A new program for our week-long guests who are seeking a full mind, body and soul jump-start.
A Lighter You! focuses on practical lifestyle skills such as designing a week's menu, healthy eating with the family, tips on how to grocery shop for weight loss, strategies for lowering calories and balancing meals and even techniques for managing stress.
Please call for more details: 800-440-7772.
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New Rancho La Puerta Facial Debuts, Features Deep Facial Massage Techniques
Our Japanese Restorative Facial, Ki Moto Do, dramatically restores skin tone and smoothness, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, and imparts a fresh luminous radiance to the face through facial massage techniques. Your treatment begins with a thorough cleaning, and then a renewed look is achieved via lifting and stimulating the underlying facial tissue using intricate, dynamic massage techniques.
Benefits include increased circulation, improved neuromuscular response, and tissue vitality. Two treatment lengths will be offered: 50 minutes and 80 minutes. The longer version includes extractions and extended facial massage.
Recommended for all skin types. Prices are $105, 50 min.; $135, 80 min. (+tax), Villas Health Center
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Rancho La Puerta Awarded 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
The accolade, which recognizes hospitality excellence, is presented to hotels, resorts, and spas that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to top-ranked properties worldwide.
TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors, and over 60 million reviews and opinions.
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Thousands Head Out to Fundación La Puerta's World Environment Day Celebration in Tecate
 Educating and inspiring the citizens of Tecate to respect and celebrate the environment is what draws thousands of visitors to Fundación La Puerta's Annual World Environment Day. This year's event drew more than 5,000 visitors from the local community and beyond including visitors from San Diego.
Among the more than 50 exhibits were activities for school-aged children to learn about the importance of protecting wildlife and marine species and the preservation of the natural environment of Baja California. Local and regional charity groups, including a handful of ICF's partner organizations in Tecate, Tijuana and Ensenada and regional governmental entities brought hands-on learning and exposure of many critical ecological issues for the entire family. Schools, researchers, and museums also were given booth space to share information on such topics as recycling, organic gardening, composting and the demonstration of water quality monitoring provided by the local Tecate Water Authority.
Festival participants were also treated to delicious traditional Mexican foods, regional music, dance and theatre performances.
To learn more about Fundación La Puerta or future events, please visit: http://www.fundacionlapuerta.org/. Consider making a U.S. tax-deductible donation today to Fundación La Puerta!
We "raised the bar" at the Ranch...
 Interest in The Bar Method workout, which is offered at the Ranch as well as studios throughout the U.S., is getting hotter every day. Most recently, The Wall Street Journal wrote a story on the workout and posted a great video. Check it out here.
Upcoming 2013 Bar Method Weeks
Twenty-five of the best videos made on Bar Method are now available on YouTube's Bar Method channel.
Rancho La Puerta Unites with Amala and Primavera Skincare, World Leaders in All-Natural Green Beauty, to Offer More than "Skin Deep" Benefits
"We searched for several years for a company and skincare line that reflected our respect for the earth and nature's healing potential. I was  delighted to discover Primavera Life and their luxury brand, Amala. Founded by Ute Leube, her company's passionate mission mirrors my own...to connect people with nature. Ute's concept of beauty is about balance, serving both the skin and the soul, benefiting everyone. They have gone far beyond organic certification. Supported by twenty years of research and long standing relationships with growers, the products are processed to the highest standards in a green building complex. In every aspect, from soil to skin, Amala shines with its own integrity and authenticity. The products are beautiful, pure, uplifting and nourishing. We can't wait to share our discovery with you."
–Sarah Livia Szekely Brightwood, President, Rancho La Puerta
Here at the Ranch we're pleased to announce the debut of our new partnership with like-minded Amala and Primavera Life Skincare. The certified NaTrue™, German-based, all-natural beauty company carries its commitment to pure and responsible products and wellness practices far beyond being simply "green"—just as we strive to do at Rancho La Puerta. Many of our exclusive new health and beauty therapies offer skin and health benefits, as well as foster a much deeper balance and invigoration of the body itself. For example, Primavera's Five Elements Body Treatment, a unique formulation only offered at Rancho La Puerta, has been created to balance the "Qi" energy of body and mind, while helping to release blocked emotions and restore equilibrium.
Rancho La Puerta is now offering only Amala and Primavera products in all of its spa therapies. All facials will use only the Amala line, while  other treatments will only employ Primavera. Both Amala and Primavera are formulated with 100% whole plant ingredients, sustainably sourced from a global network of fair trade farm partners. Ingredients are organically grown in their native habitats, custom distilled to ensure they retain their full therapeutic value, and are completely pure and natural with zero preservatives, chemicals, parabens, or artificial fragrances.
"There is no reason green shouldn't be synonymous with performance," says Ute Leube, who along with her partner, Kurt Nuebling, founded Primavera, Germany's largest aromatherapy company. They launched Amala in May, 2008, with the goal of raising the bar in the natural beauty category. They soon legitimized certification standards proving green performs equally well as conventional and doctor-developed formulations. By using Amala and Primavera products – made without any additives – guests at Rancho La Puerta are assured that their skin will absorb only those pure, complete nutrients occurring in nature and free of any harmful or questionable chemical changes that can occur during manufacturing. The effect on both the physical body and the spa-goers attitude toward their personal well-being is truly transformative.
