I didn’t realize how depleted I was until I got still enough to feel it.
That happened in the Sonoran Desert, in a town literally called Carefree, Arizona, which I didn’t even clock until I was already there and starting to understand it. I mean, being carefree in Carefree is pretty symbolic if you ask me.
CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa sits just outside of Scottsdale, and I’ll be honest, it had been showing up on my social media timelines for a while before I finally made the trip. Black women specifically had found this place and were not gatekeeping it, which I always appreciate about us. So I came in with expectations.
And as I walked in, I immediately thought, “the TikTok girlies were not lying.” I hadn’t been on the property five minutes before I understood the hype. There were Black women everywhere. On solo trips, girls weekends, and a whole range of ages, all of them looking like they had specifically come here to do something for themselves. I felt myself exhale a little just taking it in.
They gave me my itinerary at check-in and I was already mentally reorganizing it before the conversation was over to see how much more I could pack into my schedule. The wellness classes are complimentary, and well, in the words of Denzel, “I’m leaving here with something.” Meaning, I wanted to take in as much as I could, with the time I had on property.
Let’s just say… the desert humbled that out of me pretty quickly though. There’s something about being in that much open space with that much quiet just recalibrates you, and you want to just enjoy it, rather than trying to fill every moment of every day.
CIVANA is built around a philosophy that Chief Brand Officer Julia Lavine has been deliberate about: “happiness first, healthiness always.” In practice what that means is that nothing here is trying to correct you. The programming isn’t rigid or prescriptive, it’s designed to work with the desert environment rather than just exist inside it, and you actually feel that difference. And if you want to add on something more personalized or premium there are options for that too, but the included programming is substantial enough that you won’t feel like you’re missing anything.
Okay, now back to the offerings. First, they have a class called Desert Bathing, which is based on shinrin yoku, a Japanese practice of using nature as a form of healing and restoration that CIVANA has adapted specifically for the Sonoran Desert. The experience actually takes you off property to the Jewel of the Creek Trail in Cave Creek, Arizona, a two mile loop where the whole point is to be present in the landscape rather than just moving through it. The Guided Nature Walks operate on that same idea, getting you outside and moving slowly through the landscape with the specific intention of using it to bring your nervous system down. Sound Bowl Healing and Gratitude Meditation are also part of what’s on offer. I looked at that side of the programming and thought it wasn’t for me. But I watched other women come out of those sessions looking genuinely relaxed and by the end of the trip I was wishing I had carved out time for at least one of them.
I kept my schedule full with other more active activities because that’s just who I am (and because I was in the midst of HYROX training, so the physical activities piqued my interest a bit more). Aerial yoga was on the list and I want to be clear that I went in thinking I was prepared. I was not. I work out consistently and that class still caught me completely off guard. The core stability and body awareness it demands is not something you can fake and I learned that pretty quickly.
Aerial stretch was a different experience altogether (and my favorite of the two aerial offerings). It was slower, and more deliberate, and it got into tension in my shoulders and upper back that I had been carrying around for so long. The mat pilates fusion class I sized up wrong too. I walked in expecting it to be somewhat moderate (because, again, I’m a workout girlie) and left feeling like I’d just done a full bootcamp.
Pickleball ended up being my favorite thing I did on the entire property. I put it on my schedule without much thought and ended up having the most fun I’d had the entire time I was there. I stayed out way longer than I planned because I was paired with a great group of ladies, who wanted to get a few more rounds in after class was over. I also got a run in outside off the resort (let’s just say, desert running is not for the weak) and made it to the gym, which was more expansive than I was expecting. It was fully equipped, so I didn’t have to modify or compromise my workout at all, which matters when you don’t want to lose momentum while you’re traveling.
The food at CIVANA is worth mentioning because it’s actually good (I’d even venture to say, great), which I was a bit skeptical about coming in, because I’d seen mixed reviews. There are two dining options on property: Seed is the casual daytime spot, a cafe and market where you handle breakfast and lunch with mostly plant-based options, smoothies, grain bowls, grab-and-go things that are satisfying without being heavy. Terras is the dinner restaurant and it’s a completely different experience, a proper sit-down spot with a menu built around seasonal local ingredients, farm-to-table produce, grass-fed meats and sustainable seafood. After a full day of movement you want a real meal and Terras is that.
The spa deserved its own day honestly. At 22,000 square feet with 24 treatment rooms, it’s a full destination within the resort. I got a deep tissue massage and by the time I got on that table my body had already been through aerial yoga, aerial stretch, pilates, pickleball, running and the gym, so the timing of it was everything. When it was done, I took advantage of the rest of the spa amenities, like the sauna and pool, before spending the rest of that evening doing nothing in particular (except sneaking in a bit of Love Is Blind, while laying in bed and ordering room service). Can anyone describe a more perfect day?
A lot of us are running on empty and have been for long enough that it just feels normal now. CIVANA is for that person. The programming is flexible enough that two people can have completely different trips and both leave feeling like they got what they needed. Though I was solo, I began brainstorming my next visit, because I’d raved about my experience to both my mom and my bestie.
I left feeling rested in a way I genuinely had not felt in a long time. I didn’t realize how much I needed that until I got home and jumped back into the normal. The grind was still there waiting for me, as it always is. But I came back actually ready for it.
