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Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/109233
Honored Tradition: Medicine Man A tribe���s medicine man or woman is thought to possess sacred powers to heal body and soul. They will understand the root of illness, and may prescribe anything from herbs to prayers to behavioral changes. ���For example,��� says Cohen,���a person might have arthritis because they are stiff and stagnant in their attitude.��� Medicine people may summon the spirit world for curative help via ceremonies, tobacco, storytelling, masks, sand painting, dream interpretation, chanting, and drums and rattles.The important point is that it���s the person, not the disease, who is treated. Mii Amo Spa is nestled within Boynton Canyon, which Native Americans have called home for thousands of years. Sacred Ground in Sedona The red rock mountains of Sedona, Arizona, draw visitors via their embodied sense of spirituality and connection to the natural world, and destination spa Mii Amo (miiamo.com) blends seamlessly into that landscape. The spa lies in Boynton Canyon, where Native American tribes have been living for thousands of years. With the help of a director of Native American programming and a Native American elder, Mii Amo works hard to honor the land, the elements and the region���s indigenous traditions. The spa offers many treatments that have roots in Native American practices, but doesn���t market them as traditional practices. ���We can���t copy something that is done on the reservation and then have a nonNative American perform it in a spa setting,��� explains Chris Bird, general manager of the spa. 26 DAYSPA | MARCH 2013 Instead, the intentions are translated into unforgettable spa experiences. For example, a vision quest is an ancient, Native American ritual of sending young men, sometimes women, into the wilderness where they might stay alone for days, often fasting, to develop a higher consciousness and a connection to the supernatural world. Mii Amo���s Inner Quest (60 min./$250), one of the spa���s ���ve multi-treatment transformational journeys, begins with the guest wrapped in a traditional Pendleton ���circle of life��� blanket. Sweetgrass is burned and the guest is anointed with essential oils. The spirits are called upon via blessings, and with drums and rattles purchased from a local reservation. Hot stones are placed under the blanket. The sounds and scents of recorded music and essentials oils further transport the guest. The ceremony calls on the spirits to help the guest gain vision, wisdom and inner discovery. After a meditative period, the guest is gently brought back into the present. The property houses ���ve ���wickiups,��� wooden dwellings with curtains and retractable ceilings, so that treatments can be performed under the natural elements or, if needed, made safe from the intense Arizona sun. The resort and spa offers multiple health and wellness activities that enable guests to connect with true Native American healers. Guests might choose to go on a medicine walk with a tribal elder who blesses them and explains traditional healing techniques. Or they might participate in a talking circle or a guided walk to the tribal ruins found on the edge of the property.