SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT by Medical Spas Review

THE SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT

Taking The Waters: The Great Spa Debate By N A T H A N I E L A L T M A N

Some experts believe a “Great Spa Debate” is bound to arise as authentic mineral spring spas differ so much from today's popular destination spas and day spas. Says internationally renowned physician, holistic health expert and author Andrew Weil, “Hot springs are magical sources of good energy that soothe aches and pains, rejuvenate, and promote health. You can't have a spa without healing water coming out of the earth. You can have health resorts, fitness centers, and any number of other variations on the theme, but if there's no healing water coming out of the ground, you don't have a spa.”

AN INTEGRATIVE RETREAT CENTRE

eople have been enjoying hot springs and mineral waters for health and pleasure for thousands of years. Although most of us believe that hot springs and mineral springs are found mainly in Europe and Japan, there are over two hundred commercial springs here in the United States and Canada (including several here in New York State), along with thousands of smaller ones. In European countries like France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, therapeutic hot springs bathing (balneology) is considered part of the medical mainstream. Health facilities at hot springs are often connected to leading university research centers, and often health insurance pays for treatment. However, with the exception of a core group of dermatologists, the medical establishment in the United States and Canada generally frowns on the therapeutic value of hot spring bathing. In contrast to European spas, medical claims cannot be made for North American hot springs, and their use is restricted to recreation, relaxation, and stress reduction. On the following pages, we will explore the little-known world of healing waters and see how they can help us achieve our full health potential.

Q: What are healing springs?

A: Healing springs (which may be of different temperatures) often contain minerals or gasses that are absorbed into the skin in minute amounts, where they provide nourishment or stimulate different body processes. Depending on the chemical composition of the water, European researchers find that bathing in a warm mineral spring increases metabolism, stimulates digestion, helps heal the skin, or strengthens the immune system.For example, bathing in water that is rich in sulfur (often found in California springs) is prescribed for treating skin diseases like psoriasis and dermatitis. Q: It seems that humans have always felt a natural affinity for water and that we instinctually know that it's good for us.

A: We are water beings and water is our natural element. Our bodies contain about seventy percent water, and we need to consume sufficient water every day in order to survive. Psychologically, hot springs are extremely soothing: our first home was the liquid environment of our mother's womb, so warm water bathing allows us to recall primal feelings of comfort and safety. This is why some feel that when they bathe

STOP... BREATHE... RELAX... HOW BEAUTIFUL and safety. This is why some feel that when they bathe in a natural hot spring, they are enveloped by the womb of the Earth Mother. Q: How long have people been going to hot springs?

A: Although there is evidence that humans have been using hot springs for over 600,000 years, the practice of using natural mineral spring water for the prevention and cure of disease can be traced back about 5000 years ago to the Bronze Age. Many early hot springs were considered "special" by our human ancestors, who often believed them to be the abodes of deities, including the Greeks, Romans, Celts and Mayans. Many European spas began their development during the Middle Ages. By the midnineteenth century, spas like Vichy, Baden Baden and Epsom were favorite summer destinations for European royalty. Napoleon was said to have ridden his favorite horse into a spring at Piestany (Slovakia) while Queen Victoria would visit Wiesbaden spa in Germany every summer in disguise, hoping that no one would recognize her. Q: Is it true that many of the hot springs in North America were originally Native American sacred sites?

A: Nearly all of our present-day hot springs were first discovered by native peoples, who believed them to be sacred places for healing and peace, open to all. The waters in Hot Springs, Arkansas, originally known as "The Valley of the Vapors" were considered sacred by the Tunicas people, while the Mohawks called Saratoga Springs, NY "Medicine Springs of the Great Manitou". The Iroquois, Shawnee and Tuscarora peoples often bathed and feasted together in what was later known as Bedford Springs in Pennsylvania. Q: How did they develop after that time?

