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BREITENBUSH HOT SPRINGSA Holistic Healing Retreat
in Oregon
by Kerry Cohen
The
“Medicine Wheel Tubs,” five tubs of differing temperatures, allow guests hot-cold
hydrotherapy. Guests can also receive one of nine specialized healing arts from
staff, including reiki, three types of massage treatments, and a number of
therapies that utilize the Breitenbush pools. The center also offers yoga,
meditation, and other classes.
Costs
range from $40 to $75 per night, and include lodging, three vegetarian meals
daily, and unlimited use of the facilities, waters and daily well being programs.
Workshops’ costs vary. For more information and a brochure, contact: Breitenbush
Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center Images courtesy of Breitenbush -Updated 4-30-00-
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TM
In
a place with trees as old as the ground they’re rooted in, and a state where
the people are more concerned with conservation that consumerism, it’s not
surprising to find a resort committed to holistic healing without the flash. Breitenbush
Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center, located at the edge of the
Willamette National Forest in Detroit, Oregon, aims to serve the mind, the
body, and the soul. In this way, Breitenbush is different than most resorts; rather
than simply pamper its guests in luxury, the retreat invites guests to engage
in their restoration. 
Set
inside an ancient forest along the Breitenbush River, Breitenbush supports a
community of people dedicated to preserving the forests and living sustainably.
This is clearly reflected in the center’s practices. Guests are encouraged to
take advantage of scenic trails and tranquil settings, either by doing guided
hikes or exploring the forest alone. Guest cabins, which have electricity and
heat, and tents, which don’t, are set inside the trees, providing quiet and
solitude. Breitenbush’s greatest attraction, the hot springs, or “sacred pools”
as Breitenbush members call them, are set off only by rocks in a meadow. Even
the steam sauna is natural, built over the hot mineral waters that run through
the grounds. 
Throughout
the year, Breitenbush offers workshops that aim to teach, heal, or provide opportunities
to examine ones soul. Workshops range from teaching forms of meditation, to strategies
for dealing with conflict, to dance improvisation. Every year, Breitenbush conducts
free sweat lodge ceremonies, meant to cleanse the body and spirit. The center
also hosts conferences, and during these conferences, Breitenbush facilities
are open only to workshop participants.