Transform your home into a wellness spa

Taking a spa vacation is a great way to kickstart a health and fitness regimen and to refocus on maintaining healthy habits. But not all of us have the time or funds to go on a luxe spa getaway, so our friends at the uber-relaxing oceanside Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa Miami Beach have provided some helpful tips on how you can transform your home and everyday surroundings into a wellness retreat. Calgon, take us away!

Fitness tips from Canyon Ranch Miami Beach fitness manager Melissa Jurado

• Each yoga activity at Canyon Ranch emphasizes the importance of the mind-body connection and uses the power of the breath to influence this connection. The next time you practice yoga or stretching, try timing all movements with an inhale or exhale to help foster this connection and bring flow to your practice.
• Recreate the feeling of Canyon Ranch’s open-air yoga studio and enhance your practice by playing an ocean soundtrack during your next yoga session. Studies show that the sound of water can lower your heart rate and stress levels, and augment feelings of serenity and relaxation.
• Want to mix up your treadmill routine? Maximize your time and efforts by doing your own version of Canyon Ranch’s signature “Stride and Strength” class, a cardio and strength training workout all in one! Start with a three- to five-minute warm-up on the treadmill (walking at a casual comfortable pace) followed by alternating segments of walking/jogging (three minutes) with a single set (eight to 12 repetitions) of standing free-weight exercises using dumbbells or other equipment. Choose exercises such as standing squats and lunges, biceps curls, overhead shoulder presses and others to get a total body workout. Don’t forget to pause the treadmill, stepping off slowly and safely. After 30 to 40 minutes, cool down on the treadmill for three-to five minutes and finish with a variety of standing stretches.

Spa experience tips from Canyon Ranch Miami Beach spa and fitness director Jenna Laramee

Experience the healthy indulgence of a pampering and soothing bath ritual similar to Canyon Ranch’s signature “Euphoria Ritual,” all in the comfort of your own home. To ease your mind and rejuvenate your skin, body and spirit, simply follow these steps:

• Set the mood: Enhance your surroundings with scented candles, soft, relaxing music and dimmed lights. For the added Canyon Ranch touch, spray a gentle toning flower mist in the room. We suggest a mixture of citrus, herbal and floral essential oils.
• Prepare a warm bath with sea salts and a gentle shower gel. We suggest a mixture of clary sage, sage, rose and citrus oils; this particular essential oil blend brings the feeling of direct contact with nature.
• Apply a gentle exfoliator to the skin and relax, spending 15 to 20 minutes in your luxurious and calming soaking bath.
• Finish the experience with an application of your favorite herbal-, citrus- or floral-scented lotion to hydrate and soothe the skin. Leave your skin slightly damp to improve hydration and lotion absorption. To mimic the massage at the end of the Euphoria Ritual, begin gently applying lotion upward from the feet, toward the legs, then toward the heart and then the arms. Spend some time gently applying the lotion on your abdomen with circular movements counter-clock wise (from lower right, up, across, down, lower left, across).
• Just as you would after a spa treatment, allow yourself a few minutes to rest and enjoy the calming benefits of the experience before rushing back to your routine.

Recipe from Canyon Ranch Miami Beach:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup minced heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced yellow bell peppers
• 1/2 cup diced fresh mango
• 1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup diced fresh mango
• 2 teaspoons white soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon yuzu (Japanese lime) juice
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sesame oil

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for mango yuzu sauce in a blender and puree. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine avocado, tomatoes, peppers, mango, lime juice, salt, pepper, onion and cilantro. Toss together until well combined.
3. Evenly divide avocado mixture among four plates and top each serving with 1 tablespoon mango yuzu sauce.

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