City dwellers suffering from urban-related afflictions – too many late nights, too many lattes and maybe even nomophobia (the fear of losing one’s cell phone) can find relief at Grail Springs, a health spa and wellness retreat located in Bancroft, Ontario. Here you can escape the Big Smoke for the chance to relax and unwind on a serene, lakefront property. And while the focus of the retreats offered at Grail Springs vary depending on your length of stay (anywhere from two-night wellness getaways to 21-day life-transforming programs), they all promote wellness with healthy meals and activities geared toward eliminating toxins from the body and mind.
Guests at Grail Springs will get a hint of what’s to come with their confirmation booking email. Aside from a packing list and other practical information, you will be sent a lifestyle questionnaire in which you provide your nutrition and body cleanse habits; your fitness level; a self-rating system of your breathing and relaxation techniques and your current state of mindfulness and spirituality.
An eco-“tabin” furnished with HBC blankets
Visitors are also encouraged to bring a writing journal to “capture thoughtful moments” and there are many opportunities for those. Each day starts with a breakfast (perhaps featuring Blueberry Ginger Buckwheat Pancakes or Quinoa Porridge with Apples) followed by the six-minute “Grail Mantra”, a practice designed to put your mind and heart into a “carefree zone”. The rest of the day is filled with spiritually-focused activities, including candlelight yoga or yoga-on-the-grass (depending on the season), a daily hike to a crystal crop and equine therapy classes. There are also meditation classes held in a teepee; where you can experience a variation of a traditional aboriginal smudging ceremony led by a Shaman. Grail Springs has a variety of “theme” weeks on rotation, from boot-camp and weight loss; self-improvement and a perennial favourite, the annual Grail Lady Faire, a five-day transformational festival featuring women speakers, instructors, activists and artists, all of whom provide attendees with tools for positive change. With program leaders and guests coming from around the world, the festival is aptly billed as “Canada’s Glastonbury for Enlightened Women.”
Meal times are eagerly anticipated by guests (except, obviously, those signed up for the juice-cleansing programs). The creative combination of ingredients used in the vegan dishes makes you forget that what you are eating has been made without the use of white sugar, white flour or any animal proteins. To name just a few, the coconut pea soup and brown rice pasta topped with mixed vegetables, snow peas and hemp seeds topped with “creamed” cashew sauce are particularly memorable, and the chocolate pudding made from dark chocolate, banana and avocados is a delightful discovery for any dieter.
Caffeine addicts should be aware there is absolutely no coffee available at Grail Springs (lest you want to suffer withdrawal headaches and other symptoms of irritability during your stay, it is best to wean yourself off of your habit gradually prior to your arrival). Instead, there are herbal teas available as well as the signature Grail Springs Detox Elixir made with the juice of organic lemons, chopped organic ginger and organic maple syrup. This tonic is said to be good for alkalizing the body and acting as an immune booster.
Accommodations here are spacious and comfortable. Well-appointed suites (described as “country cozy”, complete with empire beds and Laura Ashley wallpaper adorning the walls) are located in the medieval-style lodge. And for adventurous types looking for less plush surroundings, the “eco-tabins” (“tabin” being a portmanteau of “tent” and “cabin”) are available seasonally between May and October. Located five minutes from the main building, these electricity-free, outdoor accommodations are furnished with handmade fixtures and Hudson Bay wool blankets to keep you warm at night.
A horse named St. Pete, cooling off after an Equine Therapy class
Not surprisingly, spa treatments at Grail Springs promote detoxification and also pay homage to spiritual traditions, such as aromatherapy massages using sacred oils or the Zen Shiatsu treatment in which the guest lies on a shiatsu mat and the practitioner applies pressure along the so-called meridians of the body to unblock stagnation and create balance and flow. Curiously, there is also one called the “Hollywood Red Carpet Slimming Wrap”, a treatment whose name seems more fitting at a day spa located in Orange County, California rather than a retreat located in Bancroft, Ontario.
Suffice to say, those expecting a slick, well-oiled machine of efficiency at Grail Springs will need to slow down and take a deep breath: classes may run a few minutes late here or there, cell phones are best kept out-of-sight and the 2.5 hour journey to the property from Toronto or Ottawa as stated on the website can turn into a longer road trip if traffic is bad. But if you are willing to let go and surrender yourself to the surroundings, you can learn a whole new way of connecting and it doesn’t even require the use of a mobile device.
Accommodations and photo of the Eco Tabin were provided by Grail Springs.
