Whatever your goal for going to a spa or retreat (stress relief, meditation, thinner thighs), or your budget (from extravagant to Spartan), you'll find Healing Centers & Retreats full of ideas about and insight into destinations across the U.S. and Canada. Author Jenifer Miller's comprehensive collection runs the spectrum from the gestalt focus of the celebrity-studded Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, to the hatha yoga and massage offered at the rustic Trillium Retreat Center on Vashon Island, Washington, to the plush Aveda Spa Retreat in Osceola, Wisconsin. Miller's visited all these centers (lucky duck!), so you can fully trust her evaluations. She describes each site by atmosphere, accommodations, rates, services, staff, and nearby attractions. Toll-free numbers and Web-site and e-mail addresses are also included when applicable. If you've always wished for such a getaway, this book will inspire you to make plans--or nothing will.

Miller also lists thorough descriptions of centers aimed at treating chronic ailments and disease (such as migraines or heart disease) through the use of biofeedback, Ayurvedic medicine, craniosacral therapy, nutritional treatments, Chinese medicine, or a customized combination thereof. And if you have never heard of craniosacral therapy, marma-point therapy, or holoenergetics, don't fret. Miller explains all in the fantastic glossary. There's also a thorough index with listings by healing center name, therapy used, and location.