A: Many early North American hot springs resorts were modeled after famous European spas. Some of the most popular included Saratoga Springs in New York, Poland Spring, Maine, Calistoga, California, French Lick, Indiana, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and Banff, Alberta. Most reached their heyday towards the end of the 19th century. Some of the Eastern spas were popular with presidents (both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were avid hot springs enthusiasts), and other famous personalities, including Daniel Webster, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe. The hot springs of the West attracted more colorful clientele, including Buffalo Bill Cody, Butch Cassidy and members of the Hole in the Wall Gang. Towards the mid-1900's, however, many spas went into decline as faster-acting drugs for arthritis and rheumatism came on the market; at the same time, vacationers began to favor urban entertainment, theme parks, and seaside resorts like Atlantic City and Miami Beach. Many once-popular spas like Bedford Springs (PA) and Ballston Spa (NY) closed down completely, while spas like Poland Spring in Maine became bottling plants. However, today's growing interest in natural lifestyles, physical fitness and alternative healing have brought about a renewed interest in healing springs. Spa towns which experienced a decline in popularity fifty years ago like Calistoga, Hot Springs, and Saratoga Springs are becoming popular tourist destinations once again. Although government regulations concerning health claims have led Americans to appreciate hot springs primarily for their calming effects and recreational value, many people feel that the hot mineralized water found in these spas have a marked therapeutic effect on their body. Q: Does it cost a lot to visit a hot spring?

IT IS TO DO NOTHING AND THEN TO REST AFTERWARD A: The vast majority of commercial hot springs in the United States and Canada charge only a nominal fee (usually between $5 and $15) for day-use, while fivestar resorts like The Greenbrier (WV) and The Homestead (VA), offer accommodation, food and hot spring bathing for $200 a day and up. A 7-day healing vacation in an Eastern European spa town like Marienbad (Czech Republic) or Piestany, including a medical exam, balneotherapy, food and hotel accommodation, can cost as little as $40 a day: a similar program in a Western European spa would run between $80-120 a day. Perhaps the best bargain are the hot springs in Budapest, which date from preCeltic times: admission (good for two hours) to most of the city's historic spas costs less than $2. Q: Aside from bathing, what do these places offer?

A: In addition to the curative waters themselves, many of today's hot spring resorts have licensed health professionals on staff, who provide natural and complementary treatments like acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, mud baths, herbal wraps, fasting programs, relaxation classes and fitness training. Hot springs and mineral springs also appeal to those who seek pleasure and relaxation through delicious cuisine, comfortable accommodations, beautiful gardens and congenial people. Q: What is the "healing triad"?

A: Balneotherapists believe that there are three primary ways that hot springs can heal: through bathing, by drinking certain types of mineral water in prescribed amounts, and by inhaling the warm vapors of therapeutic springs. Q: What are the major diseases that can be treated at hot springs?

A: European and Japanese balneologists have identified numerous health problems that respond to hot springs bathing. They include rheumatism, metabolic diseases (especially diabetes, obesity and gout), chronic gastrointestinal diseases, chronic mild respiratory diseases, moderate or mild hypertension, peripheral circulatory diseases (affecting the hands and feet), chronic skin diseases (including psoriasis and eczema), psychosomatic and stress-related diseases, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, vibration disorder, conditions resulting from trauma, accident and sports-related injuries, chronic gynecological diseases, and in preventive medicine

and in building up physical strength and general immunity. Therapeutic drinking is often used to treat gastrointestinal, kidney and liver disorders, while inhalation is prescribed for people suffering from sinus problems, asthma and other respiratory problems. Q: How long does it take to heal?

A: A normal course of therapy at a European spa usually takes two to three weeks. Depending on the symptoms, this may involve therapeutic bathing, drinking, or inhaling mineral water as a vapor or mist, often accompanied by massage, mud packs, physical therapy, aromatherapy and other modalities. Many spas in the USA and abroad offer one or two day relaxation or beauty programs.And if you just want to enjoy the mineral water, its' relaxing effects are experienced within minutes after you enter the pool. Q: Can hot spring bathing be dangerous?

A: Although bathing in thermal and mineral springs is both healthful and relaxing for the vast majority of individuals, it isn't for everyone. People suffering from diseases involving high fever with progressing or exacerbating symptoms, severe hypertension and uncompensated congestive heart failure, malignant tumor (and cancer in general), serious liver, kidney or circulatory diseases, serious heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) , recent heart attack or stroke, diseases involving hemorrhage and severe anemia, and severe mental illness should avoid bathing in hot springs. Women in early and late stages of pregnancy should check with a qualified health professional before "taking the waters". Q: How long should you stay in the water?

