I was recently whisked on an adventure with Air New Zealand to discover a different side to California, one which is very much off the beaten path, especially compared to my California trip last year. This excursion led me to LA where I voyaged onward to Joshua Tree National Park, Hicksville Trailer Palace, and Anza Borrego Desert State Park as well as Two Bunch Palms. I had the chance to experience one of the few Dark Sky communities in the world, gazing up at the Milky Way and Jupiter (through a telescope) in Borrego Springs. However, the focus of this post is to share the incredible art of singing sound baths. If you’ve never tried it, it involves neither water nor nudity but instead is a mindfulness movement which took up roots in the desert at the beautiful Integratron – a somewhat quirky location 20 miles north of Joshua Tree. It’s a 38-foot high, 55-foot diameter, all-wooden dome designed to be an acoustic resonance chamber, and an electrostatic generator “for the purpose of rejuvenation and time travel”. Sounds trippy? Click MORE to learn more about a totally unique experience…
Posts tagged 'California'
ACTIVE ESCAPE: POST RANCH INN
Soaring 1200 feet above a gentle stretch of the sweeping North Pacific ocean lies the ultimate meeting of man and mountain. A steel skeleton is fused with the granite cliffs, clad with wood for organs and glass for skin; the Post Ranch Inn is this eponymous structure, and coincidentally the scene of an epic wellness escape on a recent trip to America. Many believe that it claims the most tranquil, unspoiled and awe-inspiring landscapes in the country, and whilst I’ve got quite a bit of the country still to explore, I can’t disagree yet. The Sunsets trump Santorini; the vista rivals the Amalfi coast, and the service is as attentive and well judged as any world class American institution can be. The whole place has an ecologically sustainable skew, and I had the most magical visit. This post is a little insight into a precious Californian treasure which, quite rightly, has earned the accolade of ‘best hotel in America’ from more sources than I can recall… (more…)