TRACEE TRAVELS WELL

For Tracee Ellis Ross, self-care isn't just a buzzword. It's a way of life. At California's newest wellness retreat, Sensei Porcupine Creek, the actor shares her secrets for staying happy and healthy on the road.

- Bethany Heitman

FRESH-FACED, in a breezy cotton dress with her hair slicked back, Tracee Ellis Ross is nestled in a chair in a private villa at Sensei Porcupine Creek, in Rancho Mirage, California. Stretched behind her, visible through a wall of windows, are the Santa Rosa Mountains. Ross chose Sensei Porcupine Creek as the site of her Travel + Leisure cover shoot and spent the morning posing at the property-in a sun-filled villa bedroom, on the ivy-covered veranda of the Sensei by Nobu restaurant. The vibe during the shoot was upbeat and fun, thanks to Ross's energy and choice of uptempo music.

Once the estate of Silicon Valley mogul Larry Ellison, Sensei Porcupine Creek opened as a 230-acre wellness oasis in November 2022. The décor of the 22 rooms and villas takes inspiration from Japanese minimalism, while the gardens overflow with colorful plant life. The grounds are dotted with artworks, like a massive puppy sculpture by Yoshitomo Nara that greets guests on the road to the resort's entrance. But it's the wellness offerings that set the place apart. Experts in nutrition, rest, mindfulness, and fitness create customized, science-based treatments and activities with the goal of making clients feel more relaxed and healthy by the time they check out.

For Ross, who usually has a dozen projects in the hopper at any given time, taking care of herself is both a luxury and a priority. "Wellness is really about honoring yourself," she says. "It is how you care for yourself-how you know yourself." Roles on the hit television shows Girlfriends and Black-ish helped to make her a household name and earned her nominations and awards (including, for Black-ish, a Golden Globe and an Emmy).

Ross also sings-she sang five original songs for the 2020 film The High Note-hosts award shows, and produces projects like the docuseries The Hair Tales through her production company Joy Mill Entertainment.