Mary Bemis

Mary Bemis is the editor in chief of Journey to Renewal and the founder of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com.

Mary Bemis by Christopher Briscoe

Over the Border Healing

Spa aficionado Mary Bemis checks out the new alternative health retreat in Baja.…

The Future of Touch

Spa aficionado Mary Bemis traveled to New York to receive her first massage from…

The Preidlof Way

Spa aficionado Mary Bemis visits a magical retreat in Italy’s South Tyrol.…

10 Tips for the First-Time Retreat Goer

Considering taking a retreat? These ten tips will help you prepare for the exper…

23 Great Places to Pause, Reflect, and Renew

Our 2023 Retreat Guide features 23 unique retreat centers design to help you hea…

Re/Treat Yourself: Chasing Sunshine

Discover the delights of a 4,000-acre nature-filled retreat in Tecate, Mexico.…

Re/Treat Yourself: Peace and Quiet

An electronics-free retreat center tucked into an old-growth forest in Wisconsin…

Zen Wellness at Castle Hot Springs

The Castle Hot Springs in Arizona awaits. Water pours from fissures in the rock …

New Ways to Get Outside

Cause for optimism: A boom in stunning public parks!

Magic Mushroom Retreats

Interested in psychedelic change? Magic mushroom retreats may be an appealing op…

A True Respite: The Retreat Costa Rica

It may sound trite to write that a location is magical—but this one is.

A Healing Retreat Menu

Flavorful and nourishing recipes from leading retreats.

Taking It Home: Hang on to the Positive Effects of Your Retreat

Reap the benefits of your retreat long after you return home.

How to Prepare for Your Retreat

From flight plans to financing to emergency contacts, make sure you’re well prep…

7 Reasons to Go on Retreat

Is now the time? There are several reasons to go on retreat this year.

The Healing Power of Poetry

Regard a poem as a talisman, a locket that contains a secret.

5 Predictions for the Future of Retreats

The baths will be back! Retreat veteran Mary Bemis shares her predictions for th…

When You Finally Go on a Retreat ...

What to keep in mind—and what to steer clear of when deciding on a retreat.…

5 Questions with Jon Kabat-Zinn

Renowned mindfulness scientist and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn will be leading a retr…

Practicing Mindfulness at Mohonk

Since its very beginning in 1869 in New York’s Hudson River Valley, Mohonk Mount…

If You Want To... Quiet Your Mind

There are different kinds of quiet, and each one creates its own rest.

If You Want To... Immerse Yourself In Another Culture

Journeys That Are Truly Transformational

5 Questions for Alan Safdi MD, FACG

Medical Director, Telluride Longevity Institute

If You Want To... Invest in a Wellness Program

10 powerful paths toward finding optimum wellness—and a better you.

If You Want To... Bring Out Your Creativity

5 Great Places to Play With Your Inner Artist

5 Expert Tips on How to Choose a Retreat

“Listen to your heart,” advises this seasoned pro.

Seaside Retreats

Choose a stay by the sea and let the tides soothe your senses.

Mountainside Serenity

Embrace your inner mountain goat and…

​From the Editor: Where Do You Want to be Right Now?

Close your eyes and take a journey in your mind—ask yourself, “What is calling t…

Finding Quiet

7 places to experience silence

Grounded in Nature

Restore your natural rhythms at these idyllic getaways.

Hot Springs Havens

Soothing getaways for soaking

10 Best Bath Soaks and Soaps

Water is becoming more precious. Take it seriously.

10 Best Face Washes

Nourishing and gentle products for your most visible self.

10 Best Body Scrubs

Slough off the old skin, bring in the new with sugar and sea salt

10 Best Body Potions

Show your body some love with this sensual collection of lotions, balms, and oils.

10 Best Mists to Spritz

A wonderful way to refresh yourself throughout the day, these aromatic mists can help in a variety of ways.

10 Best for Hands and Feet

A bounty of natural butters and oils to protect and regenerate.

10 Best for Eyes and Lips

Make sure to give these delicate areas special care and attention

10 Best for Natural Hair Care

Scalp-soothing, hair-hydrating serums, masks and more.

The Beauty 100

Natural beauty guide from Spirituality & Health magazine

Best Retreats for the Active Traveler

The spiritual path leads toward “total aliveness” and entails peace and calm and…

Best Retreats for the Solo Explorer

Not so many years ago, a healthy spa diet arrived in shades of dark green and br…

Best Retreats for the Multi-Generational Family

“In the old days, the elders knew the stories of their sons—because they lived t…

Best Retreats for the Spiritual Seeker

Natural quiet comes in many forms: the quiet of the solitary mountain walk, the …

Most Spiritual Spa: The Vana, Malsi Estate

Spirituality, more often than not, when offered up in today’s spa realm, is yet …

Gifts from Trees

They house us, feed us, and help us breathe, yet what we tend to forget is the h…

Beauty From the Sea

“We turn to the ocean around us to restore, replenish, and purify the ocean that…

Nourish Your Skin

We all know that our skin is our largest organ, and we also understand that nico…

Hemp, The Hero Plant

Celebrate the third annual Hemp History Week, June 4th - 10th, with a plethora o…

Herbs for At-Home Beauty Treatments

We asked Trisha Shirey, the director of Flora and Fauna at Lake Austin Spa Resor…

Earthly Goods: Get Fit, Feel Better

Strengthen Your CoreI have a friend in her late 80s who has more pep in her step…

Three Great Places to Take the Waters

Spa en Vivo at Hotel MatildaSan Miguel de Allende, MexicoThere’s a large paintin…

Transformative Travel: Ideal Places to Soak, Shower, and Float

I was wading through icy-cold water — willingly — and it felt great. I wasn’t at…