Agave, the Arizona Spa at The Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Arizona definitely claims a place on my top ten list, thanks to a day of unique spa experiences I had there a couple of years ago. My treatment at Agave was designed to lead me on a personal journey by combining practices from two very different cultures.

I started the day with a Tui’Na Massage. This treatment, based on a 5000-year-old Chinese tradition, seeks to “establish a more harmonious flow of Qi and blood allowing the body to heal itself.” In Chinese culture, Qi is the energy flow, so this treatment is designed for balance and vitality.

I began the treatment fully dressed in loose, yoga-style clothing. The treatment is designed to stimulate the accupoints in the body by the simple act of touch. My therapist began the 80-minute treatment by gently touching me through my clothing. I was a skeptic going into this. I’m used to a traditional deep tissue massage, stripped down, oil on my body, therapist’s hands on my skin. I questioned how effective something like this might actually be at relaxing me. It turns out it feels a little like getting a deep-pressure therapeutic massage. I was amazed that by stimulating specific pressure points, she could give me a full workout.

Agave The Arizona Spa. Photo courtesy Westin Kierland Resort and Spa

After the accupoint therapy, she led me directly into a guided meditation — a journey along a magical shore that had me listening to the waves hit the sand and feeling the breeze from the salt air on my skin. The energy pulsed through me and I experienced the thrill of simple being in that place at that moment. It was an amazing experience. Exciting, yet relaxing. Invigorating, yet full of release and contentment. Following my treatment, I was more at peace than I had been in a long time.

My therapist led me back to Agave’s quiet room to await my next treatment. I sipped my tea and snuggled up in my robe.

My next treatment, also 80 minutes, was the Agave Aromatic Water Journey. For this one, I started out in my swimsuit. My therapist did a dry, citrus-scented scrub on my exposed body, then I soaked for 15 minutes in the hydrotherapy tub, complete with 47 underwater jets. While I was soaking, she did a cool scalp massage. After the bath, she left the darkened room and I took a warm shower, dried off, then climbed onto the massage table. My wonderful therapist then spent the remainder of the time covering my body in shea butter soufflé and massaging away any remaining shred of stress. Long gone was the hope of being able to think coherently.

I’ve had other treatments at Agave and each one is a pleasure. These two, however, provided me with that special something — that unforgettable experience.

Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. Photo courtesy Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Experience Agave, The Arizona Spa at Westin Kierland for yourself…

Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
6902 E. Greenway Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Spa: 480-624-1202
http://www.kierlandresort.com