Established in 1865

In all the world, no waters like these...

newsletter

December 2009

Guest Chef Weekend with Charlie Cascio and Yannick Marchand December 30-January 1
Join us for a special holiday celebration as chefs Charlie and Yannick collaborate to bring us the freshest food from local area farms. We'll celebrate the New Year the Wilbur way, with appetizers, a gourmet buffet, and champagne in your favorite intimate setting.
	Charlie has cooked throughout Europe, including Germany, France, Belgium, and Spain. He has worked as a personal private chef and has been head chef for numerous restaurants. Charlie has taught natural food cooking seminars to individuals, restaurants, and health professionals throughout Europe and the United States. He continues to cook for large conventions to develop natural health food products and recipes, and to teach courses on cooking, including cooking with raw foods.

Charlie worked as the head chef and kitchen manager for the Esalen Institute, in Big Sur, California from 1998 through 2004 and continues to work for Esalen as a consultant and instructor. He lives on the Northern California Coast on a self-sustaining organic farm where he raises his own vegetables, chickens, goats, and honeybees and makes his own cheeses and olive oil.
Yannick Marchand was born in France, and received his formal dining room training there. He migrated to the U.S. in the early 90s and in 1992 attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. He has studied fine dining, ethnically diverse cuisine, wine & food pairing, and sustainable food/kitchen practices.

Yannick has worked as a celebrity chef, an executive chef, has been a partner and owner of two bistro-type restaurants, and was a finalist in the PBS cooking show "Cooking Under Fire." Now a private chef and consultant in Malibu, Yannick brings over 20 years experience in the professional cooking and hospitality fields. Yannick's vision includes cultivating happiness, health, and a zest for life through the joy of food.

Please visit our website's Dining page (click here) for more details.

December Special

THRIVAL LIVING JOYSHOPS

March 5-6

April 16-17

We are delighted to announce two upcoming Thrival Living JoyShops facilitated by Shannon Sheridan: Cultivating Bliss, in March ($125), and Couples Thrival JoyShop, in April ($200 per couple). Wilbur is Shannon's most treasured space for cultivating bliss, basking, and connecting, and it is her great delight to be able to offer JoyShops in this most sacred space.

These retreats offer support, guidance, influence and teaching of skills which will allow you to step into the true nature of who you are: a lovable and powerful being in this physical experience called life, seeking joy and wanting to be free to choose your life experience every step of the way.

For more information and reservations visit www.thrivaliving.com or email cherylshinn@hughesnet.com, or phone 530-345-7875 / 530-520-7875.

Please note that workshop fees are in addition to Wilbur accomodation fees--and don't forget to reserve your room at Wilbur when you sign up for the workshops!

Complementary Alternative Medicine

My Personal Sanctuary Experience,
by Touch Therapist Paula Li

I feel elated as I submerge my body into the mineral-laden waters of Wilbur Hot Springs. After acclimating my body first to the warm, and then the hot waters, the blood rushes to my head for a brief moment. I feel enveloped and comforted by the surrounding womb of liquid. It is not just water, I am told! The elixir of Wilbur waters contains lithium, chloride, sodium, potassium, zinc and many other elements in its most natural form. My body soaks in it and my soul feels nurtured by it.

I then open my eyes to beautiful blue skies, speckled with light fluffy clouds and silhouetted by flowing branches of trees. As a touch therapist, I am always brought back to the very sameness that humans share in our skeletal and muscular makeup. I understand that underneath all our variations of skin coverings, that we all have in common our basic structure, and I can't help but be astounded by that miracle.

From the hot waters, I then slowly transition to the cold water and my snowboard-loving knees need this icing therapy. Wilbur Hot Springs offers this healing! As I slowly walk into the cold water feeling sensations up to my thighs, I hold there and then creep further with my toes a millimeter at a time. The speed with which I enter the cold waters reminds me of the speed with which I enter a massage client's muscles: one tissue layer at a time. Deep bodywork can demand snail-pace patience, presence and sensitivity. I can feel each muscle as I pass through, smoothing the aches, easing the tightness as I am doing with my own body now when I slowly enter the cold. The tingling begins and eventually my body feels neither hot nor cold. I am acclimated! I am whole!

Notes From the Caretaker:

Dear Friends of Wilbur:

The Wilbur Letter

Last week at Wilbur's Guest Chef weekend, I met people from Georgia who were celebrating their anniversary and people from Venice who were here for their thrice-yearly visit. I only drive three hours to get to Wilbur and these folks came from great distance. From a different perspective, I was reminded of the value that Wilbur offers us all. In an attempt to further share that value, we have created the Wilbur Bath Crystals. These beautiful crystals are made organically by allowing the hot mineral water to evaporate. Place them in your bathtub and enjoy. The effect is remarkable. We now also have an official Wilbur photo book created by my good friend, and prominent North Coast photographer, Larry Wagner. See Wilbur's new online store to purchase these as holiday gifts.

I would be most grateful it if you would take a moment and forward this Wilbur Letter to at least five friends. In order to deal with the effects of the downturn in the economy, we need each of you to become a Wilbur Ambassador. Fear not about crowding if your efforts bring us many new guests, for we have accepted the same small number of people during the past 37 years ... about one person for every 35 acres.

Wishing you good health,

Richard

Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D.
Wilbur Caretaker since 1972

Time To Slow Down

When arriving at Wilbur Hot Springs we are greeted by the "Time to Slow Down" sign. We all welcome the familiar sight of this invitation as it stands as proof of our arrival. Slowing down also implies we can now operate at "real time" and not the hyper time of the outside world just left behind. This slowing down allows us time to open up, to feel our bodies and our souls. Taking time to feel and to heal in our own way, in our own time, is part of the process of reclaiming our personal power.

Another power that is important at Wilbur is solar power. Solar power is what makes our time at Wilbur more enjoyable, power that supplies not only our lights but our electric refrigerators and every other power need. We are blessed and forever grateful for the power of solar.

Our solar panels are located above the road to the right, just past the "Time to Slow Down" sign. The solar panels tend to collect the dust from the road below when vehicles are going too fast and this limits power availability. They are an interactive demonstration that slowing down is an exercise in personal responsibility, and in reclaiming our personal power.

We ask for your assistance in conserving our precious power, so we can keep Wilbur running at its highest potential for your visit. Please be mindful to "slow down" and to drive 10 miles per hour while on Wilbur property. Thanks for your cooperation.

Country Store Online

See our new online store for Larry Wagner's photo book and Wilbur's new bath crystals.