Full Moon Excursions and Energy

A full moon can cast enough light that it is possible to hike or even read a book outside without a flashlight or other additional outdoor lighting. And a meal in the moonlight -- how romantic can things get.

The next full moon is the weekend of August 14-17, and The Boulders in Scottsdale, Arizona, has a special lunar package designed to draw on the power of the universe -- especially that full moon -- to help tune the body, inspire the spirit and open the mind.

One memorable thing to do is to walk the resort's labyrinth under the moonlight. I've done it in bright sunlight, and even though I'm too pragmatic as a journalist to be especially spiritual, I did, indeed, feel the power. So I can just imagine the forces at play under a full moon.

The package also includes --

• Daily morning group hikes in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert
• Unlimited fitness classes
• Three 50-minute spa services such as massage, wrap, facial, scrub
• Three daily meals, plus afternoon tea if your tummy has room
• Daily lecture on such topics as nutrition, health, fitness, wellness and astrology
• An interactive cooking demonstration, more like a lesson, with the chefs at The Boulders award-winning Golden Door Spa
• A pedometer, so you can track your hiking mileage during your stay
• A rock climbing lesson on the boulders of The Boulders
• Labyrinth walks, daylight and moonlight

The same package is available for September's full moon, weekend of September, 18-21. Also, on the Fall & Spring Equinox and Summer/Winter Solstice there's a 'gastronomical' dinner under the stars in the resort’s Organic Garden. A guest astrologer explains the symbolic language of astrology and how the movement of the constellations and planets influence our lives and how the different signs relate to each other.

BTW -- The Boulders was one of the first resorts in the world to go organic, serving only organic foods. And organic wines, too. Definitely, a resort that knows a few things about green travels!