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

newsletter

June 2011

Guest Chef Weekend/Sarana Yoga
with Chef Marion Cascio

June 24-26

A weekend of yoga and Chef Marion's food! Marion grew up in Germany where she learned cooking and baking from her mom and grandmother. After five years studying French cuisine and hotel management, she moved to America.
	Marion found her way to the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, where she worked as a chef and played an integral part in the creation of the Esalen Cookbook. While living in Big Sur, she and her husband also created an off-the-grid, sustainable farm raising goats, bees, and chickens, along with an extensive vegetable, herb and fruit tree garden.

June Special

Narapoia!

Star Gazers' Gathering with Anthony Barreiro 9pm, Saturday, June 4 The wonder of the night sky is revealed away from city lights--22 miles from the nearest town, off-grid and on solar power. Wilbur's dry summer climate and dark skies provide an excellent sky-observing experience. See the crescent moon, Saturn, the stars and other wonders of our Milky Way and other galaxies--through a professional-quality telescope, binoculars, and with your unaided eyes. Discover the history of the universe and our place in it. Complimentary for all guests. Amateur astronomer Anthony Barreiro has been an avid skywatcher for many years. He especially enjoys helping people learn how to find their way around the sky so they can continue exploring on their own.   Solstice Yoga and Healing Workshop with Elise Collins and Rebecca Webb June 18 Experience the power of transformation through the fluid movement of yoga. Life invites us, now more than ever, to commit to the rituals of self-care. Gently flex your body's verve and core wisdom in a series of active poses. Then kindle your inner fire of renewal though the deep relaxation of restorative poses. Receive a hands-on healing to affirm your health and wholeness. Yogis of all levels welcome! Saturday 10am-1pm Cost: $45   Guest Chef and Sarana Yoga Retreat with Co-leader Charu Rachlis June 24-26 Please join us for a weekend of breathing, chanting, asana and soaking in the healing mineral waters of Wilbur. Come strengthen your practice while relaxing and rejuvenating your body and mind. We'll step back from our daily routines and retreat to this sacred land, home to healing waters that have been used for renewal for centuries. Students will practice yoga on Wilbur's beautiful yoga deck, cradled in nature with the sounds of the breeze and the creek. We will begin each day with chanting and pranayama, followed by breakfast and then an active morning session. In the afternoon there will be time for bathing, hiking, massage and personal time. We will gather in the late afternoon for a restorative session followed by a delicious dinner. Read more about Sarana here. Come and join us for a retreat that will invigorate your body, renew your spirits, and quiet your mind. Weekend includes: 5 organic meals with Guest Chef Marion Cascio yoga sessions 2 nights accommodations (including use of baths, sauna and grounds) Schedule for the weekend: Friday: - You are welcome to arrive anytime after 3 p.m. on Friday. 5:30 p.m. - First Asana session followed by dinner Saturday: 7:30-8:30 a.m. - Chanting, pranayama and meditation; breakfast 10 a.m.-noon - Active Asana followed by lunch 5-6:30 p.m. - Restoratives and yin yoga followed by dinner Sunday: 7-10 a.m. - Chanting, pranayama and meditation, Active Asana Brunch to follow - We will end with brunch on Sunday and you are welcome to stay on the grounds until 5 p.m. Cost: Private room $525 per person (double occupancy) Private room $725 per person (single occupancy) Bunk $485 per person Camping $425 per person Enrollment is limited. Please sign up as soon as possible to reserve your space. Contact Sarana Miller at 510-502-9642, or by e-mail at sarana@mac.com. Visit her website at www.saranayoga.com.

Massage Therapy as
Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Shalamah Yahchove, DC

Massage therapy (the laying-on of hands for health purposes) dates back thousands of years. Many references to massage can be found in ancient writings from many cultures. In the U.S., massage therapy first became popular and was promoted for a variety of health purposes starting in the mid-1800s. Between the 1930s and 1940s, because of scientific and technological advances, massage fell out of favor. Interest in massage was revived in the 1970s, especially among athletes.

