The Tamesis
“Breathe.” I’ve said this to myself hundreds of times—on a bumpy flight, before a stressful meeting, and now as I recline on a device connected to a device that measures heart rate variability.
I was guided through a series of breathing exercises designed to calm the nervous system. First, imagine my inhales and exhales as rolling hills, then imagine a ball expanding in my diaphragm, and finally, as my heart rate slows, focus on the moment of gratitude.
In Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, it’s easy to be grateful. The sun sparkles on the Sea of Cortez, whales appear as if on cue, and birds dance around giant cacti. If there’s any place to relax, it’s the Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Los Cabos. But I’m not just here for poolside lounging and winter whale watching. I’m here to experience the hotel’s new Sensei Rest and Reset program, a data-driven wellness retreat designed to reduce stress and improve sleep.
The five-night program includes one-on-one mindfulness coaching, classes ranging from yoga to functional fascial exercises, hydrotherapy treatments, and biofeedback tools to explore the body’s stress response—hence the EmWave sensors I clip to my ears.
This is one of many personalized wellness retreats designed to help weary travelers de-stress. And with “cortisol face”—that is, elevated stress levels that can cause everything from bloating to premature aging—often feeding me at 3 a.m. when I can’t sleep, I guess I’m a prime candidate.
With everything going on in the world, I’m not alone. Anxiety rates have been rising in recent decades as research links chronic stress to inflammation and accelerated cognitive decline. Not surprisingly, cortisol—a hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythms and stress responses—has become an obsession for many people. While doctors say serious problems related to cortisol are rare, stress management is crucial for those who feel stuck in fight-or-flight mode.
“While our cortisol system evolved in response to physical threats, psychological stressors such as a toxic work environment or a sick family member can also trigger cortisol production,” says Gillian Goddard, MD, an endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at New York University. “In the short term, increased focus and elevated blood sugar levels provide energy for our brains and muscles, but in the long term, stress-induced increases in cortisol levels can increase insulin resistance and lead to weight gain. It can also disrupt sleep and lead to anxiety and depression, all of which trigger more cortisol production.”
