JORDAN WRIGHT
September 18 & 20, 2011
Indian Country Today Media Network
When the urge to nourish the body as well as the spirit comes to us, we should be ready to receive the signal. Our active lives need periods of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation to stay in balance. When traveling through Indian Country there are plenty of soul-soothing places to choose from, but it’s especially rewarding when a first class spa is found within a deluxe resort.
For the thrill-seeker the casino offers a glittering nightlife and sheer exhilaration – cranking up the endorphins and getting the adrenaline flowing. Gamblers fine-tuned to the bright lights and all-night action feel their pulse quickened over a roulette wheel, gaming table or bank of slots, yet the call for periods of tranquility that appeal to our inner selves, still resonates.
So whether the heat comes off a lucky streak or an aromatic steam bath, you can satisfy both cravings at one of these four casino resorts designed to combine both excitement and healing under one big roof.
Spa Treatment Room at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino - photo credit Mohegan Sun Resort and Casion
Mohegan Sun – Connecticut
Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun is one of the largest casinos in the world. A member of the prestigious Preferred Hotels Group, that defines its members as an elite group of independently owned properties, the 32-story hotel was established by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut and is a mere 15 minutes from the scenic waterfront of historic Mystic Country.
The resort’s beauty salon and full-service Spa at Elemis debuted in 2003, occupying the entire third floor in the hotel’s Sky section. Here guests enjoy signature ancient healing therapies with authentic Mohegan themes. The Ceremony of the Sacred Sun is a lime and ginger salt glow treatment coupled with a self-tanning treatment that gives an all-over glow to the skin and finishes with a soothing well-being massage.
In the Ceremony of the Strawberry Moon couples enjoy a massage lesson and Exotic Jasmine Flower Bath while being pampered with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. In addition two spacious couples’ suites, Father Sky and Mother Earth, are equipped with massage tables, Jacuzzi slipper bath, sensory dry float bed and shower.
Among the seven different facial treatments and eight types of massage rituals, The Trail of Life Ritual offers an Elemis facial with eye zone treatment and collagen or sulphur compress, jasmine flower bath, pedicure, manicure, frangipani hair and scalp ritual and styling, along with a choice of either reflexology or full body massage.
Separate facilities for men and women, house a private steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and relaxation room. The Great Desert Retreat and Great Fresh Water Retreat are among 26 private treatment rooms named for the moons that mark the Tribe’s seasonal changes. An indoor pool and fitness center allow guests to enjoy the spa in all seasons.
For spa reservations outside the hotel call 860 862-4520 or visit www.elemisspa.com.
Couples Treatment Room at Wo' Po'in Spa at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino - photo credit Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino – New Mexico
At the Pueblo of the Pojoaque Reservation surrounded dramatically by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, you will discover the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino with its exquisite Wo’ Po’ in Spa. A mere 15 miles from Santa Fe’s historic plaza and set in the Rio Grande Valley, this splendid resort is also an art-centric destination. Throughout the water-themed property and in the spa itself are original works by well-known Pueblo artists and weavers. A stunning bronze warrior by iconic artist and sculptor, George Rivera, the tribe’s governor, greets you as you arrive at the porte-cochère.
The full-service spa and beauty salon is a serene escape designed to revitalize and renew the body, mind and spirit within 16,000 square feet of sublime sanctuary. The bright colors and geometric motifs of Native American blankets used in the spa punctuate the soft desert-hued interiors. Featuring thirteen private treatment rooms and a dedicated couples room, the spa employs its signature fragrances and skin care line both of which use indigenous flora. Treatments here are geared to reflect indigenous healing elements of the Pueblo heritage and Pojoaque philosophy that consider the experience a journey, or “poeh” meaning pathway, through past, present and future.
In the Red Earth Cocoon Wrap toxins are cleansed from the system with the application of red mud. Afterwards a native essence lotion, scented with copal, cedar, lavender and citrus essential oils is applied to hydrate the skin.
The Pueblo people believe that stones from the earth carry the spirit of their ancestors, and the spa’s Flowing Spirit Hot Stone Massage, popular with the resort’s golfers and hikers, follows that ancient tradition with the use of warm desert stones combined with native plant oils for balance and purification. Reflecting the same attention to sourcing local products, their Flowing River Pedicure employs a seasonal blend of indigenous salts before applying white clay and essential oils with a warm stone massage.
