“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

For pioneers in the travel industry and those struck with wanderlust, the most important journeys are not just the ones that allow you to see new sights, but the ones that change your perspective. The most impactful adventures, furthermore, can often be those of introspection – the moments that change how you feel about the world and your part within it. This may seem like a grandiose expectation to put on your next holiday, but when you’re packing your suitcase preparing for a much-needed integrative wellness retreat from reality at Canyon Ranch, it’s exactly what you can look forward to.

Since its augmentation in 1979, Canyon Ranch has cemented itself as a pioneering brand at the forefront of luxury wellness. Today, the company offers unique experiences across four immersive resorts across the United States, located in Tucson, Arizona; Lenox, Massachusetts; Woodside, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Through spanning states, landscapes, and climates, Canyon Ranch offers a plethora of personalised wellness experiences, whether you’re yearning for an immersive retreat in the Berkshires or a spa day that will exceed all expectations nestled amongst the bright lights of Las Vegas.

As well as being at the forefront of luxury relaxation, Canyon Ranch has a distinguished approach to wellbeing, championing the integrative “Five Wellness Pillars” approach. This holistic strategy incorporates health and performance, mind and spirit, fitness and movement, nutrition and food, and spa and beauty. Together, the team of expert practitioners at Canyon Ranch meticulously balance these pillars to create transformational wellness plans for each of their guests.

During his very first visit to the Canyon Ranch wellness centre, the now-CEO Jeff Kuster was instantly captivated by this new approach to holidaying. He attended the Life Enhancement Centre, a unique week-long programme in which guests follow expert guidance and focus on a single core wellness topic and connect with like-minded people. While describing his first impressions of the retreat, he disclosed the attentive, detailed and deeply personalised process that captured his imagination and allowed him to connect with the world of Canyon Ranch.

To create his personalised wellness plan, he first had blood tests, followed by an EKG and a DEXA scan. Next, was a meeting with the exercise physiologist and then the nutritionist, who had already crafted a bespoke nutrition plan using the results of both the medical and the physiological assessments before he had even arrived. It was this acute level of detail that formed his very first Canyon Ranch wellness plan, and undoubtedly changed the trajectory of his life.

“I left with a personal plan for fitness, mindfulness and nutrition, and it drove a significant lifestyle change. That’s a fairly routine outcome for us. People get a transformational experience, which is crazy to think about. But it’s also what drives people back.”

It is this integrated, personalised approach to wellbeing that sets Canyon Ranch apart as a luxury wellness brand. Importantly, the mind and the soul are regarded as integral to wellbeing at Canyon Ranch, not only the body. Director of Spiritual Wellness Teresa Cowan Jones asserts that the brand’s spiritual offerings are foundational to its guest’s health and wellness outcomes. “One way of thinking about spiritual wellness” she explains, “is a connection to self, others, nature and source characterised by compassion, awareness, meaning and purpose.” Her passion for spiritual wellness is evident in many of the activities and offerings available at the resorts. These include dialogue sessions that help guests identify their spiritual needs, grief and remembrance sessions, and a service called cultivating life purpose which helps guests understand what they want and need in their own life. For Cowan Jones, spiritual and emotional wellness can be about personal introspection or collective healing practices. She also believes that the sessions offered at Canyon Ranch go beyond individual health and wellness and contributes towards “human flourishing”.

While looking inwards is important, engaging with your natural surroundings and connecting with nature is also an imperative part of the wellness offerings at each Canyon Ranch resort. For Kuster, “leveraging the power and impact of nature and natural beauty” is a key element that feeds into the success of the brand’s wellness offerings. There are many ways in which guests can expect to connect with nature when visiting one of the resorts, each suited to different paces and sensibilities. From a night vision goggle hike under the expansive sparkle of the Tucson night sky to taking to the serene Berkshire ponds and rivers for a kayaking adventure, each guest can find their own way to connect to the natural world. The beautiful settings are an essential part of each Canyon Ranch wellness retreat, Kuster explains. “There’s something about a sunrise or a sunset or clouds coming over a mountain that helps people gain perspective. It’s just one of those things that helps you take a step back and reflect.”

Nature, introspection, relaxation and a luxurious space to discover yourself; Canyon Ranch’s offerings are anything but unambitious. Even more aspirational and bold is the brand’s assertion that a visit to Canyon Ranch will stick with you forever, intrinsically change how you live, and even lengthen your life. Kuster laughs as he remembers one of the mantras of one of the brand’s founders Mel Zuckerman: “We want you to die younger later.” Not only does a visit to one of the Canyon Ranch resorts promise to increase your lifespan, but it strives to make each step of your journey healthier, happier and more fulfilled. This is certainly a towering ambition, but one that is irresistible. After all, as they say at Canyon Ranch, “Where else can say that they can lengthen your life?”