Story Posted On: May 10, 2007

My experiences at Canyon Ranch have been life transforming.

In December 2003, I paid my first visit to the Ranch in Lenox, MA. I was several pounds overweight, didn’t exercise on a regular basis and felt tired most of the time. During my stay I met with nutritionist, Jim Conzo. We reviewed my diet and I discovered that I was eating too many carbs, not enough protein and because I would often skip lunch, was suffering from fluctuations in my blood sugar levels. In addition, I learned about healthy portions in the Canyon Ranch Dining Room. It was during this stay that I also got into yoga, meditation and took a fun belly dancing class. I arrived home from this visit a changed person. I started having a healthier diet, got up in the morning a bit earlier and did 15 minutes of stretching and yoga positions, which meant getting up at 5:15 a.m. The results were great – about a year later I had lost 15 pounds and had newfound energy.

I returned for a second visit during January 2005, this time I added some new yoga positions to my repertoire, took swimming lessons, renewed my interest in meditation and tried a gyrokenesis class. All this and the fabulous pampering spa treatments left me feeling revived physically and mentally.

This past March I made a return visit to Lenox, and once again had a life-altering experience when I attended a lecture on The Art and Science of Breath for Health and Vitality. It was during this session, I learned that I’ve been breathing incorrectly all these years. I can’t believe the difference breathing correctly is making – I have more energy, and feel calm and collected. Combining the breathing with the yoga, mediation and diet, I feel centered and have a much more positive outlook. When I left Canyon Ranch to return home, I not only felt revived but greatly energized and I still feel the effects a month later.

I wish everyone could experience how wonderful a stay at Canyon Ranch is physically, mentally and spiritually. The exercise programs, spa treatments, lectures, just sitting and relaxing in the Fieldstone Room, and the great staff and accommodations make for a transformative vacation. A visit is truly a retreat for the body and the soul.

And, yes, I definitely hope to return for my fourth visit sometime in the near future.

Story Posted On: May 10, 2007

I am a native New Yorker and my first visit to Tucson’s Canyon Ranch was in 1998. I turned 35 that year and wanted to give myself a well-deserved decadent treat. By 1998, I had worked for a dozen years as a media buyer for a major advertising agency in midtown Manhattan frequently putting in more than 60 hours a week, giving up a weekends, always under pressure to do more with crushing deadlines.

At the time of my visit, Pilates at Canyon Ranch was for demonstration purposes only. It was only a half-hour demo but I was able to get a taste of what Pilates can do for my body. At the end of the half hour I was given a list of reputable Pilates studios in the New York area. After my week’s stay in Tucson, I returned home determined to find time to treat my body right. to find a better balance between work and the rest of my life.
“I loved Pilates from my very first full session. I loved it so much that I eventually applied to and was accepted into a premier Pilates Teacher Certification Program. ”

I finished the program at the end of 2001 and I have been teaching Pilates for a living ever since.

My corporate days are behind me. I teach between 20 to 25 hours a week and although my income is about a third of what it used to be when I was in advertising, my job is just so much more rewarding. I enjoy helping clients get stronger and more flexible and reaping the benefits that Pilates can offer.

Thank you, Canyon Ranch, for being the calm, nurturing and inspiring place that you are. My life is so much better for it and so are the lives of my current and future clients.