Rustic Retreat

The towering Catskill Mountains cradle Sullivan County, creating the bucolic backdrop for this no-frills, affordable retreat. The New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York has the delightfully reminiscent feel of summer camp.

But this getaway isn’t geared towards kids; it’s for grown-ups who are looking to get fit and healthy, or who are seeking a haven for rejuvenation.

The 280-acre property, which includes seven miles of marked hiking trails, is cloistered by centuries-old trees, verdant rolling hills, and flower and vegetable gardens. As soon as I arrived, after a two-and-half-hour van ride from New York City, I felt all that ancient plant energy start to soothe my frazzled nerves.

The site of this all-inclusive destination spa has a long, interesting history. The area was settled by the Dutch around 1750, and was transformed into pastures and farmed for about a century. When the Gold Rush swept the country, many of these farmers took off to try their fortunes out West. As a result, the land was abandoned and allowed to return to its wild state. A second growth forest arose from the cleared earth, and now graces the region.

The parcel of land where the New Age Health Spa sits was at one time a country inn, and in the early 1970s it became a juice fasting retreat. In the 1980s, the current owners, Werner Mendel and Stephanie Paradise, bought the facility and have continued its mission of healing. And, boy oh boy, do they mean business: No alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, coffee, or candy are allowed. And if you break the rules and are caught, you could be thrown out. So, either brush up on your surreptitious nature, or be prepared to tough it out sans some of your vices for a few days. But believe me, it’s worth it!

There’s a calm about this place that’s infectious. Maybe the spiritual vibrations, or all that lush plant life, or a combination of factors, but it’s really easy to decompress here. I could see myself spending a month at this rustic retreat, getting truly healthy and balanced. A four-week stay would surely help me break my coffee, junk food, and TV habits, and I’d get a chance to explore the serene grounds, which go on for miles.

Taking a walk around the resort, you’ll encounter comfy and inviting hammocks and chaise lounges strewn about, as well as guests napping, reading, and relaxing. Fountains and birdfeeders also dot the landscape and nourish more than hungry airborne mouths. I spied some adorable baby chipmunks stealing sustenance meant for their feathered friends, but they were far too cute to scold. After enjoying a hearty dinner my first night there, I sat for a bit on one of the wooden benches outside my cottage. Sipping some tea, I listened to the crickets and cicadas sing. Mesmerized by the full moon rising above the majestic mountains, I watched as a mist rolled in, enveloping the terrain. Smokey layers swirled around, slowly shrouding the awesome hills behind them. This is it! I declared to myself. Communing with nature, feeling peaceful and whole, who could ask for anything more?

Fabulous Facilities
A variety of whitewashed country cottages accommodate up to 72 guests.

Private rooms, as well as doubles and triples, are available. Packages start at as little as $159 a night including meals and go up to $399. The resort also runs special deals. For example, through April 29 there is a two for one special Sunday through Thursday.

My room, which cost $324 a night, was very basic. It didn’t have a phone or a TV (none of them do) but it was a fine place to lay my head after a full day of hiking, yoga, and breathing in that fresh mountain air. It also had a lovely outdoor deck, so at night I could lie back on a chaise and stare up at the star-filled sky, or dart out at first morning light to get a whiff of the new day’s aroma.

The fitness and spa complex isn’t fancy either, but it’s an acceptable environment to wait in for a treatment or to work out. It includes an indoor pool, whirlpool, steam, sauna, and weight and exercise rooms. A wide variety of classes are available. And for those who like to exercise in the fresh air, there’s also an outdoor pool and tennis courts. Daily hikes are offered, and in the winter you can go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

If less strenuous physical activity is more your speed, be sure to check out the yoga and meditation center, which is constructed with 10,000 feet of western redwood and includes a grand stone fireplace and a golden statue of Buddha. You feel peaceful as soon as you enter this expansive hall that looks like a cross between a ski lodge and a spiritual sanctuary. I took a yoga class my first day there. Sarah, the instructor, made everyone feel comfortable, novice and yogini alike. As I stretched my body and began to mentally unwind, my gaze was drawn to the lush lawn outside the building. Three young white-tailed fawns heralded dusk’s arrival. They scampered across the grass hardly noticing their human neighbors. I watched them munch contently on their dinner and, as class came to a close, I headed off to mine. Passing by the pond, a breeze awakened the chimes that line the path, and their chorus serenaded me as I approached the dining room.

