Fall on the Monterey Peninsula is beautiful. The lighting has a softer hue with a golden tint. A hush comes over nature as the wild things prepare for winter. The seals are fat and happy on the beaches and position themselves to absorb the maximum sunlight before the cold of winter descends. The humans too feel the change after the kids go back to school and families get back to our fall routines.

At the Spa there is also a shift. Our clients  are usually tired after a fun summer of family and adventure in which they were usually responsible for the planning, the organization and the serving for large family gatherings and oh yes the endless clean up. It is a bitter sweet time. Joyful but sometimes exhausting as there is little time for being alone or experiencing self reflection.

As a massage therapist I often see this fatigue and I witness the energetic transformation as my client slips into a position of receiving. This is a deep, nurturing place, rarely encountered in our busy, linear lives. At the Spa we recognize that this attention and deep focus have the ability to heal and it is for this very reason that most of us enter the profession.  The beautiful spa amenities, soft music, and artwork  gently hold the space as the therapist’ healing touch and deep listening take the client into an altered state of peace and tranquility.

With these thoughts in mind I designed several specialty Spa Packages promising to induce these deep states of relaxation.

Stressless Massage 80 min. 155.00

This relaxing massage focuses on stress points on the back, feet and neck. Steamy hot towels are applied and includes fine essential oils to alleviate tension.

LED/ Microcurrent Facial & Oxygen Therapy80 mins $175.00

Vitamin C&E Serum Concentrate Micro-current, LED infrared light and concentrated oxygen are a potent trio when it comes to revitalizing sun damaged skin cells .

Move your body. It’s not just about burning calories, it’s about changing your self image. Am I a sedentary person prone to weight gain or an active person with a healthy lifestyle? How we see ourselves determines what we do.  My rule of thumb is that it takes three months of daily exercise before your workout begins to be anticipated instead of dreaded.

Stay Green. Eat a  plant based diet. Vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts are packed full of nutrients. When your body gets essential vitamins and minerals,  unhealthy cravings naturally begin to diminish. Add savory treats like avocado, olives, and smoked salmon to your salads to make them interesting and more satisfying. Carbohydrates, meat and fats shouldn’t comprise more than 30% of your diet! See the glow come back to your skin and watch your weight easily drop off if you choose these simple dietary choices.

Nature. Commune daily with nature.  Breathe the fresh air, hear the birds and feel the breeze. We literally become more grounded when we spend time in nature, unplugged from technology. The peace in nature allows time for reflection and cultivates discernment which is a key ingredient to a successful life. I call it a fifteen minute nature bath. Find your oasis and visit it daily.

Find a Passion. I recently heard a psychologist explain that humans are herd animals and our isolated lifestyle is unnatural to our species. It is important that we find an activity that connects us with community. For some, it is choir or dance, for others it might be volunteering, joining a local church or supporting a political or social cause. Choose an activity that creates a community of like-minded people who grow to become friends and eventually a support group. Find a passion and join. We are not meant to go through this life alone.

Oh yes and treat yourself to a massage or facial at Spa on the Plaza. It’s called self love and not only do you deserve it, we would love to have you.

The 7-Day Happiness Challenge was profound. Writing about gratitude every morning for seven days increased my awareness of the negative chatter in my head and enabled me to more easily shift to positive thinking. It was a challenging week personally and professionally and yet this simple tool acted has a rudder while I navigated difficult waters. Because of this daily practice, I am a different person. Stronger,  wiser and oh yes, humbler.

Here is  a cherry picked version of my Happiness Journal.

I am grateful for:

My mom’s advice. “Eat healthy food, think happy thoughts and exercise regularly.” My sweet daughter Mira, who is full of ideas. For all the young people in my life who expand my perceptions and show me the future. 

For the abundant Huckleberries this fall. My home, my sweet home on top of a hill overlooking a blue bay where sometimes I see whales swimming. The Monterey Pines. Those gnarled, beautiful trees that give me so much joy when I walk in the woods.

The blueberries in my cereal. You dear reader, I am so thankful for your presence. The incredible joy of moving my body to music, my dad with his guitar and sweet voice and my mother’s dance.

I am thankful for this practice and how it is changing me. It teaches me to see the sacred in all life’s experiences and that love is not found in achievements but in celebrating others.

For this day and for every breath I take, I am grateful. It’s a great day to be alive!!

Namaste

Having a twenty year marriage to a wonderful man healed a sense of isolation rooted deep in my childhood experiences. The incredible nurturing of family strengthened me, making me more self-confident and emotionally flexible. Together we had a beautiful daughter named Mira, a home, a successful business and a remarkable community of friends. How then can anyone begin to understand why such a bond is broken?

There is such a strong cultural belief that if a marriage ends it is somehow a failure. Not at all, just the closure in a chapter of a life. Just an about face and a rebirth. I am testimony that divorce can be a liberating phenomena. As a mother, wife and business owner, time alone was rare and I craved it for twenty long years. Suddenly set free as an empty nester and a single woman I have a yawning space of time in which to renew myself.

My marriage had so much good that I wouldn’t change any of my choices. The memories we created and the lessons learned have made me who I am today and I am grateful to all those who played part in this wonderful drama called life. I give particular thanks to Roy, my soon to be ex-husband who stood by his family sometimes like a soldier whose sole purpose was to protect the homeland. Running a small business in a roller coaster economy is not easy.

I still cry sometimes and miss the intimacy found with family but I also know this too will pass and someday I will find myself again in a tight bond of community. But in the mean time I feel like I am god’s child dancing in a field of wildflowers.

It is time to own my mastery and shed the persona of a young women and step into my power. 

Recently, while studying a form of dance called “Soul Motion” at Esalen, our revered dance teacher Vinn Marti alias “Arjuna”gathered us in a circle. He began the exercise by stating ” I am known by many as Vinni, but now I am Arjuna.” We were all asked to step forward with a form of self identification. In this group there were many name changes and unique expressions of self were offered.

I nervously waited my turn, doubting my creativity and my ability to speak coherently. I had some vague idea of what I was going to say but I was mostly mesmerized by the statements of those who came before me.

My turn came and with courage I stepped into the circle.  “As a child I was called Cammy, as a woman I became Camille and as an elder I am (here I raised my arms high and spoke with authority) the goddess.” Whew where did that come from and wow that felt great!

Stepping into our mastery as elders is the natural transition in our spiritual evolution. Do we have the confidence and the wisdom to own that role? This is a new journey for me and I plan to meet the challenge with joy and humility.