Native Revival Lesapa Lelima Purification Treatment

Native Revival

With its wind-swept coastline and world-class fairway, the Pebble Beach resort in Monterey, California, is a natural draw for golfers, celebrities, and others accustomed to top-flight accommodations and amenities. But the land on which the resort is built was once home to a very different population: the native Esselen Indians, who inhabited California’s central coast.

The Spa at Pebble Beach offers a treatment honoring this indigenous group. Conceived by Cari Herthel, an Esselen Indian shaman and past president of the Esselen tribe, the Lesapa Lelima Purification Treatment; the name means “bathing ceremony” in the Esselen language; combines a scrub, wrap, and massage with a ceremonial healing. The treatment’s ingredients, including white sage, coastal sage, and elderberry, are locally harvested and blessed by the Esselen tribe elders.

As the treatment begins, the guest is exfoliated with a scrub made of salt and sage oil, then brushed with purifying native grains and cocooned in heated towels. The therapist then uses traditional musical instruments to conduct a native-inspired “Four Directions” ceremony honoring earth and ancestors. Afterward, the guest receives a scalp massage, and her face is misted with sage. Finally she is unwrapped, rinsed in the Vichy shower, and moisturized with elderberry lotion.

“Lesapa Lelima allows the participant to connect with her forebears and with the earth” says Spa Director Lara Davidson. “In doing so, she can remove obstacles that stand in the way of healing, harmony, and balance.” For more information call (888) 565-7615 or visit www.pebblebeach.com