A: While the recommended time will vary depending on water temperature, European balneologists suggest a fifteen minute bath at 102 degrees for a normal, healthy person. Heat exhaustion can result if you stay in the water too long.Also, avoid soaking in a hot spring alone, and if you are with children or elderly adults, be especially mindful of possible exhaustion or overheating. Do not enter a hot pool if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs (especially heart medications), and if you feel faint or dizzy, leave the pool immediately. Make sure you drink plenty of cool water (not from the hot springs itself) to avoid dehydration.After bathing, relax for twenty to thirty minutes to enjoy the full benefits of your therapeutic bath.

HOT SPRINGS ARE MAGICAL SOURCES OF GOOD ENERGY

What is an Authentic Spa?

THAT SOOTHES ACHES AND PAINS, REJUVENATE AND PROMOTE HEALTH origin of spas: healing through water,” said Deborah Coryell, the Health and Wellness director of King Ventures, owners of Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Avila Hot Springs in San Luis Obispo, CA, and Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs, CA. “Fortunately, today’s growing interest in natural lifestyles and alternative healing has brought about a renewed interest in healing springs.” Says internationally renowned physician, holistic health expert and author Dr. Andrew Weil, “Hot springs are magical sources of good energy that soothe aches and pains, rejuvenate, and promote health.You can't have a spa without healing water coming out of the earth. You can have health resorts, fitness centers, and any number of other

spring spas have since been used to treat everything from respiratory disorders and nervous disorders to rheumatism. Even former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appreciated the water’s properties, proffering national recognition to Warm Springs, Georgia after purchasing the warm springs in order to treat his polio-related paralysis in 1924. Today, the word spa is associated less with rejuvenation and healing and more with salonstyle pampering and beautifying treatments, but experts like Coryell maintain that current trends show a migration toward resorts that offer the best of both worlds. In his book “Healing Springs, the Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters,” author Nathanial Altman intrigues

The modern tradition of using mineral springs for healing properties was popularized in the Belgian town of Spa, where the word “spa,” (derived from the Latin phrase Sanitas per Aqua which translates to health and healing through water) was the general name given to the local medical springs. For centuries, Europeans flocked to these and other hot mineral spring spas to experience the restorative and curative values of the reputed waters. There, they learned that minerals absorbed through the skin rejuvenate the body, and the waters at both European and American mineral spring spas have since been used to treat everything from respiratory disorders and nervous disorders to rheumatism. variations on the theme, but if there's no healing water coming out of the ground, you don't have a spa. Period.*

atural mineral spring spas, is what the term “spa” was first used to describe. The authentic mineral spring spas differ so much from today’s popular

destination spas and day spas that some experts believe a “Great Spa Debate” is bound to arise. “Among the resorts featuring natural mineral springs, there is a movement to reclaim the

readers with details on the miraculous mineral spring waters. Indeed, it would seem that healing mineral springs are once again attracting those in search of more than a facelift – those interested in returning to what is perhaps the most luxurious healing remedy found in nature. Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an integrative retreat centre, rests atop hot mineral springsand spans more than 100 acres of forest, hills and meadows in San Luis Obispo. It offers guests an exceptional opportunity to restore the spirit, nourish the mind and heal the body. World-renowned author and lecturer Dr.Andrew Weil is on board to participate in what we hope will be a national dialogue with spa goers as well as spa owners.

CURRENT TRENDS IN SPAS SHOW A MIGRATION TOWARD

SYCAMORE RESORT THAT OFFERS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS only a three or four hour drive from both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is near many wineries and other outdoor attractions as well.

Along Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central Coast

Rooms Mineral Spring queen and two double bed rooms. One and two bedroom suites, a private king cottage, and a three-bedroom guesthouse.All contain private spas, many fed by the natural mineral springs.

sourced by the naturally heated springs. Walking and hiking

Guests can enjoy the calming benefits of walking the Labyrinth in the Meditation Garden, taking a brisk walk to the beach, or a challenging hike up to the ridge trail for a stunning view overlooking Avila Bay. Healing Arts Institute

MANAGEMENT Deborah Coryell, Director of Health and Wellness, King Ventures Mark Michalski, General Manager, Sycamore Mineral Springs

ycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an integrative retreat centre, offers guests the opportunity to rejuvenate and heal the body, mind and spirit. The resort features 74 tranquil guest rooms and suites each with a private balcony spa; natural hot mineral springs; an award-winning restaurant; Treatment Center with massage, skincare, and Color Aromatherapy; Healing Arts Institute with yoga, Pilates and meditation classes, and offers customized packages including individual and corporate retreats. The resort spans more than 100 wooded acres in San Luis Obispo, along Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central Coast, approximately one mile from Avila Beach. Located conveniently off of Highway 101, it is

