BY NANCY GRIFFIN

IN THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT of the“ next best thing,” the value of spa is often overlooked— discarded like the proverbial baby with the bathwater. Concepts such as wellness, recovery and longevity have gained greater credibility, while the humble spa is frequently dismissed as a mere indulgence, associated only with relaxation and pampering rather than genuine health and transformation.

Yet, health and transformation are at the core of spa traditions.

During my time as a graduate student at the Cornell Hotel School in the mid-1990s, I conducted the inaugural classification study for ISPA. Among the 50 spas identified, the majority fell into two categories:“ destination spas”( now known as wellness resorts) and“ amenity spas,” which primarily offered massage and facial treatments within a resort environment.

The core offerings at destination spas like Rancho La Puerta and New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York—

Guided by purpose, grounded in nature— Nancy Griffin embodies spa’ s deeper traditions. the site of the very first ISPA Conference— centered around: l Eating healthy, nourishing food l Engaging in physical activity in natural settings l Learning effective stress management techniques like meditation and mindfulness l Using water and elements of the earth in specific ways, drawing heavily on traditional European spa therapies l Building deep social connections with like-minded individuals

A RETURN TO SPA’ S ROOTS Ilana Alberico, a decades-long ISPA member, day spa owner, spa management company CEO and the visionary behind the innovative technology platform SpaSpace, believes the future of spa“ isn’ t a reinvention— it’ s a remembering”:

“ In the early days of the American spa movement, our models were imported from Europe’ s thermal bathing traditions, destination retreats and even‘ fat farms’ repackaged for wellness seekers. Spas were true sanctuaries— intentional spaces designed for physical, emotional and mental transformation. Over time, however, the concept of wellness splintered into fitness, medicine, beauty and tech, and the spa industry was left behind, reduced in the public eye to pampering and day services.”

The roots of spa culture remain as relevant and transformative as ever. I credit the spa industry for sparking my lifelong pursuit of a healthy lifestyle that includes a combination of self-care, lifelong education and reliance on expert therapists who are masters of their craft.

Kudos to spas everywhere for being beacons of health and happiness— and to ISPA for lighting the way for 35 inspiring years! n

NANCY M. GRIFFIN, MMH, is CEO of Glowing Older and host of the Glowing Older podcast. An entrepreneur, founder of SeniorTrade and ExposeAgeism, and industry scholar at Cornell’ s Institute for Healthy Futures, she advocates for innovation in aging— championing wellness, purpose and dignity for older adults across housing, health care and intergenerational connection.

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