The different treatments offered at a spa are more than just a luxury to indulge in. Apart from making you look good and feel better about yourself, they offer several physical and mental benefits and help keep your body healthy. For example, massage therapy can help to relax you, improve circulation, reduce pain and is also beneficial in case of circulatory, respiratory and inflammatory disorders.

Facials can help to exfoliate, hydrate and rejuvenate your skin and also help to detoxify the body.

Here is a look at some of the treatments offered at spas.

Hot Stone Massage

This form of massage therapy uses heated stones that are placed on specific parts of the body.  Usually, river rocks or other smooth basaltic rocks are used. The rocks are heated in boiling water prior to use. This helps to sanitize them by killing all the germs and bacteria. The high iron content in basaltic rocks helps them to retain heat for a longer period of time.

The heat from the stones serves to relax the muscles and allows for easier manipulation of the deep muscle tissue by the therapist. The massage helps to ease tension in the muscles, relieves muscle soreness and helps you to relax. It also acts as a pain reliever and is a useful therapeutic tool for those who have had injuries or suffer from stiffness in the joints. The heat also helps to improve blood circulation by opening up the blood vessels, improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and other parts of the body.

This form of therapy is reputed to be more effective than a Swedish massage or a deep tissue massage because it contains the added element of heat which helps to loosen the muscles. It is however, not recommended for pregnant women and those who suffer from conditions such as hypertension. Always check with your doctor before trying a hot stone massage.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has been around for centuries. It is a massage technique that focuses on the foot. The ancient Chinese healers believed that life force energy or “qi” flows through the body through channels known as meridians. This is also the basis for acupuncture therapy. In reflexology, massaging the feet at specific points helps to stimulate the meridians and remove blockages, thereby promoting healing. Each part of the foot is said to be associated with a specific part of the body and massaging that part of the foot will have a corresponding effect on the associated part. For this reason, practitioners claim that having a reflexology massage is the equivalent of having a full body massage.

Adherents to this form of massage claim that a reflexology massage can help reduce stress and leave you feeling utterly relaxed. Massaging the various meridians helps to relieve blockages and improve the flow of energy. This helps to relieve pain and restores balance to the different parts of the body. This method of massage is beneficial to those who suffer from inflammatory diseases such as rheumatic arthritis and gout, migraines, headaches and sinus attacks. It is also reputed to improve circulation and helps to detoxify the body.

It is recommended that you do not drink any alcohol for at least 24 hours before and after a session. You should consult your doctor before trying this form of massage as it is contraindicated for conditions such as diabetes and for those fitted with a pacemaker.

Manicure/Pedicure

Your hands and feet are the most exposed parts of your body along with your face especially during the summer months. Dirt, dead skin and sweat can accumulate, blocking the pores and leaving your skin open to bacterial and fungal infections and the formation of corns and calluses.

Most manicures and pedicures include exfoliating agents that strip your skin of the dead cells and bacteria and smooth the surface. Hydrating creams keep your skin supple and soft. Scrubbing the feet with pumice stones helps to soften and remove calluses, helping to reduce the pain they cause. The manicurist will also be able to spot signs of fungal and bacterial infections early, making treatment that much more effective.

Body Polish

Body polishes are the one of the latest trends in spa treatment. If your skin is feeling dull and lifeless or dry after the cold winter months, a body polish is an ideal way of rehydrating and moisturizing the skin. Using a body scrub of your choice (options range from salt or sugar scrubs to even coffee scrubs), the body is ‘polished’ and exfoliated. Dead skin cells are removed and sloughed off and a deep moisturizing cream or lotion is applied after the scrub is rinsed off.

Body Butter Hydrating Wrap

Body wraps involve the use of body butter or oils that are slathered on the skin. In order to maximize the benefits of this deep moisturizing treatment, the body is then wrapped with cling film or foil. Dry and flaky skin vanishes with regular body wraps.

