Page 111 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

the heady woodsy fragrance. Before I’d even
hit the woodchip path, I spotted a meditating
gnome. Nice touch. (I found out later there
was an entire gnome trail – I’ll have to return
and find it).
One trail led to the lotus labyrinth, and I
entered the maze, following the path leading
to its center. I tried to stop my thoughts, but
my mind chattered on and ii was taking much
too long so I simply cut across to the middle,
where people had placed small rocks. I stood a
few moments expecting instant enlightenment,
but nothing happened. Frustrated, I cut back
across the path and decided to try something
less meditative.
I changed into a bathing suit at the spa.
donned the robe and slippers the spa atten-
dant handed me, and made my way to the in-
door pool. An instructor was setting up for
Splash Dance, an Aquatic Pole Dancing class
placing weighted poles into the water. Waiting
for the class to begin, I sat under the hot tub
waterfall and relished the pounding hot water
onto my shoulders and head. “Ok, let’s go” the
instructor said. We jumped into the pool, each
of us grabbing a pole. Soon, were dancing in
the water, flinging ourselves around the poles
–first left, then right, then circles, laughing
hysterically as the music boomed around us. I
kept trying to shimmy to the top of the pole,
but never made it. It didn’t matter because we
were all having so much fun.
After that, it was time for something more
soothing: Crystal Bowl Sound Meditation. The
description said the healing sounds of Crystal
Singing Bowls would help balance the body’s
seven Chakras and energize and re-vitalize. I
am not a New Age-y person and I thought this
might be dumb, but I love the sound of singing
bowls, plus, I’ll try anything once. We lay
down on yoga mats with pillows for our heads
and knees, covered with blankets. As the in-
structor explained where each chakra was
anatomically located, she rang a bowl and the
sounds vibrated right into my body. For each
chakra, she rang a different bowel with a very

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