Wellness is different now. We’re not aiming for 12-pack abs and Keanu Reeves’ awesome heart. You can permanently borrow our pursuit of perfection. That thing sucks, never liked it. Here at San Diego Mag Wellness Center, we believe it’s more about giving it a go. About putting one foot in the bike shorts. Even if you don’t get the other foot in. Even if you just sit there half-pantsed and winded and fall over on some adjacent Cheetos. It’s OK. Wipe off the glorious radioactive snack chip dust and go again. This issue is full of ways in San Diego you can give wellness a shot. Including a spa guide.

Our cover model is our version of wellness—San Diego’s very own Sholom Ber Solomon . His special wellness skill is making everyone in the room feel lighter. Every day around him is butt day because he makes us laugh our asses off. He’s a divining rod of creative joy. He also dads very, very well. During the pandemic, he staged elaborate dress-up parties with his daughters—Zoe Tegan and Ollie—and documented it all on Instagram. For them, he is Paul Bunyan in a ball gown. He is Superman, renaissance jester, 80s mullet hero. He and his wife Carli created their own line of children’s pajamas—called Tegan and Ollie—featuring hand-drawn illustrations on soft, stretchy fabric made of bamboo.

For the cover shoot, our team and talented photog Stacy Keck asked the fine people at the otherworldly Fairmont Spa and Wellness if they’d allow us to play a little bit. The last thing we wanted was another blissed-out bombshell sitting in the lotus position, om-ing their way to predictability. So Sholom, bless his heart, let us slather him in a remineralizing algae wrap (the “marine repair” treatment). He is glorious. This is fun.

This is the new SDM.