IF YOU’RE LOOKING for the kind of relaxation that completely turns off your brain, a sensory-deprivation float tank at Ojo Santa Fe Spa Resort, in La Ciénega, might be the ticket. The experience is meant not only to simply calm the mind, but also to actively restore it. An hour of blissfully mindless floating is said to have the same effects on the body as eight hours of sleep. Underground spring water, which is purified and generously supplemented with sea salt, feeds Ojo’s sound- and lightproof float tank. If the peaceful calm that permeates Ojo Santa Fe’s lush grounds isn’t enough to fully zone you out, the salt—which enhances the body’s natural ability to float—will surely lead you down a path of maximum relaxation.
Calm your mind in Ojo Santa Fe's float tank.
Photograph courtesy of Ojo Spa Resorts.
You don’t have to be a horse lover to reap the benefits of equine therapy, but a trip to Equus at Bishop’s Lodge, just minutes from downtown Santa Fe, might turn you into one. Natural beauty abounds on the exquisite grounds of this historic inn, making it the perfect backdrop for Equus, an organization that offers what founder Kelly Wendorf calls “equine-guided learning.” Facilitated with the help of professionally trained coaches, this therapy allows for a unique process of introspection. “Working with horses provides alignment with one’s authentic expression and true gifts,” Wendorf explains. If the thought of riding horseback makes you skittish, have no fear: Equus’s programming is exclusively on the ground, with no riding involved. “Working with horses in the context of self-discovery and learning brings forward a profound connection to the natural world,” says Wendorf. “Everyone who participates departs with a sense of well-being, clarity, and purposefulness.” Other equine-therapy organizations are located around the state.
Read more: A sound healer brings immersive relaxation to northern New Mexico.