Recent reviews suggest that people use massage for a wide variety of health-related intents: for example, in addition to aiding general wellness, massage is used to relieve pain, rehabiliate sports injuries, reduce stress, increase relaxation, and address feelings of anxiety and depression.

- NCAM National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Additionally, massage and soaking in Wilbur Hot Springs' mineral-laden water can enhance your immune system functioning. When scheduling your next visit to Wilbur, please select one of our professional and well-trained massage providers to assist your healing journey.

letters from Guests

I had a marvelous experience at Wilbur Hot Springs this past April. It was my second time in three years, since I discovered your paradise on earth! I lived in Japan for five years, and my favorite activity was going to onsen (hot springs in Japanese). I experienced plenty of different kinds of hot springs with different water composition. Onsen is an art of living for all Japanese, who know their healing properties well. Out of all the best I tried over there, Wilbur is by far my favorite hot spring on earth!

Even several weeks after my visit I still can feel the benefits on my body and mind. The water is unique--no words are enough to describe it! People there are also unique, which makes the whole experience that much more amazing. Genuine welcome and service! A special thank you to Dr. Miller with his great hosting and care, which also played a major role in my second visit! Each time I've gone to Wilbur, the transformation for the best is guaranteed. I will be a loyal visitor for all the rest of my life! MERCI WILBUR HOTSPRINGS!

-Hugo Lamontagne, Montreal, Quebec

Notes From the Caretaker

Balneology

Balneotherapy (from Latin: balneum, "bath") is the treatment of disease by bathing, usually practiced at spas. [1] While it is considered distinct from hydrotherapy,[2] there are some overlaps in practice and in underlying principles. Balneotherapy may involve hot or cold water, massage through moving water, relaxation or stimulation. Many mineral waters at spas are rich in particular minerals (silica, sulfur, selenium, radium) which can be absorbed through the skin. Medicinal clays are also widely used, which practice is known as "fangotherapy."

Dear Friends of Wilbur:

It is my belief that the vast majority of people are friendly, peace-loving and cooperative. There is also a very small, but extremely powerful, percentage who are avaricious, power hungry, and only cooperative when it is in their acquisitive interests to cooperate.

Over thousands of years people all over the world have continuously awakened to the fact that they do not have to live under the sharp spurs of this aggressive minority, be they kings, dictators, elected officials or just plain thugs with guns.

Wilbur is a place of healing and also, for those so inclined, a place for important conversations about living. We dialogue and listen to one another regardless of whether or not we agree with what we are hearing. We often learn most from those with alternate opinions. Wilbur provides a level playing field in which we all can speak freely without intimidation.

At Wilbur, I have had recent inspiring talks with a geologist, an environmentalist, an SF SWAT team member, a lobbyist for Big Pharm and Big Tobacco, a painting contractor and a car mechanic. This Guest Chef Weekend I had the rare opportunity of conversing with an Iraqi woman about her experience living here in America while we are at war in her native country where many of her family still reside.

Wilbur is a demonstration, in vivo, of deep mutual respect and cooperation pervading the atmosphere and thereby allowing genuine "I/thou" conversations to take place. A relaxing immersion in the waters and a bit of humor lubricate the dialogue.

Let's talk at Wilbur. Look for the tall guy near the Fountain of Life Geyser in Wilbur's Nature Preserve.

Wishing you and your loved ones excellent health,

Richard

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

New Living Expo

Congratulations to our New Living Expo drawing winner, Inglrid K. Ingrid won a two-night stay at Wilbur Hot Springs. Thanks, Ingrid, for by stopping by our booth.

Newsletter Designer Position

Wilbur is looking for a skilled designer/editor for our monthly e-mail newsletter, in trade for lodging. If you are a friend of Wilbur with HTML and WordPress experience, please e-mail Meg or Ezzie if interested, at info@wilburhotsprings.com, with some samples of your work.

Country Store Online

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