The spa industry has lost a true pioneer with the passing of Carole Coombs. Carole, beloved Earth Mother to all, was co-founder with her husband Alan Coombs, of Green Valley Spa, founder of the clean beauty line, Good Medicine, and co-founder of the Destination Spa Group. She was decades ahead of the spa curve and a renowned leader in the growth of the industry.
Green Valley Spa, St. George, Utah, was founded in 1986 with a simple mission. In Carole’s words, “Green Valley’s vision was to mend the heart and heal the body with programs and treatments set in the great outdoors.” Always pushing the spa envelope, Carole was intent on going way beyond the ordinary spa menu. “She was a pioneer in developing treatment options beyond traditional massage—including developing the senses to aid the healing of the mind and body through the use of sound, light, and scent therapy,” shared Alan. Carole was determined to offer guests services that she described as “addressing people’s invisible health and feelings.” By 2009, she had become immensely interested in the potential of sound and light waves and the use of “frequency medicine.”
Carole was a pioneer in developing treatment options beyond traditional massage . . .
Prior to Green Valley Spa, Carole had owned Bel Viso, a successful day spa in Salt Lake City. When Green Valley opened, Carole re-opened Bel Viso on property and invited her former clientele. News spread fast and the spa (which was situated in one of the property’s condos) grew quickly. Meanwhile, Carole was out in the desert, continuing to collect botanicals for Good Medicine.
As the spa grew, “The time had come for us to decide what we were going to do for the rest of our lives,” reminisced Alan in The Green Valley Story. “We decided to explore the possibility of expanding the spa operation and traveled to the three major spas in the west—Canyon Ranch, Golden Door, and Rancho La Puerta. These visits convinced us we could have a successful spa and improve people’s lives by introducing them to a healthy lifestyle of natural foods, hiking in our beautiful red-rock deserts, teaching them relaxation and stress reduction techniques, and offering spa treatments to heal the mind and body.”
Improving people’s lives was at the heart of everything Carole did.
Carole’s granddaughter Whitney Raymond, third-generation of Good Medicine, writes, “Carole was a brilliant creative with a tenacious appetite to see her visions come true. She was eccentric, eclectic, and will never be forgotten by those who had the pleasure of meeting her.”
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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