In the Sacred Earth Cocoon Wrap, a massage is followed by a warm mud application infused with birch, vetiver and juniper oils and culminates in a complete body hydration procedure. Here, wraps such as the Aloe Vera Body Wrap, can be followed by a Vichy shower for the ultimate in bliss. Afterwards don a plush terry robe and relax on a lounge among the water-spouting columns beside the indoor pool.
New for fall, the Turbinado Pomegranate Sugar Scrub ends with a luxurious shea butter goat’s milk hydration massage.
For spa reservations outside the hotel call 505 819-2140 or visit www.buffalothunderresort.com.
Grand Harmony Spa at the Grand Casino Hinckley - photo credit Grand Casino Hinckley
Grand Harmony Spa – Minnesota
Located amid the farms and fields of eastern central Minnesota, named “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”, the Grand Casino Hinckley is one of two resort hotel properties owned by the Band of Mille Lacs Ojibwe Indians. Within the resort’s 8,243 square feet lies the Grand Harmony Spa – a paean to healing waters.
Opened in 2007 the spa’s woodland theme replete with waterfalls invites guests to partake of a myriad of treatments and rituals designed to soothe and stimulate the senses with Asian reflexology, Swedish massage, hot stone applications, and aromatherapy steam rooms. Energy-increasing lemongrass or skin-hydrating milk and honey spa baths are complemented by an initial dry brush exfoliation.
Try the Age-Defying Pumpkin Body Masque amped up with antioxidants like cinnamon, clove and caffeine for cellulite reduction, or the Ultimate Body Butter Drench scented with lavender and pine. There is an extensive menu of services including seven different botanically-based facial treatments, five bath rituals and eight separate body rituals using the spa’s premier Hungarian Éminence line of products made with organic fruits like persimmon and cantaloupe. For facial contouring the spa uses the Zirhafirm line for redefining skin firmness and elasticity with the use of wild jujube and maral root.
Indulge in the refreshing Blueberry Bliss Slimming Body Wrap or Detoxifying Chocolate Wrap. Couples are invited to share the experience with a dedicated couples sanctuary called the Serenity Suite. There’s even a Late Night Remedy that includes the chocolate wrap, neck and back massage and express facial followed by a special “hangover” vitamin cocktail.
The spa uses the organic Jane Iredale line of mineral make-up and skin care. A separate beauty salon is on the resort’s property.
For spa reservations outside the hotel call 320 384-4836 or visit www.grandharmonyspa.com.
The T Spa - photo credit Tulalip Resort and Casino
Tulalip Resort and Casino – Washington
Insiders already know the AAA Four Diamond Tulalip Resort and Casino in Seattle, WA through its exceptional dining and stellar wine program. Surrounded by the waters of the Puget Sound and the Cascade mountain range, the resort is a stunning contemporary hotel incorporating native Salish artwork and The T Spa for men and women. The 14,000 sq. ft. spa blends woodland and ocean themes using natural product lines such as the organic Aroma Floria; Phiten, a Japanese line; Skinceuticals; Thalgo, a marine botanical line; and the hand-crafted organic and bio-dynamically grown Mi’kmaq Collection, created in the ancient traditions of the Miqmaq elders of the Pacific Northwest.
The T Spa brings nature indoors by the use of river rocks, dark walnut and birch, the symbol of renewal. The design theme of this full-service spa is carried throughout the elegant space with cedar saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, and grotto showers. Sixteen treatment rooms, some outfitted with Italian porcelain jetted Jacuzzis, include three couples suites. The VIP suite features a fireplace and blankets woven with the Tulalip tribal symbol of the blackfish that grace the massage tables.
Its Lava Shells Massage, popular with golfers, uses cut and polished tiger clam shells encasing a sachet that when heated bursts through spontaneous combustion releasing herbal essences specifically selected to induce a muscle-relaxing warmth. Sweetgrass oil, hand made for the spa by the Nova Scotian Mi’kmaw tribe, is used in one of the nine massage treatments. Crushed lavender flowers and juniper berries combine with marine salt crystals in the Deep Tissue Bolus Massage. Employing an age management approach in one of 13 facials offered, birch bud extract is applied to increase skin energy. Another technique employs champagne grapes mixed with an aromatic rose essence.
For spa reservations outside the hotel call 360 716-6350 or visit www.tulalipresort.com
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