History Soaking in the waters to soothe aches and pains has been a hallmark of the resort for more than a century. A natural hot springs spa since 1897, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort was a favorite of W.C. Fields and other celebrities who rode the train from Los Angeles or San Francisco to visit Hearst Castle. King Ventures purchased it in 2003. AMENITIES

The Healing Arts Institute offers a range of classes, as well as private instruction in yoga, Pilates, meditation, Tai Chi, the healing arts and more. Treatment Center

The Sycamore Treatment Center is staffed by massage therapists cross-trained in multiple disciplines along with aestheticians offering a variety of healing and rejuvenating skin therapies.

Mineral Springs

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort rests atop hot sulphur mineral springs with healing properties appreciated for centuries. Private outdoor redwood tubs tucked along a forest path are

Gardens of Avila

The award-winning restaurant serves healthy gourmet cuisine.

SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT OFFERS SPA-GOERS

History Drilling for Oil, Finding Health and Wellness

In 1886, two prospectors started drilling for oil in what is now called Avila Valley. Instead of the black oil they had hoped for, white sulfur mineral water sprang from the ground. Naturally hot, this spring water proved to have a therapeutic effect and the "Oil Wells" (as Sycamore was then named) rapidly became a popular spa/resort and location for social gatherings in San Luis Obispo

County. Celebrity Hot Spot

In the early 1900s, the resort was called San Luis Hot Sulphur Springs. W.C. Fields visited frequently, as did many others who stayed at Hearst Castle including Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino. The Pacific Coast Railway stopped across the street, enabling guests from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to enjoy a coastal train ride while traveling to the resort. A popular "getaway" special was then a two-day stay at the hot springs combined with the train ride, for a total of $19. Returning the Focus to Health

In the mid-1930s, new owners restored the facility, naming it Sycamore Mineral Springs. They emphasized its use as a therapeutic center, staffing it with doctors and nurses. People visited Sycamore Mineral Springs for mineral water treatments to cure their aches and pains, arthritis and other ailments. Spa as Resort

The mid-1970s saw another shift in focus, and Sycamore Mineral Springs once again, became a place to see and be seen in California, one of the first of many spa resorts emerging in key tourist destinations. New owners rebuilt the facility to host the many tourists traveling up and down the coast of California. Back to Basics: Health and Wellness

Today, entering its third century, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, now an integrative retreat center, has returned to its roots in health and wellness, offering guests the opportunity to rejuvenate and heal the body, mind and spirit.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO REJUVENATE AND HEALTH BODY MIND & SPIRIT

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort Introduces Corporate Wellness Retreats

he new paradigm for many visionary corporations focuses on balance just as much as balance sheets. On that note, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an integrative retreat centre based in San Luis Obispo, CA, introduces its Corporate Wellness Retreats. Many employers are realizing that the typical corporate skill-building retreats aren't always effective in the long run, by simply offering a band-aid. Employees continue to perpetuate old thinking and detrimental habits shortly after returning from one of these getaways. Fortunately, today organizations such as Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort offer corporations an innovative way to improve the bottom line, through corporate retreats that integrate business enhancement agendas with wellness and life enhancement agendas.

whole realm of the healing arts - are married to the kinds of skills that businesses are looking to instill in their managers. Its like Canyon Ranch meets the Harvard School of Business." Staff at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort work with participants to assemble a curriculum that addresses the company's specific needs. The Sycamore staff and adjunct faculty draw on programs to build selfesteem, teamwork, creativity, mind-body awareness and non-violent communication skills. While the resort does offer business improvement skill sessions such as team building and motivational seminars, they are interspersed with a slight twist - yoga classes to determine where one is holding tension in his/her body, hikes designed to clear the mind and visualization meditations to spur on creativity.

"This provides employees with tools to think and respond in situations that are grounded in physical behaviors more effectively, both at and away from work," explained Deborah Coryell, Health and Wellness Director for King Ventures, parent company for the resort. End result? Healthy, happy employees and a healthy, well-fed corporation. The two go hand-in-hand.

