Mindful Living And Luxury

Dr. Andrew Weil brings holistic wellness to the Seabourn fleet.

- Regina Baraban

FULL DISCLOSURE: I AM A FAN OF integrative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil. So I had high expectations for an enriching experience as I settled onto my yoga mat at his Crystal Sound Bath class, covered myself with a blanket, applied an eye pillow and retreated from the world around me. After welcoming us to what promised to be a deeply meditative experience, our instructor/wellness guide proceeded to create a sequence of varying sound wave vibrations with three different crystal bowls, also known as singing bowls. As the atonal, haunting sounds of the bowls filled the room, the vibrations seemed to harmonize with each other and flow into my being. I lost consciousness of time and slipped into a trance-like state. When I emerged 50 minutes later, I felt relaxed and renewed.

Not only was this a new spa experience for me, but it happened in an unexpected venue: a cruise ship. Pampering spa treatments are de rigueur on luxury cruise ships, but in 2016 Seabourn added a new dimension to its fleet-wide spas with Dr. Weil’s wellness program at sea, said to be the first of its kind. The Seabourn fleet also offers Mindful Living seminars that take deep dives into Dr. Weil’s research and his best-selling books on nutrition, spontaneous healing, healthy aging and other mindful living topics.

It was on Seabourn’s newest ultra-luxe ship, Seabourn Ovation, where I took the memorable crystal bowl class — and was a daily visitor to the small but serene spa and wellness center, with six treatment rooms, saunas, a steam room, a motion studio and a fitness room.