Finding peace in faraway places: the prevention and cure of common stress-related illnesses is only an airline ticket away

The workday blues are beginning to fray your nerve beyond repair, and stress is threatening your well-being. If the cure for whatever ails you doesn't come in a bottle, box, or a medicine cabinet, it may be time to take a wellness vacation far away form the concrete jungle to the tropical beauty of the Caribbean and Hawaiian islands. The gentle breezes, lulling waves, and laid-back pace are sure to give your mind, body, and soul the solitude, pampering, and solace it needs to get back in balance. But more importantly, these vacation hot spots, all located on the beach, go beyond the trappings of the usual tourist activities to impart life-enhancing practices that offer a means or respite long after you've gone back home.

The Big Kupuna

Aloha! Once you disembark the plane and land in Honolulu, you can't help but begin a spiritual journey. It all starts with a sudden awareness of your breathing, as you are welcomed with the wonderful, sweet scent of a floral let draped around your neck. This is a sign that Hawaiians are willing to share their secret to Lama lama ka 'ili with you, or in other words, the customs for glowing with health This means being privy to a strong tradition of healing practices that include chanting, medicinal plants, and what has got to be the best technique of massage in the world--the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, which is good for relieving pain, stress, arthritis, and even opu huli (stomach problems).

Meet with a Kupuna (cultural elder), at the Outrigger Waikiki (808-926-6600; www.outrigger.com), who still practices the ancient, rich tradition of utilizing healing plants that were used by the early Hawaiians. A vacation may seem an odd time to have medical tests done, but at the Holistica Hawaii (808-951-6546; www.holistica.com) in the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa in Waikiki, evaluating your health has less of a clinical feel. Using some of the most advanced diagnostic and preventative screening technology, including electron beam tomography, a person's state of wellness and early detection of disease can be determined. When it's all over, you are provided with a digital file of medical evaluations, images, scans, and other diagnostic test results on CD-ROM.

On the western shore of Oahu, at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa (800-626-4446; www.koolina.com), a three hour Ke Kino session is offered by a noted Honolulu chiropractor and holistic health practitioner. During this session, your "triangle of health"--mind, body, and spirit--is evaluated through a structural, biochemical nutritional analysis, as well as an examination of emotional imbalances that can lead to tension and physical maladies. A motivational psychologist is also on hand. You can receive signature Hawaiian and Polynesian body treatments passed down from generation to generation, including a 25 minute Thalasso treatment with color light therapy that corresponds with the seven energy centers that govern your state of mind, energy level, and overall health. The underwater massage from 180 pulsating hydro and air jets pumping seawater directly from the resort's lagoons will also soften your skin. Or spend some solitary time in the steam room inhaling lavender Mmm!

Pamper Principle

The pace slows down just a bit in Barbados with laid hack elegance at The House at Tamarind Cove (246-432-5525; www.eleganthotels.com), named accordingly because the hospitality extended is intended to make you feel at home. Upon arrival you are greeted by your own personal "ambassador" with a cool, frosty tropical drink sans the alcohol. There's no hustle and bustle because there is no reception desk. Your ambassador will attempt to meet your every need, waiting on you hand and foot, including ironing your clothes or surprising you and your mate with a private candlelight dinner under a cabana on the beach. Your luggage is taken directly to your room, where you will follow to indulge in a massage.

It's fair to say that the people o[ Barbados really know about the good life, regardless of their financial standing. In fact, marry of the island's centenarians attribute their longevity to a healthy diet of provisions--yams, avocados, green and yellow bananas--and flying fish. So, dig in. You may find the faithful few swimming in the salty, turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea outside your sliding glass doors almost every morning this is a practice Bajans start at an early age and quite frankly continue until they can't swim anymore. They know that the healing power of the sea salt and waves promote internal harmony and provides an excellent source of exercise. And it's right at your fingertips.

At the luxurious Sandy Lane Resort (246-444-2000; www.sandylane.com), the offerings go way beyond the beautiful white sand and clear waters at the beach Your pampering begins with the Bentley that transports you from the airport to a cream-colored coral-stone Palladian-style building. You may never want to leave your room once you set eyes on one of the 112 luxury rooms that include a private veranda, plasma flat-screen television, DVD and CD player with parabolic speakers, and Italian marble floors.