Upcoming Events

Weight loss is hard. Ditch the myths and hollow promises of the ever-changing fads. Achieve sustainable success by adopting the Canyon Ranch Weight Loss Program. Join us for a 5-day Immersion for science-backed research and personalized medical guidance for achieving your healthiest weight.

This exclusive, body-positive experience at scenic Canyon Ranch Tucson is tailored to you. Our team of world-class experts from a broad range of disciplines—including medicine, nutrition, fitness performance science, mental health, spiritual wellness, and more—will guide you through individualized insights and practical skills for living life at your healthiest weight.

This all-inclusive retreat features daily CME accredited presentations in a small group setting of supportive like-minded people, as well as diagnostic testing, such as our DEXA Body Composition assessment and continuous glucose monitor, to give you a comprehensive snapshot of your metabolism and what you need to do to achieve your healthy weight.

Over the course of this week, you’ll learn—and experience—new ways to exercise, eat, and transform your health trajectory for the better. Start 2024 off right by learning how to stay motivated even when life gets busy and implementing integrative, healthy routines for your happiest self.

In addition to this event, you can enjoy all of the daily activities that Tucson, AZ offers. Explore our sample schedule.

Steve Jordan
With a career path made for movies, Steve entered the world of health and fitness after rehabilitating himself following a traumatic brain injury in 1994. His holistic approach to recovery and its incredible results soon landed him a position at the White House as a fitness instructor under the Clinton Administration. Now based in Los Angeles,
Jordan is sought after by celebrities, power brokers, and professional athletes searching for transformation from the inside out. Having appeared on television’s Dr. Oz, The Today Show, and ABC News, he’s also known for his trademarked, rehabilitative exercise program, Posture Perfect.

Dr. Stephen C. Brewer, MD, ABFM, Medical Director
Dr. Brewer has served as Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Tucson for nearly two decades. One of the most important philosophies he has adopted during this time is to practice moderation when it comes to wellness. “I’ve learned that I don’t need to go to extreme measures to be healthy, both physically and emotionally,” he shares. “I don’t spend hours in the gym, and I don’t have an overly restricted diet. My exercises and diet are healthy, but it doesn’t get in the way of my busy life. It is simply a part of my day.”

He specializes in family medicine, integrative medicine, preventative medicine, and men’s health. Over the years, he has led numerous presentations on Health & Performance topics including brain health, integrative medicine, preventive medicine, men’s health, medical weight loss, peak performance, and health in moderation.

Mike Siemens, MS, RCEP, Director of Performance Science
After nearly three decades with our Fitness & Movement team at Canyon Ranch, Mike continues to be energized by teaching people how exercise can improve the quality of their lives. He specializes in strength and aerobic conditioning, metabolic testing data, and custom exercise program design.

Mike shares, “At Canyon Ranch, we’re really good at meeting people where they are on their wellness journey – whether it’s your first day of exercising, you’ve been exercising for many years and you’d like to fine tune your program, or you’re a competitive athlete and you want to improve your performance.”

Sam Barthel, MS, CSCS, Senior Performance Scientist
Sam comes to the Canyon Ranch Fitness & Movement team after working two years with the Philadelphia 76ers as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sport Scientist. Previously, he was a graduate assistant at Michigan State University with the Men's and Women's basketball teams—assisting in all aspects of strength and conditioning and sport science. While at MSU, he also taught 100-200 level wellness and anatomy classes. An athlete and a scholar, Sam has published research in the areas of motorsport and equine physiology.
Sam specializes in strength training and aerobic conditioning, sport science testing and interpretation, and individualized exercise program design.

Shannon Jacobs, MS, RDN, LDN, Health & Performance Dietician
Shannon has a true calling for her work. “I believe that one of my life's purposes is to help, guide, and inspire others to live their happiest, healthiest, and best lives through nutrition education and intervention.”

Before joining our Nutriton & Food team at Canyon Ranch Tucson in Arizona, Shannon worked at Mississippi State University as a professional sports apprentice assisting football and basketball players with health and performance goals. At the University of Pittsburgh, she was the Basketball Performance Fellow, where she worked with both men’s and women’s basketball teams. And at EXOS, Shannon was a performance nutrition intern, where she worked with NASCAR pit crew members and the Charlotte soccer clubs to optimize health and performance.

Amy Hawthorne, MS, LMFT, Director of Mental Health & Wellness
An independently licensed therapist in Arizona, Amy spent several years working for a world-renowned in-patient treatment center before she joined our Mind & Spirit team at Canyon Ranch. She has experience addressing issues including trauma, many forms of addiction, depression, and anxiety. She is also well versed in stress management, interpersonal relationships, codependency, and healing shame.

