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Finding the real Canyon Ranch experience

TUCSON, AZ Not only did I have no idea what I was getting into, I had precious little time to figure it out. So, I just dove right in. I had known for three months that I was headed to Canyon Ranch in Arizona and needed to fill out a questionnaire on health and fitness needs, et cetera, but, well, you know, I get so busy, I didn’t have time. Turns out Canyon Ranch was created for people “too busy” to take care of themselves.

In less than a week, I’ve learned as much or more than I learned my freshman year at college, and I want to stay in touch with many people I’ve met, like several members of the staff, like Cathy and Beth.

My best friend, Kay Fuller, and I have spent the last week in Tucson at Canyon Ranch. It was created nearly 30 years ago to give people a solid plan to make and reach manageable wellness goals.

Fine, I thought. I’m already losing weight with Weight Watchers, and, duh, I know that I need to exercise. In fact, I can, with a bit of searching, produce several fitness plans that I’ve been given by doctors, YMCA staffers and the stack of health-conscious magazines I seem to accumulate.

“Tell you what,” I told myself, “I’ll schedule a couple massages, maybe a pedicure and spend a few days by the pool.”

Isn’t it funny how life turns out so differently than you expect?

We arrived last Sunday. By the time the guy in the SUV picked us up at Tucson International, I’d gotten a bit nervous. Stressed, they’d call it at Canyon Ranch.

We checked in, found our room on the humongous ranch and found the Life Enhancement Center where we would spend most of our time. The get-to-know-you session was scheduled for 4 p.m.

Oh my. By this time, I’m pretty stressed. Who are these people? Will I like them? Will they like me? Will it matter? How quickly can I slip back to the room, maybe over to the gorgeous pool across the street?

Within minutes we figured out the two rules for the week: keep your cell phone in your room and have fun.

And we got to know one another. It didn’t take long.

The Life Enhancement Center was begun as a program to help executives regain balance in their lives. Today, it is a comprehensive medical program that determines precise health markers, and the ultra-qualified staff follows up by customizing strategic plans to restore a healthy balance.

In other words, they work with us to develop exercise and nutrition plans we can live with, incorporating spirituality, tips to create good habits and mediation.

In that first meeting, the 20 or so LEC guests introduced one another with name, hometown and goals.

With goals ranging from becoming more outgoing to becoming fit, we shared our stories and our past frustrations.

“None of our guests are knowledge-deficit,” said Kate, one of the nurses. The key is to find plans that we can take home and follow.

So for the past week, I’ve done things I never thought this Valley girl would do, and I’m not just talking about free weights.

I took walks at 7 a.m.

I practiced chi gong.

I learned the ins and outs of Chinese tea. I even learned to drink it without sugar (adding sweetener would break the instructor’s heart, I think, and I would never break George’s heart.)

I even went a week without carrying my cell phone.

If you asked me what I learned, I’ll be tempted to tell you about my resting metabolic rate or the trick to getting the most from 30 minutes on a treadmill, but that would be about 5 percent of the story.

Cathy and Beth are incredible trainers.

• They taught me that the most important part of attaining a healthy lifestyle is just showing up, even if it seems impossible.
• They taught me that watching out for someone else while keeping an eye on my own horizon makes me even stronger
• They taught me that helping someone else carry their load lightens mine.
• They taught me that falling isn’t the same as failing, but that falling short is.
• They taught me that it’s OK to feel sadness in my heart, if I search around for the joy within.
• They taught me that when it seems things will never get better, that life isn’t always what it seems.
• They taught me that you never lose those whom you have loved. You just find them in different places.
• They taught me that the best muscles to work on are the ones I use when I laugh.
• They taught me all this while they were learning with me.

They are not paid staff at Canyon Ranch. They were first-timers just like Kay and me.

In the past five years, Cathy has fought and beaten colon cancer, their mom and dad died in a plane crash, Beth gave birth to her darling Joey, both sisters divorced and, through it all, they keep each other going.

They came to Canyon Ranch to heal together and support one another.

Life kept happening to them, but not only have they kept answering life’s challenges, they have bravely shared their stories, their sorrows and their blessings.

They had no idea that while they came to Arizona to learn, that their natural ease with overcoming obstacles made them great life instructors.

Who knew that at Canyon Ranch — where the rich and famous come for spa treatments — that I would walk away so much richer for knowing two women I’d never met before?

We will keep in touch, of course, as we leave this gigantic, grownup summer camp of health and fitness.

I can’t wait to hear how much greater they’ll become.

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