Meals are held at the same time each day and the set-up is communal. While these situations can sometimes be intimidating if you’re traveling solo, everyone here was very friendly and welcoming. There were a lot of women visiting alone who were receptive to making friends and sharing a meal. (There were also more couples than you usually see at a spa, which was a nice change of pace.) After a few meals, I got the hang of the dining experience and liked it. In fact, connecting with the other guests during these times was one of the highlights of my stay. (The spa also offers lectures and movies at night, where you can socialize with other guests.)

The cuisine was super-healthy and filling. There were vegetarian entrees available at each meal, as well as a juice fast diet for those who wanted to detox. While I found some of the food bland at first, I know that it was because my palate is accustomed to more salt and fat than I wish it were. But after a day, my taste buds adjusted and I began to pick up on how flavorful the greens and other produce were that were grown in one of the on-site organic greenhouses. Nothing can beat the taste of fresh food grown naturally and prepared with love.

One outstanding meal was the Orzo and Southwestern Bean dish prepared by Chef Ahmad Macharia. (The former head chef at the spa, he was filling in for the vacationing Chef Alex Gonzalez.) It was so good, I had to ask for seconds!

Spa-tacular Treatments
The spa offers a wide variety of services including shiatsu and Swedish massage, hydro-colon therapy, reflexology, aromatherapy, body wraps, and ayurvedic treatments.

I chose a good old standby, a Swedish massage, 50 minutes for $75. You usually can’t go wrong getting one of these rubdowns. They are sure to relax, and Sue, my therapist, did not disappoint. She spent a lot of time working on my head, which really grounded and centered me. She also gave lots of attention to my face, another oft forgotten part of the body during a massage. When I told Sue that I was cold, she was very accommodating, turning on the heater and covering me with a blanket. I felt like she really cared and wanted to make me feel better, and she sure did.

I also got a chance to sample Nirvana, a heavenly cleansing and nourishing treatment with an equally divine practitioner named Synea, 100 minutes for $165. The first step in this ancient ayurvedic technique was to apply an herbal paste to my body. Synea generously slathered it on and covered me with a sheet, allowing it to dry for 10 minutes. Next, she gently cleaned off the mixture. Then she oiled me up with an herbal blend, vigorously rubbing the healing elixir into my skin to promote circulation and detoxification. Spicy cardamom penetrated my every pore. The scent was so intoxicating I couldn’t get enough. (Even the next day, my skin still smelled fragrant.)

After pampering my body, it was time for the next step: to give my tresses a treat. Shirodhara, an ayurvedic hair and scalp treatment, begins with the practitioner dripping a warm herbal mixture on your third eye, which is right between your eyebrows. Although I enjoyed this part, the warm thick liquid dripping on me for 10 minutes was a really odd sensation, almost like someone was tinkling on my forehead.

Next, Synea used the excess oil, which had been collected in a bowl, to massage my scalp, neck, and shoulders. She covered my head with a shower cap and proceeded to apply a cleanser to my face. While it dried, she massaged my feet. Finally, she washed, massaged, and moisturized my cheeks, chin, and forehead. By the end of this treatment, I was in a trance-like state. I’m easily distracted and 100 minutes is a long time to lie still, but the session flew by and I even drifted off a few times into a deep state of relaxation. By the end, I smelled so fragrant and felt so blissed out that my smile stretched from ear to ear!

Room For Improvement
Would you walk three miles for some coffee? No? Well, I normally wouldn’t either, but I would have had to because that’s the closest you’ll find a cup of java to the New Age Health Spa. I really think it's time to relax the no coffee rule. Since the retreat serves green tea, I don’t fully get the ban on coffee since both contain caffeine. Although green tea does have health benefits that coffee doesn’t, a one-cup limit in the morning would be a lot easier to swallow than a complete prohibition. Tip: Switch to green tea for a few days, or be a rebel and stash some instant in your suitcase. But be careful; you don’t want to get booted out for feeding your habit.

You’d think that without my daily caffeine fix I would have been out like a light at bedtime, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. My guest room had central air conditioning. The unit was right beneath the window and kept cycling on and off throughout the night. It was extremely noisy and kept me awake. It was also freezing. I kept turning the thermostat up higher and higher but it didn’t seem to help. Noise and frigid air don’t make for very good sleeping conditions. Thank goodness for afternoon naps in hammocks! Tip: Make sure your room is not above an air conditioning unit. Or, take a trip to the gift shop and buy some earplugs. Since they sell this item, I must not have been the only one who had a hard time sleeping.

New Age Spa
Route 55
Neversink, NY 12765
For more info or to book a stay, call 800-682-4348, or visit
www.newagehealthspa.com
(Chef Ahmad Macharia can be reached at 202-544-1007)