Believing connection to ourselves and others is the key to true wellness, Simon Marxer has a wellness resume like no other. He has served as spa director at Canyon Ranch, The Boulders Waldorf Astoria Collection, and Miraval Arizona; managing director at Cornelia Day Resort, and vice president of business development at Red Flower, a luxury beauty brand. Today, he is director of spa and wellbeing at Miraval Group, where he oversees the brand’s three spas and creates new and innovative treatments and services that continue to make Miraval a pioneer in the spa space. Here, Marxer shares how he maintains his own wellbeing as well as the aspect he struggles with the most.
What does wellness mean to you?
To me, wellbeing is about living fully in all dimensions, and the pursuit of that optimal state of existence from a physical, emotional, and spiritual standpoint. It’s also about understanding the interdependence of those three dimensions and attention to them that enables us to be fulfilled in all capacities.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
For me, spending time in nature is one of the things I find most centering and supportive of my wellbeing. It affords a connection to the beauty of natural surroundings and serves to help remind me that there are things far greater than myself and the concerns of the moment that are out there to be enjoyed.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
Cycling is my favorite fitness activity. I love cycling outdoors whenever possible and indoors when outdoors is not possible. What I enjoy most about it is that it allows me to push myself, explore my cardiovascular limitations, and feel like I’m improving them in the pursuit of finding those limitations and boundaries.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
My philosophy is not dissimilar to that of Miraval, that there are no healthy or unhealthy foods. Instead, all foods nourish us in different ways, and moderation allows us to be nourished by all foods.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
My favorite beverage is Miraval Arizona’s “Garden Greens” smoothie. It has apple, kale, spinach, ginger, lemon juice, romaine lettuce, celery, and cucumber and provides the perfect mid-day refresh.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
One of the most important dimensions of wellness is connection to ourselves and to others. Therefore, I feel accomplished by the connections I have helped establish with the Miraval community, which is constituted by our guests and colleagues. I like to think that by building those connections, I’ve helped support both a community that enables the pursuit of wellness for others while also doing so for ourselves.
What person in wellness do you most admire and why?
One of the people I most admire that I have been fortunate enough to work in the wellness space is with Christy Sinnott, senior vice president of Talent Management at Hyatt. Christy and I have worked together on various wellbeing initiatives, specifically in support of Hyatt colleague wellbeing. She has both inspired and reinforced my belief in the value of the work I’m fortunate enough to do.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?
An individual who has had a large impact on my perspective on wellness, amongst many other things, is Wyatt Webb, Miraval’s director of Equine Programs. Some of the best advice that Wyatt has ever offered me was that I was responsible for my choices and to take stock of the results of those choices, wellbeing or otherwise. I think this was great advice for me, as it helps emphasize the active role we all must play in the pursuit of wellbeing and the importance of being intentional in making choices that impact our lives.
What do you think is the most exciting wellness innovation you have recently discovered?
One of the initiatives that I’m incredibly excited by and proud of that represents innovation at Miraval is our recent Hybrid Beauty Day event. It was a great joy to create experiences that support wellness both in-person and virtually while building connections between participants through self-care. We’ve also helped bring wellness experiences to those who are unable to visit Miraval in-person through our Spirit & Soul video series, the goal of which is to help viewers explore their spiritual side and emerge as their best selves. It’s been incredibly rewarding to bring wellbeing to those who need it at home.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
During my time at Miraval, I’ve learned that balance is something we create, not something discovered. In alignment with that, my sense of balanced happiness is to be connected with myself and others, and truly tending to my own evolving needs, while remaining mindful of the impact I have on those around me. My ultimate goal is to support both my own wellbeing and the pursuit of wellbeing for those around me.
What do you think is the most overused word or words in wellness?
A term that can be both overused and over emphasized is balance. At times, people in the wellness field speak about balance as a state of being that one achieves. By doing so, it can prevent people from cultivating it. The pursuit of balance is both ongoing, and of course, imperfect.
Do you have a secret health or wellness tip you would like to share?
One of the most frequently overlooked opportunities to support one’s wellbeing and self-care practice is silence. Silence, for many of us, is difficult to attain with the busy lives and competing interests that take up our day but making time to sit in silence affords us an opportunity to connect with ourselves in a way that little else can offer.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
I’m fortunate enough to be able to regularly visit Hyatt properties, which offer mindful escapes, and I find that taking the time to enjoy the programming offered at Miraval is truly a different experience each visit. The magic of Miraval is that it holds a mirror up to reflect back to us where we are and helps us understand what we may need in the moment. Therefore, each visit affords a new experience, as I am inevitably in a different place. It never fails to both inspire and remind me of the power of possibility and that continues to support my sense of purpose.
Is there a particular wellness company or brand that truly impresses you with their efforts and why?
Hyatt’s pursuit for supporting the wellbeing of its stakeholders and the commitment made to the pursuit of wellbeing by senior leaders is inspiring to see as well as to be a part of.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
When I think about self-care, I think less about specific activities or a routine but more about remaining mindful that the opportunities to support our wellbeing are ever-present. My approach is to remind myself throughout the course of my day to appreciate and bring my attention to the things that support my wellbeing, such as practicing gratitude for all the moments I have where I find an appreciation for some aspect of my surroundings, my connections with others, an opportunity to learn something new, etc. I find by bringing my attention to that which surrounds me, regardless of circumstance, my wellbeing is supported in a way that makes it less of a routine and more part of the fabric of my life.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
My go-to for de-stressing is time with friends, which has had to be largely virtual as of late. Spending time with friends or loved ones renews me and offers the chance to shift my focus beyond myself to others and the enjoyment of loved ones.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?
The aspect I find hardest to manage is the stress created by my own expectations. I work daily to remind myself of the importance of setting appropriate expectations for myself and the world as well as managing the inevitable stress of the pursuit of meaningful change. This is something that I work on consistently.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
Two books that I recommend are Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being by Martin E.P. Seligman and Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. Both offer great insight, as well as emphasize the opportunity to embrace our greatest resource in the pursuit of wellness, which is ourselves.
How do you celebrate small victories?
I celebrate small victories by savoring that which brings joy to my life. Savoring is something I’ve most recently been focused on developing a capacity for, and I have found that it has brought new levels of appreciation for both my accomplishments as well as the joy to be found each day.
What brings you joy?
What brings me the greatest joy is twofold. First, the sense that I am learning and growing is exhilarating to me, albeit sometimes frightening. And second, the satisfaction of supporting the accomplishments of those around me brings me joy. I find tremendous joy and satisfaction in the role I can play in the potential realized of those around me.
