Miraval Resorts & Spas Supports Mental Wellbeing, Inclusivity and Mindfulness Through 2023 Collaborations

By: Miraval Resorts & Spas via Business Wire

April 11, 2023 at 09:00 AM EDT

Initiatives include expanded support of NAMI and new alignment with Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble

Supporting its core brand pillar of creating a life in balance through mindfulness, Miraval Resorts & Spas, an original thought leader in wellbeing, today announced details of its 2023 brand collaborations. With emphasis on mental wellbeing, mindfulness and inclusivity in travel and hospitality, 2023 highlights include continued collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the introduction of a new collaborative relationship with Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, founder of BIPOC mental health nonprofit The AAKOMA Project. Promoting workplace-wellness and self-care culture among colleagues, these thoughtfully selected brand collaborations bring a heightened focus on profoundly and positively impacting colleagues' wellbeing, empowering them to be even better equipped to provide exceptional service to Miraval guests.

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The Labyrinth at Miraval Austin. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The Miraval brand is built with the intention of supporting integrative, whole-person wellbeing through purposeful human connections,” said Susan Santiago, head of lifestyle and Miraval operations. “Through the evolution and expansion of our collaborations, Miraval Resorts are able to make a lasting, positive impact on our guests, colleagues and extended community with meaningful tools to build resilience and create a balanced life.”

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Now in its third year, the Miraval brand’s collaboration with NAMI, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, is focused on caring for the caregivers and promoting a life in balance for colleagues and guests. In January, Miraval Austin hosted a retreat for the NAMI HelpLine team, a group of staff and volunteers dedicated to providing resources and support to those impacted by mental health conditions. The retreat created a space for reconnection and rest to support the holistic wellbeing of NAMI’s HelpLine team. NAMI thought leaders will also have a presence at each of Miraval Resorts & Spas’ Authentic Circle Appreciation Weeks throughout 2023, with added mental wellbeing sessions dedicated to Miraval colleagues. Additional highlights include NAMI’s contribution of data and resources to a Miraval colleague mental wellbeing tool. Previous collaboration highlights include a video series of soundscapes and meditations on NAMI’s Hearts+Minds website, which was created to raise awareness around the connections between physical and mental wellbeing.

“Miraval Resorts are valued collaborators with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This year, Miraval Austin generously hosted a retreat for the NAMI HelpLine team,” said Jessica Edwards, CDO, NAMI. “Every day, this team provides help and support to thousands of people navigating mental health challenges and the Miraval brand made it possible for them to experience a much-needed retreat where they could pause and focus on their wellness. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and NAMI is so grateful that our HelpLine team was able to recharge, so they can continue to support the people who need us. Supporting workplace mental health is hard yet essential work. Both management and colleagues have an important role because everyone benefits when we bring our full, authentic selves to work.”

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble

Dr. Alfiee is a pioneering psychologist, scientist, author and mental health correspondent. Having founded The AAKOMA Project, she is focused on mental health for intersectional youth and young adults of color, including LGBTQAI+ youth and those with disabilities. In 2023, Miraval Resorts & Spas and Dr. Alfiee are collaboratively amplifying awareness surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and self-care through a series of retreats and colleague sessions. This year, Dr. Alfiee will host three in-person “Caring for our Caregivers” sessions focused on Miraval colleague self-care and cultural responsiveness training. These sessions will offer colleagues access to mental wellbeing resources to enable more meaningful work-life integration through mindfulness and empower Miraval colleagues to foster a safe and inclusive workplace environment. These sessions were inspired by the first Elevation: Diverse Women’s Wellness Retreat which hosted social impact and non-profit mental health leaders at Miraval Arizona in 2022. The experience included transformative conversations around the elevation and creation of safe spaces for caregivers to rest, rejuvenate and renew. Later this year, Miraval Berkshires will host an immersive leadership retreat for Dr. Alfiee and a group of colleagues to reset and recharge and this fall, Miraval Austin will host Dr. Alfiee’s second annual Elevation: Diverse Women’s Wellness Retreat.

“When we met with the Miraval team, we immediately clicked around the shared values of mindfulness and equity in mental health. At The AAKOMA Project, we embody my personal value of creating space for human authenticity, self-acceptance and self-love,” said Breland-Noble. “Coupling these values with Miraval Resorts' life in balance philosophy, AAKOMA and Miraval Resorts have built a collaborative relationship that authentically integrates our shared values and DEI in the wellness arena.”

Through ongoing support of aligned organizations, Miraval Resorts & Spas continue to drive progress and awareness through collaborative events, shared resources, interactive tools and thought leadership engagements. For more information on Miraval Resorts & Spas, please visit www.miravalresorts.com.

About Miraval Resorts & Spas

The Miraval brand is a global leader in wellness resorts and spas. Miraval Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. pioneered the destination wellness spa resort category more than 25 years ago with its comprehensive program of mindfulness activities, destination-inspired experiences and spa treatments that incorporate modalities from around the globe. In 2017, Miraval Arizona joined the Hyatt portfolio bringing its in-depth approach to wellness to Hyatt guests and World of Hyatt members globally. In February 2019, Miraval Austin opened in Texas as the brand’s second wellness resort. The newest resort, Miraval Berkshires, located in Lenox, Mass., opened as the brand’s first East Coast destination in July 2020. Together, all three Miraval resorts inspire guests to create a life in balance, foster positivity and cultivate mindfulness. For more information, please visit MiravalResorts.com. Follow the Miraval brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #MiravalMoments.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s portfolio included more than 1,250 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 75 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Residence Club®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval®, Alila®, Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, Hyatt Centric®, and Caption by Hyatt®; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination by Hyatt®, and JdV by Hyatt®; and the Inclusive Collection, including Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

About NAMI

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. The organization provides advocacy and public awareness, no-cost support and education programs online and in more than 650 communities across the country so that people and families affected by mental health conditions can build better lives.

About The AAKOMA Project

Established in 1997 and incorporated in 2019, the AAKOMA Project envisions a world where every child, teen and young adult (inclusive of all points of diversity) feels the freedom to live unapologetically and authentically within an environment that allows them to rise and thrive. Therefore, we operate at three levels - raising consciousness among individuals, empowering people via providing accessible tools for ongoing management, and changing systems to receive youth and provide better care in the mental health space. For more information, please visit aakomaproject.org.