Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in The Floyd Press on June 3, 2010.

The scent of sandalwood, the glow of a flickering candle, and the peaceful flute melodies of Carlos Nakai set the stage for a transformative experience at the new Spa in Meadows of Dan’s Primland Resort.

With a focus on relaxation and rejuvenation, The Spa blends the best of European technology with Native American themes.  Spa creators, Garance Primat and Sylvie Keo, recently traveled from their homes in Switzerland and France for the Spa’s May opening.

Garance Primat (pictured left in photo with Sylvie), one of the Primland family owners, said it made sense to bring her business management and interior decorating experience together with her interests in yoga, aromatherapy, and massage for the creation of The Spa.

Explaining The Spa’s concept, she said, “Nature is really important at Primland. The entire lodge is eco-friendly. We wanted to create a spa that would be in harmony with nature and respect the history of the land.   The American Indian people who used to live on this land were close to nature. They believed that everything was connected and everything was connected to nature.  We wanted to recreate an environment related to that.”

Built in wood, stone, and marble and accented in beige earth tones and turquoise, The Spa is located in the Primland Lodge and includes a reception room and boutique; a manicure, pedicure, and hairstyling room; a chlorine-free swimming pool; a yoga and pilates studio, an exercise room, and treatment rooms to accommodate singles or couples.

The men’s and women’s locker rooms are both equipped with Hamams (Turkish steam baths).  A relaxation room looks out onto Primland’s mountain views and features lounge chairs where retreatants (attired in terrycloth robes and slippers provided by The Spa) can sip tea, read, or listen to music on iPod headsets before and after treatments.

There is a sauna in the men’s locker room, and the woman’s locker room features a Horizon Jacuzzi with an infinity edge of overflowing water and a molded chaise lounge area where guests can lie down and be surrounded by jets.  “It’s the first of its kind in the U.S,” said Keo, who designed all the spa therapies and trained the practitioners to use them.   The steam baths and the Horizon Jacuzzi are designed with lights for chromotherapy, a therapy that uses color and light to balance physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental energy.

More than 40 treatment options priced from $70 – 180 are offered at The Spa. Organic plants and essential oils are used in most treatments, many of which are inspired by Native American ceremonial and healing traditions, incorporating the four directions and four elements (earth, wind, fire, and water), as well as the animal, mineral and plant kingdoms.  Feathers are used for clearing in the Primland Signature Massage.  A turquoise stone, specific oils, and massage movements related to the Medicine Wheel – a sacred ring of stones used by Native tribes for ritual and healing purposes – are all incorporated.

“Turquiose was sacred to the Cherokee. They believed it was a little piece of the sky fallen to earth,” said Primat, whose middle name “Virginia” was given to her by her late father in tribute to his love of the 12,000 mountain acres and preserve that Primland Resort sits on.

Currently, The Spa is staffed by local practitioners and consists of one cosmetologist, two aestheticians, and three certified massage therapists.  Nancy Bellis, a Mount Airy resident who has been participating in drum circles and traditional Native American sweat lodges for years, said she was amazed when she was hired as Spa Manager and learned about The Spa’s theme.  Impressed with the efforts of Primat and Keo to create an authentic environment respectful of the Native peoples, she said, “Garance and Sylvie have put a lot of thought and a lot heart into this. They talked to shamans and visited Native American reservations.”

Blue Corn and Honey Body Scrub, Seaweed Body Wrap, Lemon Verbena Body Polish, Stone of Eternal Youth Facial, Hot Stone and Deep Tissue Massage are just some of the Spa enticements designed for wellbeing.  Pedicures manicures and Day Ritual Spa packages are also available.

Highly recommend by Keo is the Soft Pack Dry Float, which she calls “very special,” and Primat describes as “like floating in a cocoon.”  Wrapped in a covering that adjusts to the shape of the body, guests are lowered into a tub where heated water rises and surrounds but does not touch, creating an experience of weightless tranquility.   “I’ve been told that 30 minutes is equivalent to a 1 or 2 hour nap,” said Margaret Hubbard, a Spa massage therapist from Meadows of Dan.

Primat and Keo have been making weeklong monthly visits to get the Spa up and running and will be back in June.  They envision Pilates and Tai Chi sessions on the lawn and plan to offer classes in meditation, cooking, healthy eating and more.

In 2008 Golf Digest magazine rated Primland’s Highland Course their number one new public golf course. The Spa at Primland is poised to receive similar reviews as a wellness retreat.   “People should come and enjoy the place,” said a smiling Primat.   ~ Colleen Redman

Note: For more information about The Spa at Primland visit www.primland.com, call 866-960-7746 or 276-222-3800, or email info@primland.com.  Read my back story on my experience at the Spa HERE.