By: Marcia Abramson
repared for the less than tropical weather, I started my odyssey to South Florida with a delightful stay at the beautifully renovated historic Eden Roc Hotel. The Eden Roc is now a Renaissance Resort & Spa, affiliated with upscale Marriott properties. After a total interior and exterior $41 million make-over, the Eden Roc is still true to the Miami Modern School of architecture of the 1950s and '60s with majestic Brazilian mahogany columns and floating staircases, reminiscent to me of the sets of the lavish Hollywood musical productions of that era. A fabulous collection of the celebrity caricature drawings by the recently deceased Al Hirschfeld adorn the lobby and restaurant walls. Needless to say, the food was out of this world under the stewardship of Executive Chef Klaus Mueller, who received his training in Austria and Switzerland, which is reflective in his innovative gourmet menus. He will also oversee the operation of the newly opened beachside Aquatica Eatery. Guests have the option of dining alfresco overlooking "One of the World's Top 10 Beaches." I preferred to eat indoors at Aquatica with a view of the swimmers through "porthole" windows of the upstairs swimming pool. Indoors or outdoors the food is still superb. Incidentally, the Eden Roc Miami Beach has a kosher kitchen and the hotel will be strictly kosher for Passover. But the Eden Roc Spa fast became my favorite destination in the resort. It definitely deserves its ranking as one of the top fitness spas in the country with a full Sports Complex with a glass-enclosed weight facility overlooking the ocean, and a Lifestyles Wellness Center featuring programs that focus on a holistic approach to health and well-being. I was fortunate to have therapist Ricki administer a therapeutic relaxing Swedish massage to my weary body after a 6 a.m. flight to Miami. My next experience at the Spa was with Anja Vie, an expert practitioner of the Eden Roc's "La Stone Therapy." Even though Anja received her early training in her native Norway, she mastered the old Native American "Hot Stone Massage" to perfection. In this treatment the therapist uses warm smooth balsalt stones and cold marble stones in the palms of her hands to gently massage the various body parts. Anja explained to me that the resulting effect is a perfect harmony of heat and massage that produces total relaxation and muscle tension relief. She also told me that the stones are uniquely shaped and must be used in exactly matched pairs. If one breaks, a replacement pair of identical stones can only be used. The stones are products from a Native American Reservation in Arizona. I was thoroughly relaxed and eagerly looking forward to Anja's healing hands with "Reiki." "Reiki" means "universal life force energy" and is a Japanese form of healing that promotes stress relaxation and relaxation. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the premise that an invisible "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive, according to Anja, the healer therapist. She continued that if one's life force energy is low, we are more susceptible to illness and stress; if it is high we are more prone to feeling happy and healthy. Reiki treats the whole person's body, mind, emotions and spirit. It aligns the seven Chakras (energy centers in our bodies that can become unbalanced due to illness, stress and daily life). This was a first for me and I felt fit enough afterward to consider wall climbing, which is offered at the Fitness Center. After I left the memorable Eden Roc Miami Beach Renaissance Resort & Spa, I continued my forays in South Florida, which I shall describe in my next column.
© Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
