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Drawing inspiration from Native American culture and the desire to honor its traditions, Red Mountain spa director Dan Mohr created Four Directions ($135, 80 minutes), a treatment that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. With three reservations in the area, the setting is ideal for the introspective treatment at Red Mountain Spa (Ivins, UT). It begins with a sage smudging to remove any negative energy. Next, the client is asked to express a desire or prayer while attaching a prayer tie, a piece of cloth filled with tobacco, to a suspended Native American medicine wheel. The client is also asked to choose a totem stone, which is given to each guest along with a medicine bag at the end of the treatment.
Intended to help spa-goers examine the different stages of their lives, the experience is divided into four parts, hence the name, Four Directions. Each direction has its own properties—animals, colors, elements, and plants—that are associated with it. For instance, East symbolizes the start of life or new beginnings. In this stage, the therapist applies Red Mountain Spa's specially formulated Blue Cornmeal and Tobacco Scrub to exfoliate the skin. Throughout the treatment, the therapist shares stories that apply to each direction. The guest is asked to contemplate his or her life as it corresponds to each phase. After the scrub, the treatment goes on to the next direction. South is meant to represent young adulthood. It symbolizes a time of discovery when mistakes are made and relationships explored. At this point, the guest is given hot sage tea for purification and an opportunity to shower off the scrub. The West portion, meant to represent adulthood, features a full-body massage using oils from Tara Spa Therapy. North, the final stage, is a time of reflection. It features a 20-minute herbal wrap using sheets soaked in sweetgrass tea. Native American music plays throughout the session. Tapping into the healing power prevalent in Native American culture, the treatment requires a true commitment from the therapists who perform it. For Tara Spa Therapy products: (800) 552-0779; www.taraspa.com.
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