sundara Spa | wisconsin dells | wellness retreat
Over the 4th of July holiday, my family headed-up to Lake Delton, Wisconsin to rent a house for some socially-distanced relaxation and outdoor fun together! While in Wisconsin, I was fortunate to be able to spend a day at Sundara Inn & Spa, located on the scenic outskirts of Wisconsin Dells. Some guests of the spa are referring to Sundara as a “Luxury Quarantine” as it is safely tucked away in the woods near Lake Delton.
My spa day was filled with unwinding, relaxing and of course social distancing. Sundara has taken numerous actions and precautions to ensure wellness, cleanliness, and safety. The entire facility was treated with a Bio Protect treatment which protects surfaces from viruses for an extended period of time. Additionally, guests are monitored with temperature checks upon arrival and other cleaning and health protocols have been added to help ensure guests’ safety.
Sundara is an easy drive from the Chicago area, just about two and a half hours northwest. Our family travels to this area of Wisconsin every year for the beautiful outdoor activities including: swimming, golfing and variety of restaurants and activities for the kids to partake in. While this year’s trip looked a bit different due to coronavirus, we still had a much-needed, wonderful time! Sundara is also within driving range of Madison and Minneapolis. The spa makes for a perfect solo-vacation, couples or group getaway, or wellness retreat.
Self-Care is Not Selfish
I booked my spa day to nurture my body, mind, and soul because one could argue that in the era of coronavirus self-care is more important now than ever. No matter where you live or who you are, the last three months have most likely been stress-filled and challenging. And I can’t “stress” enough the importance of taking care of yourself, because as the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
One of my favorite guidelines at Sundara is that the spa is electronic free, so it truly is a chance to unplug, disconnect and focus on healing the mind, body, and soul. With the constant flow of information and news today, a good digital detox is crucial to help regulate our nervous system, calm the mind, and reset our body. As a mom and chronic illness fighter, I know firsthand how important self-care is and that spending a day at Sundara not only benefitted myself, but my family as well.
Sundara Signature Massage
One of the spa therapies I received was the Sundara Signature Massage. This massage is customized to your specific stress-relief and body needs and includes the selection of an aromatherapy essential oil. I chose the uplifting and invigorating citrus oil for my massage. My other go-to scent is usually lavender, but I wanted to feel refreshed and energetic for the remainder of my day with my family afterwards.
Benefits of Massage therapy
Did you know that there are numerous benefits to massage therapy beyond stress relief and relaxation? Massages help to improve circulation, reduce pain, eliminate toxins, reduce fatigue and improve quality of sleep. Massages can also even enhance immunity for some people. Research has indicated that receiving regular massage therapy can help boost our immune system by flushing toxins and increasing blood flow throughout the body. It can increase the level of white blood cells which help our body fight disease, and also helps to reduce the production of cortisol. (amcollege.edu)
“Researchers working with patients with compromised immune systems have found massage therapy can improve how the immune system functions. Those same benefits can translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses,” says Jeff Smoot of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).
Due to the effects of neurological lyme disease, I often have muscle spams and nerve issues, so the massage helped to soothe my sore muscles and provided a much needed reset and relaxation. I felt very safe throughout the service and the therapist took several precautions including wearing a mask and sanitizing the space before and after the massage.
Massage Therapy at Sundara Spa
Sundara offers a range of massage services besides the Signature Massage, including a CBD Massage, Elements Hydrotherapy Massage, and Marma Ayurvedic Massage to name a few. I had the Marma Massage last year and that service was wonderful and healing as well. The Marma Massage even incorporates a ritual foot bath. Before your massage, you are able to relax in one of the peaceful waiting rooms (seen below) where you can curl up with a good book or simply just be.