Achy Body Soother

Massages are ideal achy body soother. Manipulating the various pressure points on the body, a trained masseuse can work out those kinks in the muscles and relax a tired body in a matter of an hour. Regular massages are recommended for people who workout a lot, play a sport or are frequent travelers. Source-Yogawiz.com Learn more »

Health and Fitness Travel

The idea of a luxury spa holiday is always a particularly attractive one but which type of spa is for you? At Health and Fitness Travel we have many different types of spa holidays ranging from Destination Spas to Ayurveda spas, Medical Spas and more traditional spas.
A spa holiday allows you to enhance your spiritual awareness, heal emotional distress, rid the body of toxins, improve circulation and give the mind and body a chance to fully repair and relax from the stresses of daily life.  However, you may not be aware of all the variations of spas, and the extensive range of treatments they provide; so how do you know which type of spa is right for you? From healthy spa breaks to wellbeing holidays we give you a breakdown of 7 different types of spas and 7 different healthy holidays to help you decide which one is best for you.

Traditional Spa

A traditional spa brings together an extensive range of spa treatments and therapies with the purpose of improving health, beauty and relaxation, resulting in an unforgettable spa experience. It is likely to contain facilities such as a Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room that you may use in addition to your treatments. It could also include hydrotherapy circuits, a fitness centre and swimming pool.

The view from the spa at Aphrodite Hills

Aphrodite Hills - Cyprus

This traditional Mediterranean health and fitness resort on the island of Cyprus combines fine accommodation with a state-of-the-art spa, gym, tennis academy and golf course. The Retreat Spa overlooks the resort, with wide sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea, and is a Greco-Roman inspired haven for the indulgence of mind, body and soul. It has 27 treatment rooms where a number of tranquil therapies are delivered by an expert team of therapists. The idyllic location, only 15 minutes from Paphos, allows you to be as active or relaxed as you wish.

Destination Spa

A destination spa will provide you with a comprehensive healthy holiday programme that includes spa treatments, physical fitness activities, holistic exercise classes, wellness lectures and healthy cuisine. It is typical for guests to actively partake in the programme at the spa and fully integrate it into their wellbeing holiday, rather than visiting for a one-off treatment whilst at the destination.

 

The stunning pool area at Chiva Som

Chiva Som - Thailand

This world-renowned award-winning Thai spa emphasises healthy relaxation and holistic therapies to make your stay as tranquil as possible. Dedicated to reaching total well-being, Chiva Som takes you on a journey of healthy living. From stress relief and weight management, to detox and fitness, expert health and wellness advisers utilise the best in modern, specialist and complementary medicine and spa treatments to create a dedicated programme for you to embark on your own personal wellness journey.

Relaxation and Pampering Spa

A relaxation and pampering spa is characterised by being owned and located within a resort, providing professional relaxation and beauty treatments. It typically does not extend to other areas of the resort but rather remains within its own spa centre, offering first class treatments such as personalised massages, body scrubs, hydrotherapy treatments and thermal circuits.

 

The outdoor pool at Reads in Mallorca

Reads - Mallorca

Reads Hotel is a beautiful boutique retreat at the base of Mallorca’s Tramuntana Mountains, where guests can relax and unwind in quiet seclusion. The converted estate house holds only 23 rooms, allowing for an intimate stay, and at the core is the world-class Vespasian Spa, designed to relax the mind and body in a beautiful setting. Aside from the spa you can take part in a range of outdoor pastimes that include cycling, horse-riding, tennis and yoga.

Ayurvedic Spa

From the Sanskrit meaning “The knowledge for long life”, traditional Ayurveda medicine is an ancient Hindu healing system. This concept improves one’s health and well-being by creating a balance between mind, body and spirit through an assessment of lifestyle. Treatments are based on herbal preparations, diet, purification and yoga. It is widely regarded as the oldest form of healthcare in the world and is viewed as a more popular choice for a healing holiday.

 

An exfoliliation experience at Ananda

Ananda - India

Set at the foot of the Himalayas, Ananda is a spiritual retreat that creates unique programmes designed to extend your health and unite your body and soul. Ananda’s 24,000ft² spa uses over 80 different body and beauty treatments including a selection of traditional Ayurveda therapies, facials, massages, exfoliation, hydrotherapy and many more. You can also participate in different activities that the spa has to offer such as yoga, meditation and a variety of exercise classes.

