Photograph by Sebastian Widmann
Preston Wynne Spa director Peggy Wynne Borgman's new book talks about staying in sync with the seasons.
Spa director's book focuses on self care for the seasons
By Kara Chalmers
Peggy Wynne Borgman is in shape, slim, has great skin and a lot of energy. The 39-year-old director of Preston Wynne Spa in Saratoga, who has just written Four Seasons of Inner and Outer Beauty, says she practices what she preaches.
The book incorporates rituals designed to de-stress both the mind and body.
"The two things that bring people to spas right now are stress release and de-aging," Borgman said, adding that people don't want to just look more youthful, they want to feel more youthful.
While Four Seasons is about attaining well-being and reducing stress, it is not about fad diets.
"We've always felt very strongly that self-help and beauty books need to have a much heavier dose of self-acceptance than they usually do," she said. "The most important element to someone's self-esteem and well-being is self-acceptance."
She said the book is not about changing things that are wrong but about achieving balance in life.
In her book, Borgman follows the same theme that is stressed in her spa, that self-care is nothing to be ashamed of and that everyone deserves it. Being "queen for a day" is not a doctrine that Borgman adheres to, which is why her spa emphasizes lifestyle changes rather than one-time "pampering," a word she says she detests.
The point of Four Seasons is to work with the seasons and not against them.
"One of the hallmarks of modern life is a seasonless lifestyle," she said. "It's another example of how we try to master the natural world."
In her book, Borgman tries to make readers aware that seasons are distinctive and affect everyday life. She said that spring, for example, is a time when a lot of people change jobs or end relationships. She calls it the Season of Beginnings and suggests eating "green," taking seaweed baths and exercising in the mornings. In the summer, the Season of Expansion, Borgman said things that started growing in the spring come to fruition and it is difficult for people to stay mentally focused. She suggests getting a little sun in mornings, and eating "cooling" foods, such as fruit.
"In the summertime, there should be less emphasis on food that's been cooked," Borgman said.
In winter, The Season of Stillness, people keep working at breakneck speed and end up becoming lethargic and don't know why, Borgman said. She says that people should not hesitate to do a little hibernating.
"Winter's a time when we need more rest than the rest of the year," she said adding that when the days get shorter people should not compensate by driving to work in the dark, but should take the time to sleep more.
In autumn, the Season of Transition, people tend to have more anxiety, and may work too much.
For her book, Borgman researched Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, which originated in India and translates as the "Science of Life." Both have had an influence on the spa's services for the last five years, Borgman said. She said that the more research she did, the more striking the difference between the seasons became.
Besides being the co-founder and director of the spa, Borgman consults. She has been a licensed esthetician and spa therapist for 15 years. She lives in Santa Cruz and attended UC-Santa Cruz, where she majored in fine arts.
Four Seasons of Inner and Outer Beauty is now available at bookstores and online at prestonwynne.com. Borgman also will hold a book-release party at the spa on June 16, at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the book's sale that evening will benefit Santa Clara's Next Door, an organization that provides counseling and shelter to battered women. Those interested in attending the bash should call 408.741.5525 x 31.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
