Most Healing Places on Earth

Russian Banyas Sandunovskie Banya, Moscow

The banya is a Slavic Eden: a steamy, womb-like place where you can take off all your clothes and snack on caviar and stuffed herring. Russian babushkis, or grandmothers, swear that frequenting these steam baths can tack years onto your life. Mischievous spirits called bannik are said to bewitch any clothing worn inside a banya, so strip away. Wrap up in a towel, slip on some flip-flops, and continue on to the showers for a rinse before entering the steam room, a wooden construction with a large furnace stove at one end. (Sometimes fragrances like pine oil, eucalyptus, or beer are added.)

At some point, an attendant will lug in buckets filled with birch and juniper soaked in water. Grab a branch, and starting with your feet, slap it against the full expanse of your body. The ritual is said to "bring blood to the surface." When the heat becomes unbearable, proceed to the pool room and jump in immediately. Get out before the hypothermia kicks in and return to the steam room. Repeat as many times as you can: your skin will positively glow afterward.

Shrine to Pele, Hawaii

Goddesses reign supreme on the tropical islands of Hawaii. The grand diva is Pele, who presides over the volcanoes. Legend has it that she secretly envies her beautiful sister Poliahu, and the two often get into catfights over gods and mortals. Poliahu usually wins, causing Pele to erupt in fury, and Poliahu gets stuck cleaning the mess with her snow and ice afterward. Despite her flaws, Hawaiians revere Pele, calling her She Who Shapes The Sacred Land in their chants.

To see Pele in action, drive to the Big Island. Continue on to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, home of the most active volcano on the planet: Kilauea. Rather than spew like a geyser, Kilauea oozes along the ground. At night, the mountain sometimes glows red with lava. Pele is said to dwell in the Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook, where trails lead down to the 1982 lava-flow site. Devotees leave her offerings of flowers, gin, and ohelo berries.

Japanese Onsen, Shikoko Island

Because Japan stretches across volcano fault lines, many of its springs are naturally heated and rich in minerals. Japanese have enjoyed kamiyu, or divine baths, in these healing waters since ancient times. Many onsen feature several baths, each offering a different temperature or mineral composition (thus, different healing properties).

Women and men generally soak separately, and those offering co-ed pools will almost always have a women-only option as well. A popular onsen is Dogo, a spa center in Matsuyama, Ehimekan, on Shikoko Island. The "bath of the spirits" includes hot tea, sweet bean-paste dumplings, and a coveted resting spot on the tatami mats on the veranda outside. Free ashi-yu, or footbaths, can be found at the nearby hot spring.

Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

Deep in the Guatemalan highlands is a mystical village that has beckoned hippies and backpackers for decades: San Marcos La Laguna. The scenery is reason enough to visit: with its three active volcanoes, wild orchids, ancient Mayan communities, and Lago Atitlan, a collapsed volcanic cone filled with water 1,000 feet deep. New Agers are drawn to the belief that San Marcos spans a powerful vortex of energy (thus the meditation centers and massage and yoga studios lining the cobblestone streets too narrow for cars).

The first stop on many lists is Las Piramides meditation center, where every standing structure is shaped like a pyramid and oriented to the cardinal directions. Yoga classes are held at dawn and meditation, tarot, and channeling courses throughout the day. The four-week Full Moon Course is popular with yogis, while those seeking hardcore cleansing opt for the 40 Days of Silence supplemented with juice fastings. Other options around town include reiki, reflexology, cranial-sacral massage, and homeopathy.

Table Mountain, South Africa

Table Mountain is a large, flat-topped mountain that overlooks Cape Town, South Africa. According to African legend, when the earth was created, the earth goddess Djobela made four Watchers to guard each of the cardinal directions. When the Watchers died, Djobela turned them into mountains so they could continue their work guarding the world, and it's believed that Table Mountain is the South Watcher, Umlindi Wemingizimu. Many of the formations on the mountain create interesting shapes. One of the formations facing the ocean is said to resemble Adamastor, an angry god who tried to overthrow other gods and was punished by being turned into stone. The vivid history, beautiful terrain, and prime location make Table Mountain both a popular site for tourists and a beloved place of the locals.

The rock shrines on Table Mountain are believed to have been built to represent the chakras in the human body, as well as to be aligned with stars. People seeking to balance a particular chakra often leave offerings or meditate at the shrine that represents that chakra.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. A "Pre-Hispanic" city, it was colonized by the Mayans, who built pyramids there that still exist today. There are three natural sinkholes at Chichen Itza that provide access to underground water sources. These sinkholes (called cenotes) were sacred to the Mayan gods, and were the locations of sacrifices when the weather was bad or crops didn't do well.

The central pyramid at Chichen Itza, El Castillo (The Castle) is popular for visitors on the annual spring and fall equinoxes. On those days, the patterns of sunlight create a shadow that looks like a plumed serpent along the side of the pyramid. Some believe this serpent is supposed to represent the Mayan god Kulkukan.

Stones native to Chichen Itza, such as jade and quartz, are believed to have healing properties. Several spas in the area give healing massages using these local stones. For sasil-tun, or hot stone therapy, the stones are heated and rubbed with aromatic oils and salts, then placed on the body. The stones help redirect energy and cleanse the body of toxins. Once a stone has been used, it is cleaned carefully and then placed back on the ground so that it can renew its energy straight from the source, the sacred Mayan earth.

Matha Amritananandamayi Mission, Amritapuri, India

Built in a fishing village, this ashram considers itself the center of a "silent spiritual revolution." At its helm sits Amma, a guru known as the Hugging Mother, as she is said to have embraced more than 24 million people in the last thirty years. Amma spends much of the year traveling, so check her schedule to ensure she'll be there (although the ashram is worth a visit regardless).

Kerala, where the mission is located, is also the birthplace of ayurveda, the study of prolonging life through homeopathic medicine and massage. A particularly rejuvenating treatment entails stripping naked and sitting on a wooden bench as not one but two therapists pour hot oil over your entire body and then rub it in with long, sweeping strokes to break down bodily toxins and eliminate any imbalances.

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is famous for its red and orange sandstone rock formations. The Sinagua Indians lived in Sedona for many years, and they built what is known as Montezuma's Castle, a large dwelling inside a limestone recess. Many people believe that several healing energy vortexes meet underneath Sedona. In 1987, groups of people gathered in holy spots around the world, including Sedona, to mark the "Harmonic Convergence," a time of love and world peace which was inspired by the Mayan calendar. Because of the many New Age people who visit Sedona every year, there are myriad holistic spas throughout the town, offering massages, herbal skin treatments, bodywork, yoga classes, and more.

In addition to being beautiful, the red rocks of Sedona make for excellent hiking trails and camping spots, and artists have also noticed the spiritual beauty of Sedona.

The Dead Sea, Israel

Technically, the Dead Sea is a lake--a terminal lake, which means that it has no outlet to a larger body of water. As a result, it is rich in minerals, primarily salt, but also magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Both the water and the black mud that lines the Dead Sea are believed to hold healing properties. The year-round warm air is also said to be good for respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Pilgrims from around the world come to the Dead Sea to soothe skin conditions or rejuvenate arthritic bones. In the most common healing ritual, visitors will float for twenty minutes (this is about the maximum the body can stand) in the salty water, then cover themselves in rich black mud. After the mud dries, they shower it off. Skin looks refreshed and glowing afterward.