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Carmel, CA - The concept of relaxation is one that seems to have been lost by the average American adult. Finding a serene and calming environment in the midst of everyday life can be challenging…until now. Tucked away in Carmel, Calif. is a brand new facility that sets a new standard for relaxation: Refuge.

Refuge is the only facility in America designed specifically for the purpose of Relaxation Therapy. Guests at Refuge follow a simple method of heat up, cool down and relax, which stimulates the body's natural release of endorphins by reacting to hot (Sauna & Steam) and cold temperature (Cool & Cold pools) immersions. Benefits include an immediate sense of well being and happiness, as well as more sustained benefits to the body's general health.

The ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Japan and China have long understood the health benefits provided by the experience offered in Refuge. It has been shown to decrease stress, detoxify the body, enhance digestion, increase nutrient absorption, hydrate the skin, stimulate circulation through out the body and strengthen the immune system. The feeling people have after doing Refuge has been compared to a "runners high" and the Bikram Yoga afterglow, although Refuge really is an experience unlike any other and must be experienced to know and understand what it is.

The Refuge Experience - Heat Up, Cool Down, Relax

At Refuge, guests are surrounded by the Santa Lucia Mountains and the sound of thermal waterfalls. Ten mineral pools at varying temperatures make up the landscape, built with large natural rocks and forest trees. This creates a serene environment for the unique Refuge experience.

The process begins by heating up in the eucalyptus steam room with eye soothing and ambient rainbow lighting or in the grand Finnish cedar sauna, large enough to hold three hot rock heaters fully equipped for making dry steam vapor. It is the largest sauna constructed in the United States fitting 50+ people.

After the body is fully heated, guests step into one of the cool or cold Nordic waterfall pools. The change in temperature expands circulation and then contracts it back to vital organs, stimulating the release of endorphins. Emerging from these pools and feeling refreshed, guests are ready to relax and unwind as the body normalizes and sends more feel good and healing chemicals throughout their body. To do this, there are three indoor meditation rooms with zero-gravity chairs with soft music and low lighting. Floor to ceiling windows encourage views of twisting oaks shading the canyon walls and the clear blue skies that pervade Carmel Valley. Guests can also opt to sit outside around the fire pits in an Adirondack chair and take in the view from outside. Guests are encouraged to spend fifteen to thirty minutes in a relaxed state to get the full benefit of the experience. This cycle of heat up, cool down, relax should be repeated three to four times to get the full benefits of Refuge.

While guests are not engaging in the heat up, cool down, relax process, they are invited to spend time exploring the thermal mineral pools. Sitting under the warm waterfalls that soothe neck and shoulders, you feel aches; pains; and the phone calls and meetings all begin to fade away.

Massages, such as Deep tissue, Swedish, or Sport, can be added to the Relaxation therapy experience and can be booked in advance though Refuge.com.

Typically, guests stay at refuge for two to three hours. Refuge is committed to providing a deep relaxing experience for people that goes beyond what people have access to in their day-to-day lives. At the end of their visit, guests feel renewed, rejuvenated and ready to go back and navigate their world refreshed after a short vacation to Refuge.

For more information call 831-620-7395, visit www.Refuge.com or check out Refuge's video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAS0CzINJyk.