Explore & Learn

This experience is currently sold out. Please call our Reservations Team at (800) 742-9000 to be added to the waitlist or sign-up to learn about future Immersion Retreats.

The science of neuroplasticity shows us that there are a variety of ways to improve our brain function with non-pharma interventions. Every day, how we move, think, and feel influences not only how our brains work, but our overall health.

Join an exclusive, small group of guests this spring at scenic Canyon Ranch Tucson for an immersive, 5-night wellness retreat that explores the latest science behind brain health, and how to apply these insights to improve your mind.

This Canyon Ranch experience is curated and hosted by Robert M. Bilder, Ph.D., Tennenbaum Family Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Chief of Psychology at UCLA Health, and Director of the Center for the Biology of Creativity at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

Dr. Bilder is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and directs training programs in Clinical Neuropsychology at UCLA. His research focuses on brain and behavior, with aims to eliminate artificial boundaries between mental health and illness, and between everyday and exceptional creativity.

Dr. Bilder and a team of integrative Canyon Ranch experts will deliver an experience that offers new ways to understand the negative effects of stress on your mind and body, and ways to reduce it to change the long-term health trajectory of your brain for the better.

You’ll engage with our team of world-class Canyon Ranch specialists from a broad range of disciplines, including nutrition, fitness & performance, mental health, spirituality, and more.

Learn what you can do now to make a difference in your memory, how you think, and your ability to stay sharp for the long term.

Learn more about Canyon Ranch Immersion™. To book, call (844) 772-8435 or email immersions@canyonranch.com for more information.

Featured Speaker

Robert M. Bilder, Ph.D.
Robert Bilder is the Tennenbaum Family Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Chief of Psychology at UCLA Health, and Director of the Center for the Biology of Creativity at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. He is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and directs training programs in Clinical Neuropsychology at UCLA.

His research focuses on brain and behavior, with aims to eliminate artificial boundaries between mental health and illness, and between every day and exceptional creativity. His current grants examine reward mechanisms and have established a National Neuropsychology Network to gather “big data” about the brain. He recently completed the “Big C” project to examine brain function in exceptional creativity and now directs a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab to measure impact of the arts on well-being.

He has been involved over the last decade in the leadership of the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative. Currently, is co-lead of the Mind Well Pod, which aims to enhance psychological well-being among UCLA students, staff and faculty through curricular and extracurricular programming.

This work has led to a new UCLA minor in Brain and Behavioral Health, the annual UCLA Eudaimonia Award, and multiple other programs that support our Mindful Awareness Research Center, the Sleep Well initiative, and collaborations with Student Affairs to enable new development of applications that connect students to resources for mental health and well-being.

For the last decade, Dr. Bilder has been teaching about Personal Brain Management, to share current knowledge about how our brains work, and how we can leverage both common sense and advanced technologies to use our brains in ways that are aligned with our personal values.

Canyon Ranch Experts

Alyssa Baker
MSc, RD, CSSD, Nutritionist
Alyssa is passionate about the impact food and nutrition have on vitality and longevity, helping and coaching guests to develop a deeper awareness about how high-quality foods support overall health and performance. Her areas of professional expertise include nutrition for performance and health, culinary nutrition, and plant-based nutrition.

Tanja Bungardt-Price
CAP, E-RYT, Fitness Instructor
Tanja teaches yoga, meditation, pranayama (yogic breathing techniques), and QiGong at Canyon Ranch, Tucson. As a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, she also holds lectures and workshops.

Dr. Rich Carmona
Chief of Health Innovation, Canyon Ranch
Dr. Richard Carmona, the former 17th U.S. Surgeon General, is a renowned integrative medicine physician, trauma surgeon, and global public health leader with military service and law enforcement experience. His long-standing leadership role and personal relationship with Canyon Ranch reflect a shared vision to promote healthy living. Trained in general and vascular surgery, Dr. Carmona chaired the State of Arizona Southern Regional Emergency Medical System and was professor of surgery, public health, and family and community medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Carmona’s commitment to helping people live healthier makes his connection with Canyon Ranch enduring and invaluable. His vast experience, visionary thinking, and collaboration with our integrative specialists expands the opportunities for people seeking transformative wellness. He exemplifies healthy living and inspires everyone he meets.

