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Off the Cuff: Lisa Hedley
April 07, 2008
Lisa Hedley is creative director for the Mayflower Spa in Washington, Conn.
By Jennifer Juergens
What was your first job?
I was an associate for the Los Angeles–based law firm, Manatt, Phelps.
Did you have previous spa experience before the Mayflower?
Only my frequent visits to Meadowlark, a California holistic healing center, and continued practice of yoga and meditation.
What makes a great spa experience?
The best possible experience is one that addresses your particular needs at that particular time. This could be a restorative, cleansing or energizing experience. The most important thing is that you are in an environment where you can explore your needs and desires and find ways to address them along with some needs you might not know you had.
How do you keep your family— especially kids—healthy?
Begging, pleading and when that fails, I assume that my example will rub off on them. My older boys (ages 16 and 18) already acknowledge the benefits they see from my personal practices (better humor, looking younger than most of their friends' moms—or so they say, and flattery gets you everywhere!).
What do you like to do on a day off?
Leisure activities with my family. We ride horses, take hikes around our property. Do projects around the house, play tennis. Anything we can get together and do as a gang.
Give me a typical executive retreat day for a business traveler at Mayflower.
The Mayflower tailors all stays to the particular guest's needs. Guests visiting the property for a meetings-oriented trip might have a day that includes: a 45-minute morning walk or hike followed by a 15-minute stretch and release class. Breakfast would include healthful items to boost energy, such as orange bran muffins or fruit and nut cereal. Meetings would take place in the Mayflower's Tea House, a classic country cabin that's designed for meeting retreats. During the morning meetings, guests would take breaks for energy and antioxidant-infused juices such as Pear Ginger Sparkler or Hibiscus Punch and mini-workshops on topics such as cultivating energy. After a healthy lunch with the spa's nutritionist, guests would participate in a constitutional walk around the property. Afternoon meetings would include breaks for mini-workshops on stress management or teambuilding. Dinner that evening would be served in the property's main dining room, and would include handouts for guests on how to incorporate these practices back in the workplace.
What does your typical food day look like?
I start each day with oatmeal or a seven-grain cereal. This sets me up for a day of healthy eating and regulates my desire for sugar (I used to have a terrible sweet tooth!). I eat a soup or lentil/quinoa salad for lunch. I have hummus with celery or carrots at tea time with a cup of rooibos or mint tea. Dinner includes vegetables, rice, beans, cheese and sometimes garlic bread followed by fresh ginger tea. At bedtime, I have a cup of hot water or hot water with lime (not lemon) juice.
How long have you lived in Washington, Conn.?
I lived there full-time for about five years. I now split my time between Manhattan and Connecticut.
Any place you like to travel in particular?
I love the beach. This is where I feel free and easy, both emotionally and in my physical self.
Do you have a favorite exercise or spa experience?
I love rituals: setting aside several hours to do a series of spa activities. For example, a dream day for me would be a walk in the labyrinth at the Mayflower to set my intention for the whole experience. Then, immediately setting out on a strenuous hike in Steeprock Reserve, adjacent to the Mayflower, followed by a yoga session for stretch and release followed by a purifying session in the Spa's thermal sanctuary. I would end the ritual with a wrap, an exfoliating scrub and an aromatic warm-oil application with massage, paying special attention to scalp and feet.
How did you get into spas/wellness?
Since I was in my late teens, I have been interested in yoga and what was then referred to as holistic health and healing. From an early age I mixed facial potions in the kitchen, and in college I started practicing yoga and experimenting with tofu and healthy eating. In the early 1980s, my husband and I went to one of California's early holistic healing centers, called Meadowlark, on regular restorative retreats. I was hooked!
Send comments to jennifer.juergens@nielsen.com.
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