TAILORED TREATMENTS
Whether you’re stressed-out, overworked or tired of chasing children around, here are the Spa Spies' top tips for matching your ideal treatment to your personality type.
SPA intent with
spa day is a lovely thing – we can all use more time to relax and take care of ourselves. But as we are all so different, what might be right for you could be totally different for the next person. If you are a teacher or a stressedout parent, you won’t necessarily be able to relax at a spa that is attached to a noisy leisure centre. If you are body conscious, you may want to avoid spas in WAG country (see our Spa Spy column on page 19). And if you are a workaholic in need of a break, you might want to head for the deepest darkest countryside without a mobile phone tower in sight. So, before you book a spa day, ask yourself: How do I feel?
"If you are properly stressed out, any decision can seem like life or death, so keep it simple."
20 | Wellness |
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SPA TIME
TIRED AND EMOTIONAL
Can’t remember the last time you slept for a solid seven hours? Find a spa with a treatment that promises to help you get a good night’s sleep. Some spas have sleep weekends – where treatments, diet, exercise and spa time are all designed to send you to the land of nod – others offer specialised sleep treatments, which can be surprisingly effective. Shirodhara, an Ayurveda treatment where a thin stream of warmed oil is continuously poured onto your forehead, puts you in a state of semi-sleep, and is said to help insomnia and jet lag. If you are planning a long-haul spa stay, maybe book this in for your first day and enter holiday mode on day one. If you are properly stressed out, any decision can seem like life or death, so keep it simple. Shop around for a medium/gentle aromatherapy massage. Use oils that target relaxation such as lavender or camomile; you could also try a floatation treatment, which returns you to a womb-like state and relieves physical as well as emotional stress – unless you are claustrophobic, in which case it might
reduce you to fits of tears. Instead, find a quiet spa with a private outdoor hot tub to bubble away your angst. Stress and insomnia often go hand- inhand, and if you have been waking up in the night with thoughts whirring, find a spa which has meditation classes. This can help you ground yourself and let go of unhelpful habits, such as creating imaginary spreadsheets at 3am. Meditation can reduce stress, showing you how to access the quiet spaces between your thoughts and helping you regain focus. One final word of advice: stressy types who run around like headless chickens should aim to arrive in plenty of time so that they can use the heat experience rooms before a treatment. This helps relax muscles in prepration for a good massage.
ACHES AND PAINS
Heat facilities can be blissful on your sore, aching bits. If you have chronic back-pain, you will (hopefully) be under the care of a professional, in which case ask them for advice before having a spa treatment. Heat can help relax tense muscles, so a