Spa Wellness: Women’s Wellness Weekend

With the mountains of Lake Tahoe as a backdrop, a group of women take two days to re-boot their wellness agenda.

Granlibakken Center & LodgeGranlibakken Center & Lodge

Granlibakken Center & Lodge


We all know that it takes an ongoing wellness regimen—including regular spa visits—to maintain optimal physical, mental and spiritual health. However, sometimes a concentrated weekend of self-care and education is what’s needed to kick-start a healthier lifestyle. That was the intention of 160 women who converged on Granlibakken Conference Center & Lodge in Northern California’s scenic Lake Tahoe last November to participate in the facility’s annual Women’s Wellness Weekend.

The event, which has been taking place for more than 20 years, welcomes women of all ages, body types and physical abilities to benefit from seminars on a range of wellness-related topics; hear inspiring speakers; participate in daily yoga sessions and walks; receive massages, skin screenings, body/muscle testing, bone density screenings and acupuncture; indulge in healthful and delicious meals; experience a range of treatments at Tahoe’s Lighthouse Spa; enjoy a bit of “retail therapy” courtesy of local businesses; and bond with other women during food and wine receptions and other recreational activities.

Last year’s Weekend was particularly impactful, thanks to a special presentation by Sacramento nurse practitioner and author Joyce Mikal-Flynn, whose near-death experience in a drowning incident enabled her to transform her life and develop a new view on how to turn life crises into opportunities to thrive. Other esteemed speakers discussed topics such as integrative medicine, plastic surgery, nutrition and brain function. Attending healthcare professionals were even given the opportunity to earn continuing education credits.

Granlibakken, which means “hillside sheltered by fir trees” in Norwegian, occupies 74 wooded acres at the northwest corner of Lake Tahoe, providing an ideal setting for clearing the mind, fueling the body and rejuvenating the spirit. “Women’s Wellness Weekend brings together women of all ages to connect socially, spiritually, actively and emotionally as they explore health trends and wellness,” notes Shawna West, the facility’s health and wellness promotions manager.

More in Wellness