Health and Wellness, Maui Style

One of Maui's greatest gifts is its ability to inspire and relax. In a powerful union of natural beauty and the comforts of the 21st century, Maui offers countless opportunities for healing, relaxation and comfort.

The traditional Hawaiians favored the south and west shores for their ideal weather and sandy shores. They knew that riding the waves in the salt air was a part of play, and also of healing – of being whole. Today these values continue to be lived at the shorelines, waterfalls and mountains of Maui, and also in a highly sophisticated community of health, wellness and beauty professionals.

Maui has been at the vanguard of the modern health and wellness movement since the early 1960s, when hippies flocked to the island in search of paradise. They brought to this magnificent natural environment their interests in yoga, massage, tai chi, health foods, and the alternative disciplines that were to become mainstream movements in the decades to follow. Today, with its high concentration of schools and professionals in the healing arts, and with some of the finest spas in the world, Maui is a place where health and wellness are a natural, and contagious, way of life.

A 50,000 square-foot spa in Wailea wins international acclaim for its pioneering programs and therapies, from centuries-old Ayurvedic hot-oil treatments to time-tested water therapies in multiple aromatic baths, cold plunge pools, Roman Jacuzzis, furo tubs, and Swiss jet showers. Massage treatments, Eastern holistic healing, Hawaiian specialty baths, facial and body treatments, and a host of therapies and cures are offered in a luxurious setting. The spa's full- and half-day programs are as popular among residents as visitors. An ocean of tranquility and consistently ranked among the top spas in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, the spa in Wailea is also a fitness center, offering personal training and wellness consultants.

At the neighboring resort hotels, four other spas offer superbly appointed facilities where experienced therapists deliver a wide array of treatments with Wailea's legendary style of service and hospitality.

In Kāʻanapali, a prominent oceanfront spa offers a full menu of massage, body treatments, and facials, with the lullaby of the waves and the salt air adding further magic to the experience. After a massage, relax with chilled cucumber water in a chaise lounge and let the ocean air wash over you through the wide, open window on the ocean. Throughout the resorts and hotels of Maui, salt rubs and beauty treatments use Hawaiian oils, herbs and botanicals, while seasoned practitioners continue to share the popular Hawaiian lomi lomi massage.

Communities such as Pāʻia, Makawao and Kīhei brim with massage therapists, yoga, Pilates, Rolfing, Feldenkrais, and other advanced eastern and western disciplines. Whether in a resort or non-resort setting, in a room or on the beach, these experiences help to heal and nurture.

Maui is also a significant source of quality botanical products. Spurred by the agricultural bounty of the island, made-on-Maui soaps, lotions, gels, aromatherapy oils, and other beauty and wellness products are high on the list of Maui specialties, and growing by the day. Lavender and herb farms are increasing in size and number, adding powerful new ingredients to the island's health and wellness offerings.

Maui is at the forefront of the world's burgeoning interest in health and wellness. Some of the planet's most renowned leaders in health, wellness and world peace have shared their wisdom here, including Dr. Deepak Chopra, Michio Kushi, Dr. Andrew Weil and the Dalai Lama.

Spa packages are offered by the resorts, with programs and amenities that are constantly evolving to reflect honored traditions and new frontiers in health and wellness.