Tryshe Dhevney
Spiritual Wellness Provider
Tryshe’s passion is to enable individuals to use their own voice to achieve natural harmony, optimal performance, and self-healing.

Jenny Flora
MS, Clinical Nutritionist
Jenny has over 40 years of experience in nutrition and dietetics, with an emphasis on nutritional assessment, clinical practice, and food development. Jenny meets with guests to discuss their unique needs and goals. She provides nutritional guidance to help them manage chronic conditions, properly fuel their bodies for exercise, and improve their overall health.

Krisna Hanks
MS, MBA, Health & Performance Coach
Krisna is committed to helping guests live their best lives. In pre-stay consults she helps guests plan how to best maximize their time at Canyon Ranch. Integrative Coaching sessions are oriented to help guests identify goals, develop strategies and support intentions for milestone achievement. A post-stay session allows guests to address concerns to ensure continued success and maintenance. Her strength-based approach provides support, accountability, and consistency to health and wellness transformation.

Amy Hawthorne
MS, LMFT, Director of Mental Health & Wellness
Amy specializes in getting to the root of issues quickly, helping guests to recognize the deeper “why” for current life circumstances, identifying and healing past traumas, and addressing maladaptive relationship patterns.

Mike Siemens
MS, RCEP, Director of Performance Science
Mike works one-on-one with our guests, creating customized exercise programs for a wide variety of fitness levels and movement goals. He also hires, trains, and mentors our team of Exercise Physiologists, and develops programming for the department.

Jenny Simon
MC, LPC, PhD, Mental Health and Wellness Therapist
Jenny is state licensed mental health therapist. She helps resort guests gain insight and awareness, recognize blocks to healing, and teaches healthy ways to manage the daily stress of life. She specializes in treating the long-term effects of childhood trauma.

Adam Smith
MA, Spiritual Wellness Provider
Adam is part of a Spiritual Wellness team that offers six unique spiritual services for guests. He also lectures for guests and staff on topics related to spiritual wellness. With a background as a hospital and hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor, he specializes in Spiritual/Pastoral Care, Grief Support, Contemplation and Mysticism.

Gretchen Steffenson
MDiv, BCC, Spiritual Wellness Provider
Gretchen creates a safe space for guests to navigate challenging life transitions. She helps explore beliefs and or deep-rooted ideas to discover how they may affect our choices. She helps resort guests address relationships with spiritual and existential topics.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

9 am – 4 pm: Arrival and check-in at the Clubhouse

4 – 5:30 pm: Meet and Greet Reception

5:30 – 7 pm: Welcome Dinner

7 - 8 pm: Yoga Nidra with Katia Cardenas-Ramirez

Monday, March 13, 2023

7 - 8 am: Optional morning hike

8 - 9 am: Breakfast on your own

9 - 10:30 am: Leveraging Neuroplasticity to Grow and Protect Your Brain with Robert Bilder
This talk focuses on evidence-based practices that have proven to yield benefits for physical activity and exercise, cognitive training, contemplative practices, social activity, drugs, magnetic, electrical, and ultrasound stimulation, and implantable devices.

10:30 - 11:30 am: Walking Meditation with Gretchen Steffenson
Walking meditation is the art of arriving with each step. Contemporary research reveals the health and wellness benefits of walking meditation for the mind, body, and spirit. Come home to yourself.

12 - 3:30 pm: Lunch on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

4 - 5 pm: Optimize Brain Health with Nutrition with Jenny Flora
Brain health and longevity are affected by numerous factors, which can be influenced by dietary choices. Learn how to choose foods and eating patterns that optimize brain health for today and tomorrow.

5 - 6 pm: Your Brain on Exercise with Mike Siemens
Exciting new research shows that exercise can increase the production of BDNF, a protein that acts as a “brain fertilizer.” Discover how exercise improves your brain’s ability to learn and remember.