"What we are really looking at is taking the skills that one acquires on a personal retreat and placing those resources in the workplace for the betterment of each individual, the group and the company. Sometimes all it takes is learning how to talk with each other, breathe correctly, and visualize the results," said Coryell.

She added, "We focus on the concept of a corporate wellness retreat where the many disciplines of health and wellness such as breathwork, visualization, meditation, relationship skills, bodywork and nutrition - the

Retreat participants can also enjoy massages and skincare treatments, soak away tension in the natural hot mineral springs and eat healthy gourmet meals at the Resort's Gardens of Avila Restaurant.

IT IS CORPORATE RETREAT INTEGRATING BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT

California's Central Coast Offers Premiere Wellness Destination; Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an Integrative Retreat Centre

tressed out? Many people travel quite a distance to retreat from daily life and find the ultimate health and wellness experience. Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an integrative

AGENDAS WITH WELLNESS AND LIFE ENHANCEMENT AGENDA retreat centre located on California's Central Coast, offers guests the healing effects of an integrative retreat - in a convenient location, saving time, expense and general stress of traveling around the world in search of rejuvenation. Located directly between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the resort's San Luis Obispo locale is fast-becoming a wellness destination and the perfect catalyst for rejuvenation and relaxation. And as the name suggests, the resort is built on natural sulfur mineral springs that fill dozens of private hillside redwood tubs with healing waters.

class at the Healing Arts Institute, and an Ayurvedic skincare treatment. Guests may also enjoy a massage and healthy, gourmet cuisine prepared by renowned chef Evan Treadwell at the resort's Garden's of Avila Restaurant. Or one can simply just relax on their private deck and take in the nature that surrounds them. "Our visitors will find activities that incorporate nature, heal the body, and encourage them to gently look within themselves - what they won't find here is a spin class, a gym or exercise machines," said Coryell.

The resort emphasizes its five-day retreat programs, which are individually tailored to each guest. "You need that much time to really unwind," remarked Coryell. Sycamore encourages guests to bring "Of course, if balance into their lives by using a variety customers only they return home. "The of the services and healing arts classes, as concept of a retreat is about experiencing well as meals and activities that all focus some of the healing arts that you are drawn on balancing the body, mind and spirit, to during your stay, giving them practical tools to create and perhaps adding some of those harmony in their lives long after they activities to your schedule when you go return home. home, such as hiking, meditation, or eating healthy meals," she explained. activities that all focus on balancing the body, mind and spirit, giving them practical tools to Just off the property, explorers will also find a create harmony in their lives long after they walking trail that leads to the beach, and the return home. surrounding county offers some of the finest wineries in California. "So many spas these days have lost touch with the healing arts," explained Deborah Coryell, Explained Coryell, "With its natural beauty, clean Director of Health and Wellness for King air, and plenty of room to roam in the Ventures, parent company of the resort. surrounding hills or on the coast, San Luis "Everything oneneeds to truly unwind and heal is Obispo is quickly becoming a wellness right here on the property," she continued. destination, for everyone from Californians, to visitors from the East Coast looking to find an A typical day at Sycamore might include a undiscovered Mecca here in the U.S." At its heart mineral soak, a ridge top hike or a meditative is Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. walk around the labyrinth, a restorative yoga Sycamore encourages guests to bring balance into their lives by using a variety of the services and healing arts classes, as well as meals and

SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT ADDS ANCIENT

YET POWERFUL HEALING PRACTICES TO ITS MIX OF THERAPEUTIC BODY TREATMENTS Aromatherapy Blanket Wrap

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort Adds Ancient Therapeutic Treatments

ycamore Mineral Springs Resort of San Luis Obispo, CA adds ancient, yet powerful healing practices to its mix of therapeutic body treatments including Stone Therapy, Dry Brush Massage, Aromatherapy Blanket Wrap and Scalp Massage. During the past three years that Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort has been owned by King

Ventures Inc., the focus has been on offering treatments that are therapeutic or “integrative”in nature such as the Sycamore Integrative Massage (which combines several massage modalities). The new treatments integrate simple, yet timetested ancient traditions to the mix. “We honor the strength of these ancient practices – they are gaining ground in the modern world and we are pleased to offer them,” said Deborah Coryell, Director of Health and Wellness for King Ventures. “We are not about to offer fad treatments such as a ‘chocolate body wrap’,” she added.“As we move forward we will continue to introduce quality, therapeutic treatments versus a plethora of trendy body work that has no lasting value.” The new treatments at Sycamore are described as follows: Stone Therapy

