Travel
H
eights are just not my thing.
But, there I was dangling in
a safety harness 40-feet off
the ground. The group below,
who had just moments ago
hoisted me up to this point by pulling
on a rope in tug-of-war style, yelled
encouraging comments to me. The
leader told me to breathe deeply,
enjoy the beautiful scenery and set
a personal intention before letting
go of the rope clenched in my right
hand. To be honest, my intention was
to get down from this scary place
as soon as possible because I knew
if I spent any amount of time
appreciating the desert landscape
or tried to engage in some intense
soul searching, I’d lose my nerve.
I had signed up for this activity,
aptly named “A Swing and a Prayer,”
because I wanted to put myself in a
situation that would get me outside
of my comfort zone. And as heights
present a continuous challenge to
me, the experience seemed tailormade to my needs.
When I finally let go, I screamed as
my stomach dropped in rollercoaster
fashion. It felt like the whole world
was falling beneath me. I decided it
was time for the prayer part of this
activity. And then I began to swing
in pendulum style from one pole to
another. My legs were shaking and
I had a white-knuckle grasp on the
rope. The movement suddenly
changed and sent me soaring in
a wide circular formation. I forgot
to mention that spinning is not my
thing either!
Although I wanted to stop, I was
urged to take a moment and relax,
while letting go of first one hand
on the rope, then the other. And
I reluctantly did, surprising myself
by awkwardly leaning into something
that resembled a backbend. As I
contemplated the world from this
pose, I was suddenly reminded of my
childhood and the sense of pure joy
and freedom that came from such
simple pleasures like playing on the
swings. Back on terra firma, with
the group congratulating me on my
accomplishment, I felt elated and
proud. Yes, it was frightening and
no, I’m not ready to audition for
Cirque du Soleil, but it was also
liberating to completely let go and
exhilarate in the moment.
Celebrating life and one’s limitless
potential is what it’s all about at
Miraval, a well-known destination
spa near Tucson, Arizona. This
special retreat, nestled on 400 acres
of idyllic land within the picturesque
Santa Catalina Mountains, prides
itself on its pioneering selfdiscovery and growth activities,
not to mention its luxurious
accommodations, deliciously healthy
cuisine and state-of-the-art fitness
and spa facilities. It’s a place to be
inspired, rejuvenated, appreciated
and motivated to focus on your
emotional, spiritual and physical
well-being.
There are many reasons why people
come to Miraval. For some, it’s the
need to get out of the rat race for
some good old R&R, along with a
hefty dose of pampering. Others
view it as a chance to kick start
a program of healthy habits. And
then there are those who are eager
to try new activities and challenge
themselves in different ways. There
are also individuals who come
in search of help to deal with
relationship or grief and loss issues.
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