6 - 7:30 pm: Group dinner

7:30 - 8:30 pm: The Epigenetics of Brain Health with Rich Carmona
Learn about the variables we control that can affect gene expression to optimize brain performance.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

7 - 8 am: Optional morning hike

8 - 9 am: Breakfast on your own

9 - 10 am: The Science of a Happy Brain with Amy Hawthorn
Join Director of Mental Health & Wellness Amy Hawthorne to uncover what stands in the way of our happiness and how we can use neurochemical hacks to achieve happiness.

10 – 11 am: Mindbody Artmaking with Desiree Maultsby
This mind-body creative process supports neuroplasticity and cognitive wellness using contemplative practices and artistic materials that invite flow, play, and insight.

11 am – 3:30 pm: Lunch on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

4 - 5 pm: Creativity and Contemplative Practices to Keep Your Brain Young and Cultivate Flow with Robert Bilder
This presentation will explore the brain mechanisms underlying both creative achievement and contemplative practices and examine their relations to “flow” state—the key to effortless engagement and productivity.

5 - 6 pm: Journaling for Brain Health with Jenny Simon
Join a mental health expert to learn the cognitive benefits of journaling. Gain new journaling tools to try out at home.

6 - 8 pm: Dinner on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

8 - 9 pm: The Future of Brain Tech with Robert Bilder
Ubiquitous technology and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing how we think and connect. This session explores available and feasible brain technologies, with attention to the “hype cycle” that characterizes products that have a focus on “uniquely human” capacities.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

7 - 8 am: Optional morning hike

8 am – 1 pm: Breakfast and lunch on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

1 – 2 pm: Brain-based Posture and Balance Exercises with Collin Byrant-Pollard
Learn the importance of training the muscles on the back of your body—known as the posterior chain. Explore balance exercises with various equipment to improve your posture and balance.

2 - 3 pm: Demystifying Dementia: Causes and New Solutions to Memory Problems, Alzheimers, and Other Brain-Based Issues with Robert Bilder
Given longer life expectancies, the prevalence of dementia is expected to triple in the next 30 years. This session reviews the causes of dementia and examines evidence about preventing, slowing, or curing illnesses that cause cognitive decline.

3 - 6 pm: Free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

6 - 7:30: Dinner and Learn: Feeding Your Brain with Alyssa Baker
Discover how foods can affect mood, mind, and body while still being healthy, nutritious, and delicious.

Thursday, March16, 2023

7 - 8 am: Optional morning hike

8 – 9 am: Breakfast on your own

9 – 10 am: The Playful Brain with Adam Smith
Explore the benefits of a beginner’s mind and discover how play can nourish and revitalize you.

10 – 11 am: Qigong for a Calm and Alert Brain with Tanja Bungardt-Price
This ancient art uses breath to strengthen internal organs and gentle movement to calm the mind.

11 am – 3:30 pm: Lunch on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

3:30 – 4:30 pm: Your Brain and Your Machines: How to Use Technology instead of Allowing Technology To Use You with Robert Bilder
We are immersed in technology. With mobile devices in reach, they constantly solicit our attention.“Smart things” monitor every motion and prompt us to take “corrective” actions. This session examines how we can use the machines and keep the machines from using us.

4:30 – 6 pm: Panel discussion with Q & A
Join Dr. Bilder and Dr. Carmona to answer your questions from the week.

6 – 7:30 pm: Group farewell dinner

8 - 9 pm: Sound Healing Event with Tryshe Dhevney
Immerse yourself in the healing harmonies of gemstone and mineral-infused Alchemy Crystal Singing Bowls under the guidance of spiritual wellness provider Tryshe Dhevney.

Friday, March 17, 2023

Morning until 10 am: Breakfast on your own, and free time to enjoy a service or activity of your choosing*

10 - 11 am: Canyon Ranch To Go: Healthy Habits for Brain Health at Home with Krisna Hanks
Explore the impact of external forces on behavior change with a Health & Performance Coach and receive key performance practices to support your wellness goals and learn how to apply them at home.

11 - 11:30 am: Closing Circle

Day of Departure or Begin Extended Stay

*Services and some activities require a fee.