Wellness Wonders in Phoenix and Scottsdale

There’s something about Arizona that attracts those in search of a salubrious escape. Maybe it’s the dry climate and sunny days. Maybe it’s the energy vortexes of Sedona or the forested climes of Flagstaff. No matter what it is that lures the wellness seeker to Arizona, there are myriad ways to relax and rejuvenate.

Here, some of the best wellness wonders in the Phoenix and Scottsdale metro area.

Where to Stay

The prevailing belief at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa in Carefree is that happiness is the ultimate gateway to healthiness. That’s why this “playground for wellbeing” is the kind of place where sipping a cocktail by the pool is encouraged just as much as meeting with one of the resort’s ayurvedic practitioners.

Guests can explore upwards of 70 classes, workshops and culinary tutorials that promise to boost their mood. Whether you opt for aerial yoga or TRX training, sunbathing or sound baths, an ayurvedic consultation or a plant-rich (not, mind you, plant-exclusive) meal at Terras, everything at CIVANA has been meticulously orchestrated to elicit joy.

Not able to stay overnight? No problem: Day passes are available at select times of year for curated experiences. After all, even a little taste of joy may be enough to reset your path to wellness.

How to Unwind

Regardless of how long you stay at CIVANA, be sure to make a Spirit of the Desert spa treatment part of your visit. Designed to harness the healing properties of the Sonoran Desert, the experience begins with a guided meditation and sound bowls, whose vibrations encourage connection to the present. Then, your therapist gets to work using poultices crafted from short-grain brown rice, calendula, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, chaparral leaf and chamomile flowers along with massage and nourishing oils to relieve tension.

Places to Explore

Part of wellness is movement and being outside, and Desert Breeze Yoga offers an ideal way to get both courtesy of its Yoga + Hiking packages. As its name suggests, Yoga + Hiking takes you on a trek along one of Phoenix’s mountains before pausing for an hour of yoga. Most excursions are two hours and range from a short walk to a sweat-inducing, three-and-a-half-hour session. One of the most compelling experiences, however, may be the one-hour hike to a stone amphitheater where participants stretch and flow into the sunset.

Ways to Slow Down

If a leisurely stroll is more your speed, consider one of two meditative gardens.

The Fine Family Contemplation Garden at Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) is situated among some of the oldest plantings in the DBG’s living collection. But it’s very much its own destination, offering a multi-sensory experience with colorful and fragrant botanicals and a reflective water feature whose circular shape encompasses a small, terrazzo labyrinth.

Or, visit the Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden in Glendale. Named for a local resident who was an avid gardener, and who lost her eyesight, the space aims to stimulate the senses, especially those of sound, touch and smell. It encompasses five distinct mini gardens, each featuring unique water elements and such diverse plantings as Mexican bird of paradise, desert lavender, creosote and hybrid tea roses.

Where to Refuel

For those wellness travelers seeking nourishment for their bodies, minds and tastebuds, Arizona delivers. Vegans and vegan-friendly diners appreciate the inventive approach of Giving Tree Cafe in Phoenix. It claims to be the “healthiest restaurant in Arizona,” probably because it goes beyond eschewing animal products to sidestep a whole list of dubious ingredients, such as soy, gluten, seed oil and even processed sugar.

In Scottsdale, Farm & Craft manages to make healthy eating feel sexy. Dishes are colorful, often locally sourced and heavy on the kombucha and acaí while the drink menu takes a turn for the unexpected. (Hello, matcha mule and kombucha cocktails!) Food, after all, is the stuff of life and, as it turns out, probably wellness too.