Amy believes the only true path to long-lasting, meaningful change is through the cultivation of self-compassion and gaining personal insight and awareness. She helps guests achieve this transformation through her direct, yet compassionate style of therapy. “Being a part of someone’s deeply meaningful insights and witnessing people evolve on such a deep, soul level, makes my day every day,” Amy says. She feels honored to be at Canyon Ranch and finds immense satisfaction not only in helping guests to have their own “Aha!” moments, but in contributing to what she considers to be the pinnacle of true mind, body, and spiritual wellness experiences.

Adam Smith, MA, Senior Spiritual Wellness Provider
Adam was trained in clinical and spiritual care at a Level 1 Trauma center and psych hospital. With a background in bereavement counseling and hospice spiritual care, he specializes in grief support, addressing existential concerns, and facilitating meaning-making. He has developed and taught college courses at the University of Arizona on spirituality in healthcare settings and ethics in the helping professions.

Adam is well versed in integrative wellness, following Dr. Andrew Weil's teachings and collaborating with other departments in the Health & Performance division at Canyon Ranch. Adam’s favorite spiritual practices are moving while meditating: walking meditation, hiking in nature, mountain biking, riding his unicycle, and performing tricks on his Chinese yo-yo.

Brendan Murray, D.C., D.A.C.B.S.P., Director of Sports Medicine
Brendan has been helping guests at our Arizona wellness resort since before he even joined the Canyon Ranch team.
When he first came to interview in Tucson, he encountered a gentleman in the gym who looked a little lost. “He asked me if I knew where a piece of equipment was because he'd forgotten where and how to do an exercise," Brendan recounts. "We walked around, found the equipment, and reviewed the exercise. He thanked me and said he was going to speak to someone about getting me a job here.”

This anecdote won’t surprise anyone who knows the longtime team physician who has volunteered on every court, field, diamond, or pitch you could imagine and has assisted in at least one miraculous recovery in the past.

Brendan came to Canyon Ranch after 33 years in private practice, as well as acting as a team physician for the World Championships, Pan American Games, Olympic trials, and National Championships.

Eric Williamson, PhD, RD, CSSD, Nutritionist
Eric has been practicing as a registered dietitian since 2015. He’s worked with a broad range of individuals from elite athletes with the University of Toronto’s men’s varsity basketball team and the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals, to people trying to balance fitness goals with work and family.

He provides one-on-one consultations that help Canyon Ranch guests achieve their goals while considering all aspects that make them unique, from their bodies to their lifestyles to their daily schedules.
Alongside the Nutrition team, he delivers presentations about the complex field of nutrition and sorts through misinformation for the advice that will truly enhance guests’ lives. He explains to guests not just what to do, but the why and the how of nutritional wellness.

Gretchen Steffenson, MDiv, BCC, Spiritual Wellness Provider
Gretchen’s present energy helps guests feel safe to discuss various topics and explore modalities and rituals for healing. During her 20+ years of experience in hospital settings, she assisted people of all ages and backgrounds as they experienced a variety of significant life transitions and events. “It’s important to find meaning around life’s experiences and consider the ways spirituality and existential exploration are involved in sustained wellness,” she says.

Before joining our Mind & Spirit team at Canyon Ranch Tucson, Gretchen worked at hospitals and health organizations, including positions with Tucson Medical Center, Carondelet Health Network, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and the University of Chicago Medicine.

Krisna Hanks, MS, MBA, Health and Performance Coach
Before joining the Health & Performance team Canyon Ranch Tucson in Arizona, Krisna worked as a consultant for companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations as a health and performance coach, executive coach, nutrition advisor, Pilates instructor, and as a developer of comprehensive employee wellness programs. Some previous clients include the CDC, Stanford University, the City of Emeryville, and Pixar Animation Studios. She was the owner/founder of East Bay Pilates and is also the author of Finding Lifestyle Sanity: A Survival Guide. It is a no-nonsense book on well-being for mature individuals.

As an expert in health and wellness, she also finds workable strategies to balance her own life by prioritizing fitness and wellbeing. Krisna’s approachable style allows her to connect with guests of all ages, who are at every level of fitness to navigate individualized paths for living their healthiest lives.

SUNDAY JANUARY 14

4-5:30 pm Orientation and Welcome Circle

5:30-6:30pm Group Dinner

7-8 pm Optimal Health is Within Reach with Steve Jordan
Optimal health is a dynamic physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual journey. Why is optimal health more important than the number on the scale? What is optimal health and how can we begin to measure it? Find answers and apply techniques that Steve uses with his celebrity clients as you begin to unlock your potential to live with optimal health now and forever.

