I recently spent two nights at Sunrise Springs, a wellness resort outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. I had a terrific time there and could go on and on and on about all the wonderful aspects of my stay. Instead, I will distill my chatter into five reasons Sunrise Springs is worth visiting.

Here I am cuddling Princess, queen of the therapy chickens.

Chill with Chickens

You can go inside the chicken coop and hold the world’s cutest chickens on your lap! I fell in love with Princess, this little white silkie chicken with a poofy head and ultra-feathery legs. “To be able to hold a chicken, you have to be pretty quiet and pretty calm,” staffer Sue McDonald told me. Spending time with chickens can drop your cortisol levels, she said.

Dog whisperer Barbara Klein

Be Inspired by Staff

I especially enjoyed my time with Barbara Klein, who trains the on-site therapy dogs, and Mario, teacher of primal yoga. It was worth getting up early to take his morning yoga class. Carl, who knows everything about the property, drove me to and from the resort. I had a great time talking to him.

Get in Touch with Plants

Making pressed flower bookmarks

Doing activities like making pressed flower bookmarks and smudge sticks made me want to be a better plant person. Starting with my yard. I’m still hoping to start loving my plants more.

Eat Good Vegan Food

vegan salad rolls

I was happy to see so many vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. I had plenty of variety during my two days. My favorites were the vegan pupusas, salad rolls and black bean soup. Since the Springs emphasizes mindfulness – and alcohol tends to produce the opposite result — alcohol is only available during a one-hour pre-dinner reception.

Try Something Different

My expressive ink drawings in the Body as Brush class

I’d never made incense before, or a smudge stick. It was fun to do crafty things with other adults. And trying new things makes us more interesting people.