Mindfulness and Guided Meditation at Sundara
Sundara also offers a wide-array of daily wellness activities and classes. Prior to my massage, I participated in a 45-minute Guided Mediation class that was very beneficial for me. The class took place in one of Sundara’s “Tranquil Spaces” called the Woodland Reflection Room. The space is outlined with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest for a peaceful connection with nature and wildlife. Animals such as white-tailed deer, eagles and birds, and even woodchucks are often spotted in their natural habitat. Wooden rocking chairs and chaise loungers are lined in front of a warming fireplace and serene artwork, which complete the relaxing space.
The guided meditation class was led by an experienced instructor who vocally walked us through the entire 45-minute practice. We collectively chose the theme for the meditation to be gratitude, which spoke to my soul because gratitude is something I try to include in my every day life. Gratitude has positively impacted my life over the last couple years physically, mentally, emotionally, and even financially. I am a firm believer in the power and healing of gratitude, especially when incorporated into a meditation practice. The guided meditation was broken down into three sections which included breath-work and guided imagery. It was the perfect mix of challenging and relaxing for me.
Benefits of Meditation
I was thrilled that Sundara offers Guided Mediation because this is a practice I have been trying to further incorporate into my daily life this year. Meditation is said to be exercise for the mind. According to Headspace, there are thousands of studies that have shown mindfulness meditation can positively impact both mental and physical health. Meditation helps to control stress and anxiety, and can help improve sleep and pain.
According to ScienceDirect, an eight-week study showed that mindfulness meditation reduced the inflammation response caused by stress. Typically, mental and physical stress cause increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. This hormone triggers many of the harmful effects of stress, including the release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. (Those with lyme disease know about cytokines all too well).
Through the practice of meditation, we can work on building-up areas of our brain and actually rewire it. The rewiring of the brain enhances positive traits such as focus and decision-making and helps to diminish harmful traits including fear and stress.
Healthline explains that meditation can even help improve pain in some individuals. A large study looked at the effects of habitual meditation in over 3,500 participants. It found that meditation was associated with decreased complaints of chronic or intermittent pain. While I haven’t personally seen long-term effects on my chronic pain yet, meditation has offered short-term pain improvement and I am hopeful that if I stick with it I will begin to notice more positive physical impacts and changes.
The Mission of Sundara
“In everything we do, our mission is wellness and service. We provide a sanctuary from stress, a healing touch, a kind word, a place to reconnect. We set an example of love and respect for the earth. We embrace the joy of wellness in our own lives.”
I highly recommend Sundara to anyone looking for stress-relief, relaxation or simply to unplug. Even though the spa is only a couple hours from home, it really feels like you are in another place away from the world while you are there. They take your health and wellness seriously, which includes precautions surrounding coronavirus. What I loved though is that the precautions in place didn’t take away one bit from the atmosphere and experience of Sundara, they were very intentional and mindful with the implementation of their health and safety protocols.
Since opening in 2003, Sundara’s mission has been wellness in all that they do and remains all the more so today, even during these difficult and uncertain times. In 2019, Sundara was named a “Top Wellness Destination Spa” by Organic Spa Magazine, and one of the “20 Best Destination Spas” by Town and Country Magazine.
Sundara also features a restaurant with chef-prepared cuisine inspired by the farming way of life in Wisconsin. The spa has both indoor and outdoor pool areas for relaxation and socialization, and the indoor pool area includes a swim-up bar. After my spa services and meditation, I spent some time by one of the beautiful outdoor pools where I ordered a healthy and delicious lunch. I opted for a summer salad with spinach, goat cheese, grapes, and pecans and the vegetable hummus spread, which included freshly-cooked green beans, tri-colored carrots, warm pita bread and cucumbers.
Visit Sundara Spa in Wisconsin Dells
While I only spent a day at Sundara, the resort offers spacious and relaxing lodging options so you can choose to spend an entire weekend (or week) focused on self-care, healing, enjoying nature and pampering yourself. To learn more about what Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells has to offer visit the website here.
Sources:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/massage-therapy-may-boost-immune-system-to-combat-cold-flu-300171787.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24395196/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159112004758