as we Welcome the Summer Solstice…
Whispers from the Well
Well Within Spa Summer Newsletter
Blessings of Light
The Brilliance of the Summer Sun


Blessings of Change
The Autumnal Equinox is at 1:44 pm PDT on Sunday, September 22, and officially marks the beginning of the fall season in the northern hemisphere. The name ‘equinox’ comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), referring to the 12-hour long day and night that occurs only twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun. And it is only on the spring and autumnal equinoxes that the Sun rises due east and sets due west. But, since Earth never stops moving around the sun, these days of equal sunlight and night will change quickly.
The earliest humans spent more time outside than we do. They used the sky as both clock and calendar. They could easily see that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight, and the location of the sunrise and sunset all shift in a regular way throughout the year.
Astronomically speaking, the September equinox marks one of the four major turning points in the cycle of seasons. In many regions of North America, the landscape silently explodes with vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. The harvest baskets are full of our summer’s work. The leaves begin to drop off the trees, providing endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents! Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up. Temperatures begin to drop, nights begin to get longer, and all the woodland critters are storing up for the long haul of winter.
Notice the signs of the autumn equinox in nature… The knowledge that summer is gone, and winter is coming, is everywhere now, on the northern half of Earth’s globe. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can easily notice the later dawns and earlier sunsets. Also notice the arc of the sun across the sky each day. You will find it is shifting toward the south. Birds and butterflies are migrating southward, too, along with the path of the sun. The shorter days are bringing cooler weather. A chill is in the air. In New York City and other fashionable places, people have stopped wearing white. Creatures of the wild are putting on their winter coats. All around us, trees and plants are ending this year’s cycle of growth. Perhaps they are responding with glorious autumn leaves, or a last burst of bloom before winter comes. In the night sky, Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star, is making its way across the heavens each night.
Why do autumn leaves change color?… What type of trees and weather produce the most vivid fall foliage? Not all leaves turn vivid colors in the fall. Only a few of our many species of deciduous trees, notably maple, aspen, oak, and gum, produce stellar performances for our annual autumn spectacular in North America. Several factors contribute to fall color (temperature, precipitation, soil moisture), but the main agent is light, or actually the lack of it. The amount of daylight relates to the timing of the autumnal equinox. As the autumn days grow shorter, the reduced light triggers chemical changes in deciduous plants causing a corky wall to form between the twig and the leaf stalk.
This “abscission layer” eventually causes the leaf to drop off in the breeze. As the corky cells multiply, they seal off the vessels that supply the leaf with nutrients and water and also block the exit vessels, trapping simple sugars in the leaves. The combination of reduced light, lack of nutrients, and no water add up to the death of the pigment chlorophyll, the “green” in leaves.
Once the green is gone, two other pigments show their bright faces. These pigments, carotene (yellow) and anthocyanin (red), exist in the leaf all summer but are masked by the chlorophyll. The browns in autumn leaves are the result of tannin, a chemical that exists in many leaves, especially oaks.
‘The Well’ Spotlight… summer 2012


The Renewal of Spring…

In today’s lifestyles, many of us don’t actively sweat on a daily basis, which has multiple health benefits. Regular sauna bathing provides the benefits derived from a deep sweat: In the heat of a sauna, the core body temperature begins to rise. The blood vessels dilate, causing increased blood flow. Sweat production is primarily for cooling the body, and is composed of 99% water, but deep sweating in a sauna can help reduce levels of heavy metals and chemicals, all toxins commonly picked up from our environment. As many doctors will attest, and a big reason for the popularity of saunas in general, saunas are one of the best means to detoxify our bodies. Leave feeling cleansed, refreshed and alive.

There are many benefits that sauna bathing can provide for our us. German sauna medical research shows saunas significantly reduced the incidence of colds and influenza. As the body is exposed to a sauna’s heat and steam, it produces white blood cells more rapidly, which in turn help fight illness and help kill viruses. Following sporting activity, use the heat and steam of a sauna for muscle relaxation by helping to reduce muscle tension and eliminate lactic acid and other toxins. Saunas are one of the oldest and most famous beauty and health treatments for the skin as well. Research also shows a deeper sleep can result from sauna use. The sauna can be a private personal retreat or a relaxing environment for socializing with family and friends.
Blessings of Growth
to you as we Welcome Spring…
This is the time of year when winter slowly leaves us and the sun and rain make way for the long-dormant bulbs to emerge and the sweet-scented blossoms to begin to bloom on the trees. We hear the birds as they herald the great news that Spring is here! Spring is a time of rebirth and revival, full of new possibilities!
This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures, and the rebirth of flora and fauna. The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west. People have recognized the significance of the Vernal Equinox for thousands of years. There is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the coming of Spring. Many early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored. The date is significant in Christianity because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox. It is also probably no coincidence that the Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly towards the rising sun on the day of the vernal equinox.
The first day of Spring also marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. In Greek mythology, it was the time when Persephone returned from the underworld, and everything bloomed again. April 1st, in fact, used to be considered New Year’s Day, and anyone who didn’t realize this was considered an April Fool. Most of us love to celebrate the season. We observe Arbor Day by planting trees and on Earth Day we clean up our parks, riverbanks, and wilderness areas. We take trips to see the tulips or cherry blossoms in bloom. We‘re not alone in that spring tradition; In Japan, millions of people flock to their parks for “Hanami” their cherry blossom festival. And all over the world, major religious events are celebrated in the Spring. Easter, named after the ancient Saxon goddess Eeostre, commemorates the resurrection of Christ. Passover marks the Jewish peoples flight to freedom from Egypt. Spring in all its beauty is indeed a time of rebirth and renewal.
‘The Well’ Spotlight . . .

This Winter, Warm Yourself to the Bone
…in our Hot Tubs & Saunas

Our Hot Tubs are kept at 103-104 degrees. Our water is filtered every ten mintues, using diatomaceous earth. Few people are familiar with these single-celled marine micro-organisms that are found in abundance in large bodies of water. However, when these tiny organisms die, their skeletal remains settle to the bottom, become fossilized over time and accumulate to produce one of nature’s most beneficial and healthful substances. We use bromine as a sanitizer, which is safer and less harsh than chlorine. The water is constantly monitored by an automated system and checked manually 6x/day to ensure proper chemical balance.
[Read more…]
‘The Well’ Spotlight

Dave LeVan
Eleven years after opening Well Within, Dave purchased property near the original location and built what is currently the ‘new’ Well Within Spa. Only one day of business was lost in the transition from the old location. From the first day he opened the doors on Cedar Street, it has been an overwhelmingly successful expansion. [Read more…]
Blessings of Warmth
to you as we greet the Winter Solstice…
The time at which the sun is at its southernmost point in the sky, thus the shortest day, the longest night, and the darkest time of the year. Humans have been observing, experiencing, erecting monuments to, and performing rituals around this cycle of light since the very beginning of us walking upright. This is an inward time when we go within and find our deepest self, a time of deep relaxation.
Hidden away in our cozy warm homes, so many of us are painfully disconnected to any form of ritual unless it involves shopping and organized religious practices, much which have lost meaning. It would be better for our health to slow down, stop and take a moment to relax.
[Read more…]