MONDAY JANUARY 15

9-10:30 am Glucose Tracking for Weight and Energy with Dr. Stephen Brewer
Optimize your weight and energy, learn how to identify your blood glucose patterns and hack hunger, and maximize your energy. Discover the benefits of Continuous Glucose Monitoring and get your own CGM to use during your stay.

10:30-11 am Canyon Ranch Vitality Tour
Join Liza Rosenberg for an exclusive 30-minute tour of the brand-new Canyon Ranch Vitality, located in the Center for Life Enhancement. Learn about the self-led specialty spaces thoughtfully designed to help guests maximize their time at Canyon Ranch.

11-12 pm Joy In the Journey with Steve Jordan
"I’ll enjoy life when I lose the weight, when I can fit into the clothes I loved wearing, or when I don’t shy away from looking at myself in the mirror—then I'll be happy." Does this sound familiar? We often put off our joy until a later date. The problem with this approach is there's always some reason we can't be happy in the present moment. The key is to find joy in the journey.

FREE TIME FOR SERVICES

2 pm Long & Lean Barre Workout - Studio 2

3-4 pm Fast Fitness Workshop with Dan Colvin
With guidance from a Performance Scientist, learn new tips for hitting—and maintaining—your fitness goals. Get quick workouts perfect for time crunches, when you are stuck at your desk, or you are traveling and have no equipment.

4-5 pm Navigating Diet Trends with Eric Williamson
Dive into the science of cravings and why certain foods seem so hard to resist. Learn everyday strategies to combat cravings, and, in turn, have more energy throughout the day, feel more in control of your nutrition, and eat with greater intention.

TUESDAY JANUARY 16

7-7:45 am Morning Walk with Steve Jordan
Join Steve for an early morning walk to enjoy some morning sunlight and get your lymph moving to set you up for an energized day.

9-10 am The Neuroscience of Your Relationship with Food with Amy Hawthorne
Come explore the way food impacts your brain, the role trauma plays in your relationship with food and what to do about it.

10-10:30 am Horizontal Meditation with Adam Smith and Brendan Murray
Our Sports Medicine and Spiritual Wellness specialists are joining forces to bring you a meditation experience you're sure to remember. Learn about proper body positioning and mindfulness to help you reach a new level of relaxation.

2 pm Core Conditioning - Studio 1

3-4 pm The Truth About Longevity with Dr. Stephen Brewer
Explore the secrets to a longer, vibrant life with Medical Director Stephen Brewer. Uncover the latest medical breakthroughs and practical tips for achieving longevity.

5:30-7 pm Dinner & Learn with Shannon Jacobs
Join our Nutrition team in the Demo Kitchen for a mindful eating experience.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17

10am Coach's Corder with Krisna Hanks

1-2 pm Rule Your Day: The Secrets to Living with Purpose with Steve Jordan
Living with purpose helps you prioritize your life, allowing you to walk away from certain people or activities that don't serve your purpose. It's a main driver to staying motivated when things get tough, so you can set and meet short- and long-term goals. Learn to live with purpose with Steve’s special Five To Thrive strategies for claiming control over each day. He teaches you how to identify negative thinking, visualize an abundant future, rise above your circumstances, and transcend distractions to focus on what matters most.

2 pm Boxers Workout - Studio 3

3–4 pm Chinese Medicine for Digestion and Metabolism
Learn from an Eastern Medicine Practitioner how you can optimize digestion through Traditional Chinese Medicine with the utilization of acupuncture and herbs.

THURSDAY JANUARY 18

9-10 am Strengthening the Body-Spirit Connection with Desiree Maultsby
Join a Spiritual Wellness expert to learn how integrative wellness empowers us to honor the wisdom of mind, body, and spirit. Explore evidence-based practices like self-compassion, mindfulness, and hope.

10-11 am Conquer Your Food Cravings with Shannon Jacobs
Dive into the science of cravings and why certain foods seem so hard to resist. Learn everyday strategies to combat cravings, and in turn have better energy throughout the day, feel more in control of your nutrition, and eat with greater intention.

2 pm Desert Drumming - Studio 1

3:30-4:30 pm Believe It and You Will Achieve It with Steve Jordan
Most people start out their lives with big dreams. The main reason they don’t achieve the vision they have for their life is because they don’t believe in it. They don’t yet truly see themselves in their future vision. Learn how to change your belief system once and for all to achieve optimal health.

4:30-5:30 pm Final Q&A with Dr. Stephen Brewer, Steve Jordan, and Canyon Ranch Experts
Join us for a final question and answer session to address lingering questions and strategies for continuing your weight loss journey once you've returned home.

5:30 -6 pm Farewell Group Dinner