Natural mineral spring spas, is what the term “spa” was first used to describe. The authentic mineral spring spas differ so much from today’s popular destination spas and day spas that some experts believe a “Great Spa Debate” is bound to arise.

“Among the resorts featuring natural mineral springs, there is a movement to reclaim the origin of spas: healing through water,” said Deborah Coryell, the Health and Wellness director of King Ventures, owners of Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Avila Hot Springs in San Luis Obispo, CA, and Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs, CA. “Fortunately, today’s growing interest in natural lifestyles and alternative healing has brought about a renewed interest in healing springs.”

Says internationally renowned physician, holistic health expert and author Dr. Andrew Weil, “Hot springs are magical sources of good energy that soothe aches and pains, rejuvenate, and promote health. You can't have a spa without healing water coming out of the earth. You can have health resorts, fitness centers, and any number of other variations on the theme, but if there's no healing water coming out of the ground, you don't have a spa. Period.*

The modern tradition of using mineral springs for healing properties was popularized in the Belgian town of Spa, where the word “spa,” (derived from the Latin phrase Sanitas per Aqua which translates to health and healing through water) was the general name given to the local medical springs. For centuries, Europeans flocked to these and other hot mineral spring spas to experience the restorative and curative values of the reputed waters.

There, they learned that minerals absorbed through the skin rejuvenate the body, and the waters at both European and American mineral spring spas have since been used to treat everything from respiratory disorders and nervous disorders to rheumatism. Even former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appreciated the water’s properties, proffering national recognition to Warm Springs, Georgia after purchasing the warm springs in order to treat his polio-related paralysis in 1924.

Today, the word spa is associated less with rejuvenation and healing and more with salon-style pampering and beautifying treatments, but experts like Coryell maintain that current trends show a migration toward resorts that offer the best of both worlds. In his book “Healing Springs, the Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters,” author Nathanial Altman intrigues readers with details on the miraculous mineral spring waters. Indeed, it would seem that healing mineral springs are once again attracting those in search of more than a facelift – those interested in returning to what is perhaps the most luxurious healing remedy found in nature.

Would you consider featuring a story on the Great Spa Debate? Deborah Coryell would love to speak with you more on this rich topic, and we would be happy to provide you with a list of numerous natural mineral springs resorts in the U.S.

World-renowned author and lecturer Dr. Andrew Weil is on board to participate in what we hope will be a national dialogue with spa goers as well as spa owners. < PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE >