Sound the retreat (and open up your flower) at the Center for Massage and Natural Health.

Feeling a frazzled? Unconnected? Closed down? Add something to your schedule that you really need-time off. Then do something you need to do-retreat.

Located in an idyllic cove in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just north of Asheville, the Center for Massage and Natural Health is a retreat and educational center specializing in the healing arts and sciences. As one pulls up the driveway, imaginings of profound personal progress flood the mind. Blissful relaxation, enlightenment, radiant skin, and maybe even thinner thighs will all be yours after you partake of the body, mind, spirit wellness that the Center offers. Ah yes, the best version of ourselves is indeed within our reach.

The Retreat Center greets its guests with a rustic, comfy elegance. Directly off the great room is a deck that overlooks the lake. Such serenity somehow translates as decadent luxury and conjures those hopeful thoughts again. That is until Sasha (a beautiful Burmese feline, perfectly befitting spa cat status) comes bounding up, simultaneously seeking an affectionate scratch behind the ears and a sneak into the lodge.

Whether you are a guest for a half-day, whole day or two weeks, staff welcomes you and meets with you to discuss what you are looking to get out of your time at the center.

Staff member Rebecca Brewer explained, "The Center is small enough to be personal, yet it's about being a place that gives people the space to really expand, relax, connect with nature, and chill out within a spiritual context." Brewer continued, "It's unstructured enough to let people design their own personal retreats, but we offer staff, guidance and advice if needed, whether it's holistic, nutritional, or what have you."

The Retreat Center offers day spa packages, personal retreats, and the specialty of the house, juice fasts. The Center also boasts a gourmet natural foods cook, Janet Silverman. From her maple almond granola to her rustic apple tart, Janet keeps retreat guests oohing and aahing.

Other services include massage, yoga, pilates, and a lakeside soak-your-stress-away dunk in the Nordic Crown II Nordissage Hot Tub. The Center is located on 24 acres, and private hiking trails are available to Retreat Center guests on an adjoining 650-acre cove, where wildflowers abound and an upper lake, tucked almost invisibly in the woods, is an exciting treat. Those a little less adventurous can stroll the paved walkway around the meditation lake.

With only a day to get a full sense of the Center, this writer and a friend decided to do a juice fast, schedule massages, tackle hiking trails and check out the Introduction to Massage class. We settled into our room, sniffed the essential oil amenity products and listened to the sound of tree frogs in the rhododendrons off our private deck. We then enjoyed the first of two juice sessions from the lakeside deck. "Sweet Surrender" was a yummy orange, carrot, ginger concoction served with a barley grass chaser. The noise and stress of the week faded away and we surrendered to the tranquility of our surroundings.

Center for Massage and Natural Health "resident" Caroline Hobson was our massage therapist. Hobson is a natural born healer-part masseuse, part counselor, part intuitive. Both of us bliss ninnies afterwards, we didn't discuss our massages until we returned to the "real" world, whereupon we realized how uniquely Hobson adapts to each client.

The second part of our juice fast was the 'liver cleanse'! Yes, that's actually what they call it. This writer feels that divulging what's in it might deter readers from partaking. However unlikely the combination of its ingredients, the liver cleanse is strangely enjoyable. Perhaps it was the laughter while we indulged our livers. Or, perhaps it was the knowledge that we were doing something really good for our bodies.

The Introduction to Massage Therapy class may actually be more of a catalyst than an indulgence. Pripo Teplitsky seems the living embodiment of the body, mind and spirit connection. As Teplitsky begins the class, you learn that he was not always like this. A massage therapist at the Esalen Institute changed his life forever when he looked at him and said, "Hey man, open up your flower." Little did some of the people in this class know, those words would change their lives too.

Sound the retreat and open up your flower at the Center for Massage and Natural Health.

The Center for Massage and Natural Health has information about the Retreat Center, including spa packages, vacation packages, group rentals, etc, as well as information about its 600 hour Massage Certification program, at its web site www.centerformassage.com. They also offer an open house for prospective students the first Saturday of every month.

Sweet Surrender Morning Juice:

3 carrots
1 green apple
1 inch slice of ginger
All juiced, then strained, This is YUMMY!

Veggie All-Pro:

small handful of washed spinach leaves or your
favorite greens
1 carrot
2 celery
1/4 bell pepper (red if you don't like green)
1/4 cucumber
1/2 red beet
Juice all of the above and strain off the foam.

Vacation Nutrition & Hydration by Emily Ray

Going on vacation--to amusement parks, fairs, beaches or ether high traffic areas--often brings tempting but altogether unhealthy junk food and soft drinks that can pack on the pounds and leave you dehydrated. This combination will provide you with little energy for enjoying your time off.

Just about everyone needs to drink at least two liters of water a day. If you're spending time outdoors, in the hot sun especially, aim for three or more liters. Keep in mind that when your vacation includes activities that cause you to sweat--hiking, nature trekking, kayaking or rafting, even swimming--you'll need to carefully monitor your body to ensure that you're consuming enough water.

Eating healthy food is always important, but becomes crucial when you are exerting a lot of energy. GORP--"good old raisins and peanuts" mix (or your choice of trail mix) packs and keeps well, is a good energy source and, if you shop at a bulk foods store, is cheap too! Making your own GORP is a fun activity for the whole family and allows for some creative tweaking to suit everyone's taste. Try any combination of the following for a wholesome and energy-packed treat.

Raisins or sultanas, Peanuts Almonds, Cashews Sunflower seeds Granola or breakfast cereal Coconut Dried fruits (apricots, dates, apples) Banana chips Chocolate or carob chips Bite-sized pretzels Popcorn Pumpkin seeds

Michelle Keenan is a fundraiser for public radio and a freelance writer living in Asheville, NC. She's ever on the lookout for great adventures, 'big foot', and a good story. She can be reached at [e-mail].