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Lessons Learned: How to Reset Your Rhythm

On the Blog: Behind the Scenes at our Terranea Photo Shoot

It was nine in the morning, about the time that I'd usually be grabbing a second cup of coffee and charging through my inbox trying to get things done. Instead, I was soaking in a giant copper tub at The Spa at Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, watching dolphins play in the Pacific a few hundred feet away. 

I was in the midst of the spa's two-hour Ocean Prelude treatment, a combination wrap/soak/massage meant to tie me to the sea, to connect the watery parts of me to the rhythm of the tides.

Studying the cliffs below, bright with yellow mustard and buzzing with the activity of hundreds of creatures getting on with their day, I had that wonderful feeling I always get when I manage to sneak away for a while and get out of the city. Some people call it being mindful or present, but I've always thought of it as being physical and primal, getting back to my simplest self. 

This more human version of me doesn't worry about things like email and traffic, she just breathes in and out, eats when she's hungry, heads to sleep when the sun sets, and gets up easily when it rises-no alarm clock required.

Getting Back Into a Natural Rhythm

This basic rhythm-called the circadian rhythm-is the beat the natural world runs to, with the notable exception of we modern humans, who often allow our machines and our things and our manufactured world to jar us out of it. Just a half-hour drive from the pollution and crowds of Los Angeles, Terranea Resort aims to get people back into this rhythm, to help them reconnect with Mother Nature. 

Perched on a beautiful stretch of the California coast, the resort occupies one of the few spots on earth where, at certain times of the year, you can see the sun both rise and set over the ocean from a single vantage point-a benefit that helps guests immediately get in sync with the planet they inhabit.

"We've done so much to separate ourselves from our connection with the universe, and that's not in our best interest," says Anne Bramham, the spa consultant who helped develop The Spa at Terranea's treatment menu. "Nature is our benefactor. It is our heritage and our greatest teacher. Nature reminds us of our divine connection."

 Most of the treatments at The Spa at Terranea are designed to match the circadian rhythm: Deep-tissue massage, seaweed wraps, and energizing scrubs are reserved for the morning hours because they help get the body's systems going, while warm baths, soothing wraps, and light massage are scheduled for the afternoon and early evening because they help the body slow down and prepare for bed. The spa's fitness program is similarly organized, with heart-pumping classes like spinning and circuit training giving way to restorative yoga and meditation classes as the day wears on. 

The connection with nature is further underscored by the resort's surroundings-a 102-acre conservation area that comprises mountains, cliffs, and beaches. To protect this land, Terranea was constructed with 65,000 tons of rock from existing structures (the site was formerly home to an aquatic amusement park called Marine Land), and 45 trees were boxed and replanted. Developers also made it their mission to preserve the biodiversity of the peninsula by planting native vegetation and hiring an on-site nature conservationist to educate both guests and resort employees. 

The materials and furnishings in Terranea's 400 beach-chic rooms were chosen with conservation and sustainability in mind as well. Recycled wood, glass, and bamboo show up often; amenities are packaged in biodegradable containers; and rooms are efficiently lit with compact fluorescent bulbs. 

In the restaurants, chefs use local produce and opt for organic and sustainably farmed goods whenever possible. And while the resort's eco-attributes are to be lauded, Terranea's location may have the most impact: Guests are constantly reminded of how wonderful nature is and the importance of both preserving it and getting out and being a part of it.

At The Spa

After my morning spa treatment, I ate some local fresh fruit in one of the resort's restaurants, then walked along the cliffside path, stopping to read plaques about various conservation efforts and native plants. I had so much energy I decided to throw on my hiking boots and head up the mountain, thinking all the while of something else Bramham mentioned-that the circadian rhythm isn't some newfangled concept or something unique to any one culture. 

"What's so wonderful is that it's a universal law-in Kundalini yoga, at 5 a.m. it's the time for the breath of fire, which works to circulate all the hormones, preparing the body for the demands of the coming day," she says. "And in naturopathy, in the early days, practitioners would wake a patient at dawn and have them walk on dewy grass, attuning the patient to the earth's morning rhythm."

It's the universality of the rhythm-and the fact that it's the way the natural world has always worked (and will likely work for centuries to come)-that I fixate on while enjoying the views around me. How is it that we've gotten so far away from something so intrinsic to all living things? It's no wonder that the pace we keep instead is making us an increasingly less healthy species. 

"The most important thing to remember is that healing only takes place when the body is at rest," says Bramham. "If you are living in balance between your activity during the day and your rest at night, then you're restoring your cellular tissues, rebuilding, and rejuvenating during that quiet time. That's the whole point-to encourage the endocrine system and nerves to relax into their natural rhythm."

The constant glow of our computer monitors, the buzzes and beeps of our BlackBerrys, the whir of our cars and trains, and the cold embrace of all our concrete and steel divorces us every day from the natural world and our place in it. But the world is what we make of it, and there's nothing stopping each of us from slowing down a bit and making time for sleep, healthy food, and some time outdoors. After all, while our world may now be dominated by machines, we are still only human.

No time for an escape? Follow these suggestions from Terranea's spa consultant, Anne Bramham, to get back in sync with nature.

Don't eat late at night. Our livers wake up around 3 a.m., and digestive processes slow down after 6 p.m. If you eat late you're adding a strain to your system that will interfere with sleep patterns and normal digestion.

Start your day with cardio. Morning is when you want to get the body going. The evening is better for restorative yoga or meditation-activities that help the body and mind rest and prepare for a good night's sleep.

Save the carbs for dinner. It's best to get more of your proteins during the day and then eat carbohydrates at night because carbs help produce serotonin, which supports sleep.

Rethink your evening bath. Although many people take warm showers or baths at night to unwind, Bramham notes that neutral temperatures-from 90-95 degrees-better sedate the nervous system and encourage rest. Save the hot or cold showers for the morning.

Coordinate your treatment with the time of day. Energizing services-scrubs, detoxifying wraps, and deep-tissue massage-should be reserved for morning, while treatments that calm the body-nurturing wraps and gentle massage-should be booked later in the day.