New Age Health Spa, a 280-acre all-inclusive destination spa located in the Catskill Forest Preserve, is paying homage to the rich heritage of the native American culture, which once inhabited its 80-acre spa location, by offering guests a series of Native American Indian inspired programmes.

Special weekend workshops entitled ‘Compassionate Communication’ or ‘Kak Shikchima Klathawa’ are being presented in a programme that is designed to encourage spa guests to explore new patterns of communication gleaned from the time-tested oral tradition of Native Americans. Participants will work to transform every conversation into an opportunity to bring greater compassion, clarity and self-awareness into the lives of those around them.

Another event at New Age Health Spa is ‘Spirit Quest’. This unique weekend event delves into the beauty and power of nature, animal totems and shamanic tools and practices. The programme includes a sacred hike on Coyote Trail; shamanic drum and rattle circle and a sacred fire ceremony based on Apache tradition. Participants will discover how to receive the teachings of the spirit and to live in greater harmony with nature.

Spa guests also have the opportunity to take part in monthly sweat lodge ceremonies, conducted through to November. Before humbly entering the sacred lodge on hands and knees, all participants must be smudged with the smoke of sage or cedar to cleanse them of negative emotions, which would contaminate the sanctuary.
Once inside the willow structure, the purification ritual begins when heated stones are brought into the sweat lodge in the first of four rounds. Each round represents the four directions, north, south, east and west, allowing participants to experience the process from different perspectives. The resulting perspiration cleanses the participant while song, prayer and steam nourishes them.

Mary Ann Kirk, Spiritual Programmes Director for New Age Health Spa, says “We feel very honoured to be able to keep these Native American Indian traditions alive, and do so as closely to their original form as possible”.

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