By Jackie Caradonio
I had been face-down on the massage table for a few minutes when one of the two therapists administering my Jewel of Baja spa treatment laid hands on the spot. Everyone has one: the spot that is the first to give when they’re stressed—the stiff neck, the achy lower back. For me, it’s the left shoulder that turns into an angry ball of fire the minute anxiety hits. And without a word, as if by intuition, or some greater divinity at work, she found it.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the damiana was the guiding force behind her hands. One of the main ingredients in the 120-minute ritual at Montage Los Cabos’ Spa Montage, the wild shrub with a pretty yellow flower at its center has been used throughout Mexico and South America to treat everything from stomachaches to depression. Before my four-handed massage—which came after a footbath using a natural sea sponge, a cold flora facial mask, and an herb body wrap infused with more damiana—my therapist told me about the mysticism surrounding the flower.
Montage Laguna Beach’s California Wildflower Ritual is another treatment rooted in healing properties, this time using florals native to, or long grown in, the southwestern U.S. Desert lavender, calendula, and chamomile—all used medicinally by Indigenous Americans—are heated in poultices and pressed into aromatic essences for a restorative ritual that combines a massage, a body wrap, and soothing vibrational work. The treatment is also available at Montage Deer Valley and Montage Palmetto Bluff, bringing guests closer to the local landscapes and cultural history—and soothing their own spots with the indefatigable power of tradition.
“It is a natural healer used by shamans for centuries,” she told me as she wafted an elixir infused with the shrub’s oils under my nose. The woody scent brought to mind chamomile—only earthier and a bit sweeter.
Whether through the power of suggestion or some higher authority still, it immediately soothed me. And by the time she was rubbing it into my ailing shoulder, I was fully convinced: It really was a magic ingredient.
There’s a unique confluence of culture, nature, and wellness happening at Spa Montage locations throughout North America, with treatments like the Jewel of Baja using indigenous healing ingredients the way locals have for generations. More than a means of connecting guests to their setting (though they certainly do that too), these rituals tap into age-old wellness beliefs—and offer real-life benefits for modern ailments.
In addition to damiana, Montage Los Cabos’ Signature and Baja Wellness journeys harness the power of ingredients like Mexican bush sage and other native herbs (to reduce stress and draw out toxins) and cacao (a nourishing antioxidant considered sacred to Mexican pre-Hispanic cultures).
