Body worship
Located in the lake region of the Poconos, The Lodge at Woodloch is a luxury resort for adults, resting on the shores of Lake Teedyuskung. Owned by John and Ginny Lopis, famed designers of such spas as The Cloister at Sea Island, Sandy Lane in Barbados and the Borgata in Atlantic City, expect nothing more than the exquisite here. A two-story-high beech wood sculpture of a climbing Morning Glory vine by artist Jonathan Clowes sets the tone for an out-of-body experience. Says Ginny: “This is a spa for the future. It’s about helping people to return to their joy in life— the sensory joy of rediscovering what your body needs.” And Sheree Becker is the quintes-sential massage therapist— she takes cues from her clients as to whether to talk or not, and her hands deliver the magic. The products used are by Kerstin Florian and Astara. Opt for the Lodge’s signature Swedish massage with lavender oil and you’ll walk out of the room so relaxed that your feet won’t feel as if they touch the ground as you make your way to the Whisper Room. There, you can relax some more, taking in views of the lake and sipping cucumber water or organic teas. If you’ve been afraid to try tofu, this is the restaurant for you— everything healthy is cooked here the way you want healthy to be. And the rooms? Zen squared. 109 River Birch Lane, Hawley, Pa., 866-953-8500, http://www.thelodgeatwoodloch.com.
Museums
“Mastering the Art of Chinese Painting: Xie Zhiliu (1910-1997)” opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Feb. 6 (through July 25). China’s leading modern artists have been strongly influenced by Zhiliu, who, through his work as a connoisseur of ancient paint-ings, has encouraged artsts to look to history as well as to nature for their muse. The name Zhiliu might not exactly trip off the tongue as easily, as say, Monet, but his paintings and calligraphy are as recog-nizable. Expect a selection of some 100 works drawn from a recent gift of more than 200 paintings, sketches and studies, poetry manuscripts and artist’s seals done by or for Xie Zhiliu. 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd Street, New York, 212-535-7710, http://www.metmuseum.org.
The Palate
With spacious, beautifully decorated rooms and a perch directly on the Potomac, with close views of the Capitol, the Mandarin Oriental is the place to be in D.C. for sleeping.But forget about sleep, because there’s food to be had here. One of the newest James Beard award-winning “Best Chefs in the Mid-Atlantic,” Eric Ziebold, whips it up at the hotel’s café, CityZen, with his signature Mille Feuille of prime Midwestern beef, with bone marrow bread pudding, scorzo-nera butter, sautéed moulard duck foie gras and béarnaise gastrique. Follow that with the CityZen Bar— a Valrhona chocolate brownie cake with soft peanut caramel milk chocolate malt and port wine syrup— and you’ll be inventing some new “Om” chants. 1330 Maryland Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C., 202-787-6006, mandarinoriental.com/washington/dining/cityzen.
Music
The shakuhachi is a Japanese flute made of bamboo, used by monks for the practice of “blowing meditation” in Zen Buddhism. The songs, called honkyoku, are about as far from honky-tonk as one can get. Instead of jangling rhythms, the music is in the simplicity of one-noted sounds. If this all seems vaguely unfamiliar, consider that the instrument was used in such famous flicks as “Braveheart,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Legends of the Fall” and even “Jurassic Park.” It also can be found in the popular music of Michael Bolton and Linkin Park. On Feb. 20, the Annual Winter NYC Beginners Honkyoku Intensive Classes (no experience necessary) will be offered by Grand Master Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin at the Ki Sui An Shakuhachi Dojo Center (120 Riverside Dr., #3W, New York). For those who want to just enjoy the sounds, Seldin will present a concert, “Voyage of Life,” featuring a four-movement solo composition, played on four Shakuhachi of different lengths, at the Tenri Cultural Institute (43A W. 13th St.). 917-207-6724, http://www.nyogetsu.com.
