss that you can’t let go? Get guidance or bridge the metaphysical realm with a session from a licensed practitioner at the Sedona Metaphysical Spiritual Association. Their gifted members are trusted advisors who can help lead you to enlightenment. And, the experience will certainly give you and your girlfriends plenty to talk about.

At Sedona Meditation Center, discover multiple therapies—from spirit release to soul-growth mentoring and Light of Tao readings to various meditation techniques—to improve the mind/body connection and help you live more in the now. Find a peaceful space to meditate at the Red Rocks Zen Circle[LC2] . They welcome all meditative practitioners and offer training and workshops at multiple levels to aid you in your mindful journey.

Through repetition of movement, focused breathing and prolonged poses, yoga practitioners herald the activity effective to dousing mental drone. Attend a class or schedule a private yoga session that fits your schedule. Aumbase Sedona offers classes of varying styles and intensities both in the studio and on the land. Combine hiking and yoga with Sedona Trail Zen. Imagine hoofing it to an energy vortex where you’ll experience a sun salutation and mountain pose like none other. Meanwhile Yoga 8 Studio, steeped with the area’s ancient culture and traditions, and Vita Pura Yoga[LC3] , whose philosophy centers on developing a yogic lifestyle, both offer customized, appointment-only sessions tailored to you or your group.

And finally, let your soul soar.

With body and mind unobstructed, your soul is ready to flourish. Listen closely to see where it takes you. One of the best places you can go in Sedona is nature, and many outdoor adventures await. More than 150 trails crisscross the area, and The Hike House can fit you with the right trail, the right gear and apparel, the right fuel and the right guidance. Who knows, you might feel good enough to run a marathon. The 13^th annual Sedona Marathon gets afoot February 3, 2018. You don’t have to do the full 26.2 miles. Consider the half, 5k or 10k distances. With your renewed clarity and destressed body, imagine what you can do with your handicap. Tee up at one of Sedona’s beautiful public golf courses. Or, perhaps it’s simply time for some retail therapy? Art anyone? Need further inspiration? Browse this list of 100 things to do in Sedona.

Now, as you return to the responsibilities and realities of everyday life, your rejuvenated self will bring an energy, patience and understanding to carry you through months of caregiving. Also, the people who surround you will have a renewed appreciation because let’s face it, absence does make the heart grow fonder. And remember, during the tough times, feed yourself with the long-lasting gifts you were given and the memories that only your girlfriends… and Sedona, can give you.

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