A once common healing practice used by many different countries and tribes, this ancient remedy takes tools from the earth to ground the body, mind and spirit. Sycamore’s Stone Therapy consists of a highly synchronized oiled massage that first utilizes hot stones to increase circulation and reduce soreness, and then cold stones to re-energize and stimulate the muscles. Dry Brush Massage

This gentle exfoliating treatment removes dead skin and helps eliminate toxins. It also increases blood circulation throughout the body, and contributes to healthier muscle tone and improved feelings of well being. Clients take the brush with them to create a new ritual at home.

A therapist massages essential aromatherapy oils into the hands, feet, neck and shoulders, followed by a soothing warm-blanket wrap. This allows the body temperature to rise and stimulates the elimination of toxins through the skin. "Indians used blanket wraps to induce a sweat for healing, and mothers instinctively know that creating warmth through a blanket wrap can help lower a fever. This is the impetus behind this treatment,” Coryell explained. Scalp Massage

An Ayurvedic tradition dating back 2,500 years, warm Ayurvedic shirodhara scalp oil, pure aloe vera and rosemary mint conditioner are massaged into the scalp to balance and restore the hair’s natural vitality and shine. This nurturing treatment includes a neck, shoulder and deep scalp massage. Sycamore also offers a dry (no-oil) 15-minute Scalp Massage, stimulating the hair follicles and cranial tissues. Other treatments offered at Sycamore include recently added pre-natal and deep tissue massage, the Sycamore integrative massage and numerous skincare treatments. SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT SWINGS INTO "YOGA FORE GOLF" IN ALLIANCE WITH AVILA BEACH GOLF RESORT Yoga, an ancient practice with countless mental and physical benefits for modern times, gets in the swing of things with Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort's "Yoga ForeGolf " program, designed to dramatically improve one's golf game. Based in San Luis Obispo, CA, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort teams up with the Avila Beach Golf Resort (next door in Avila Beach, CA) to introduce Yoga Fore Golf, bringing the benefits of yoga to the golf course. The program will be offered to individuals, groups or corporations. A 90-minute yoga class

at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort is followed by golf instruction at the Avila Beach course practice facilities that incorporates the yoga tips. Participants then have the opportunity to golf for a reduced green fee. According to Tony Criscuolo, an accomplished golfer and a 30 year veteran yoga instructor who currently teaches at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort," The majority of golfers suffer from inflexibility that interferes with a fundamentally sound swing. A yoga session before golf instruction is the perfect preparation, as it warms and loosens the body and helps the mind focusclearly." Yoga Fore Golf teaches participants yoga postures that improve range of motion in the back, hips, neck and shoulders - areas critical to the golf swing. In addition, golfers practicing yoga will see improvements in alignment, posture, balance and muscle tone, which result in a better golf game and reduce the likelihood of injury. "Plus, yoga's focus on the breath teaches players a direct route to a quiet and alert mind, the ideal state for learning and improved performance," said Criscuolo. "Learning yoga postures is remarkably like learning the golf swing - moving from basic fundamentals to an ever more subtle awareness of the body in movement." Criscuolo has taught yoga for 30 years, working primarily with athletes for the last 15 years. He has also taught yoga to professional golfers on the PGA and LPGA tours and at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida. He teams up with Jay Farrior, the head professional at Avila Beach Golf Resort and a former nationally ranked triathlete, to implement the Yoga Fore Golf program. Farrior's instruction is based on a sound foundation in proper technique. He offers clinics that emphasize the full swing, the short game and putting, and he uses enjoyable drills and competitions to make the sessions interesting and fun.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort An Integrative Retreat Centre 1215 Avila Beach Drive • San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Toll Free: 1 800 234-5831• Tel: 805 595-7302 • Fax: 805 595-4007 • www.sycamoresprings.com Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, an integrative retreat centre, rests atop hot mineral springsand spans more than 100 acres of forest, hills and meadows in San Luis Obispo. It offers guests an exceptional opportunity to restore the spirit, nourish the mind and heal the body.