To download a copy of our new Spa brochure, click here.
On Leadership
A keynote speech
by Deborah Szekely, founder of the Golden Door and co-founder
Rancho La Puerta
Recently Deborah was invited to give a keynote speech at a Leadership
Conference where she received a standing ovation! Read
it here! (PDF)
Have
YOU been to YouTube lately?
Rancho La Puerta features a new video posting on YouTube approximately
once every two weeks. To view our latest, click
here.
The Ranch introduced “Four Hand
Massage” during its 70th year
The ultimate body massage now offered! Rancho La Puerta Four Hand Body Massage originates from
the ancient Ayurvedic technique involving two therapists drizzling
warm herbalized oil on the body, then massaging it in with brisk
and/or long and flowing movements. Two therapists use essential
oils infused with lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, or lemongrass,
and work together in a choreographed manner to heighten the massage
experience. The dynamic flow and release created when two massage
therapists work synchronously is a must experience for the experienced
client as well as those wanting to indulge in an unforgettable
journey. Available now. $150, fifty minutes.
Want to jump start your fitness goals? Let the Ranch “Navigator Program” develop
a fitness program that is just right for you.
 Our new personalized fitness concierge service debuted this summer! Soon after
your arrival one of our health and fitness staff experts will meet with you
(at no extra charge) to discuss your fitness goals, interests, and particular
challenges…. And help you plan a very personalized fitness schedule for the
week. You are taught how to “navigate” the myriad of classes, exercise genres
(i.e. Pilates, Yoga, et al), and regimens available during your stay. And there
are many—the Ranch has the most complete fitness program of any destination
spa in the world. The benefits will carry over to your return home as you create
a program to live the healthier, longer life.
Current and Upcoming La Cocina Que Canta Special Guests
Experience cooking with seasonal, organically grown ingredients in the heart
of an organic six-acre farm. This unforgettable culinary experience combines
the opportunity to cook side-by-side with great teaching chefs and enjoy a
fine meal you helped prepare.
Week of May 18th: A California native, Gary Jenanyan has been cooking in the Napa
Valley for more than 30 years. A noted designer, restaurant consultant
and chef instructor, Mr. Jenanyan has enjoyed the rare privilege of working
with the most influential chefs of this era. As Executive Chef
of the Great Chefs Program at Robert Mondavi Winery for 26 years
before retiring in 2002, he worked with and was mentored
by the best of France’s 3-star chefs both here and abroad, including
Jean Troisgros, Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, Marc Meneau, Alain Chapel,
Georges Blanc and Pierre Gagnaire. He has also worked and taught
with many noted American chefs and authors including Julia Child, Jacques
Pepin, Jan Birnbaum, Thomas Keller, Bradley Ogden and others.
Week of May 25th: Author, Gardener & Cook Amy Pennington is the creator and owner of GoGo Green Garden, and edible garden business wherein she builds, plants and tends edible gardens for city folk in their backyards. In March of 2009, Amy launched UrbanGardenShare.org, a garden website that pairs city gardeners with unused garden space via an online matching site. Amy is a regular contributing writer to Edible Seattle, a bi-monthly food focused magazine highlighting the culinary bounty of the Puget Sound region, Crosscut.com, Food52 and SIP Northwest. Her first book, Urban Pantry, was published in spring of 2010 and was chosen as one of Amazon.coms Best Cookbooks Of The Year. Her most recent book was published in April of 2011, Apartment Gardening – Plants Projects and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home and will launch a monthly ebook series launched in January 2013. She is the host of PBS’ Check, Please! Northwest & has been featured on Whole Living Martha Stewart Sirius Radio and in national and international publications including Woman’s Day Magazine and the Toronto Star.
Week of June 8th: Kathleen Flinn is an award-winning writer and journalist and the author of the best-selling food memoir The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry about her experiences at the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She took her French culinary training to understand what holds people back from cooking more in their own kitchens in her widely acclaimed follow-up The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, which earned rave reviews across the board, from People magazine, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly and dozens of other publications and bloggers. Her books combine her unique style of narrative story telling with recipes tested by more than 100 volunteer cooks across the globe. A writer for more than 20 years,Flinn’s work has appeared in more than three dozen publications worldwide including Smithsonian, Chicago Sun-Times, The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Waitrose Illustrated (UK). She curates the popular dinner series The Red Velvet Dinners in Seattle, and teaches food writing through a traveling course titled Hungry For Words.
Current Specialty Weeks
Week of May 18th:
The Bar Method with Wendy Higgins
Week of May 25th:
The Bar Method with Allison McCurdy
CorePower Yoga with Yvonne Bartels and Racquel Tristan
Week of June 1st:
Water Week with Craig Stuart
Week of June 8th:
The Bar Method with Laura Stein |