Medical Spa

Medical spas, also known as medi-spas, offer medical services as well as traditional spa therapies, often in a spa like environment. The treatments generally focus on one of two areas — aesthetic enhancement or wellness. They have become more popular in recent years for both men and women. A medical doctor overseas the spa and typically provides a health consultation before your stay, whilst other medical professionals, such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, and aestheticians, handle the daily spa treatments and therapies.

 

The Spa tea lounge at Longevity Wellness Resort

Longevity Wellness Resort - Portugal

This luxurious mountain resort and spa, overlooking the Algarve coastline, offers natural medical procedures to help harmonise your system. Through highly personalised evaluations and consultations, you can expect improved mental clarity, inner balance, a lessening of tension and a complete re-energisation of body and mind. The spa also readdresses the way you look at yourself, aiming to completely readjust and improve the way you look and feel.

Thermal Spa

A thermal spa is built around a hot spring that is formed from heated water from the earth's crust. The heat from the thermal waters increases blood flow and body metabolism, bringing improved nourishment to vital organs and muscles and aiding digestion, whilst removing unwanted toxins from the body. Additionally, as heated water can hold more dissolved solids, thermal waters often contain a high number of minerals that can have a number of healing benefits and therapeutic values, offering pain relief from all kinds of different types of injuries and ailments, as well as skin conditions.

 

A view of the pools at Adler Thermae in Tuscany

Adler Thermae - Tuscany, Italy

Adler Thermae is located 300m from the romantic town of Bagno Vignoni, in the heart of Tuscany’s natural park, Val d’Orcia, famous for its thermal waters and hot springs. The spa is set upon its own spring where the waters are obtained from the earth’s crust and enriched with valuable minerals and sulphurs, which can have positive effects on your whole body, especially benefiting the skin, bones and joints.

Hammam Spa

Created around the time of the Roman Thermae and built on traditions of communal bathing and cleansing that evolved over thousands of years, today's urban Hammam spa experience has been formed. The Hammam allows refreshing essential oils to be infused in the air as the steam is absorbed through your pores, helping to cleanse and relax you and release built-up stress and toxins. Now popularised as a Turkish tradition, this Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath can be seen as a wet alternative to the sauna.

 

The private spa zone at Kempinski Barbaros Bay

Kempinski Barbaros Bay - Turkey

Kempinski Barbaros Bay in Bodrum, Turkey, looks out over the Aegean Sea from the hillside above the bay, set in an area of unspoilt natural beauty. You can harmonise your body’s energy with the treatments and therapies on offer at the Six Senses Spa, which includes two traditional Turkish hammams, and enjoy daily holistic activities such as yoga, Pilates and stretching. Source-Healthandfitnesstravel.com Learn more »

The word 'spa' is used to describe many different types of health, wellbeing and beauty facilities.  We at Erna Low Body & Soul have grouped the spas in our collection according to the main type of treatment programmes and therapies offered.  We do hope that this grouping will help you decide which type of spa is best for you!

Destination Spas

Lifestyle improvement and health enhancement

A Destination Spa aims to provide lifestyle improvement and health enhancement through a combination of exercise, healthy eating, spa and well-being treatments. Destination Spas are good places to visit if you are travelling alone as there are organised classes and activities throughout the day, giving the opportunity to meet other like-minded guests. Personal training and nutritional guidance are also often available.

Thermal Spa

Thermal Spring Spas have an on-site source of natural mineral or thermal water. Traditionally the thermal waters were used to treat medical complaints.

Ayurveda Spas

The Science of Life'

Ayurveda began in India and is the oldest known health system in the world. Ayurveda aims to prevent and heal diseases and their symptoms, strengthen the immune system, increase the body's general wellbeing and delay the ageing process. Ayurvedic treatment programmes are designed for each individual after consultation with the physician. Most Ayurveda centres also offer daily yoga and meditation as part of the programme.

Medical Spa

These spas offer a traditional medical approach to spa. There will be doctors and other medical professionals such as physiotherapists who provide spa.

Thalassotherapy Spas

Relaxing and beneficial sea water treatments

Thalassotherapy spas use warm seawater for treatments which are perfect for relaxation and de-stressing, or to provide relief from general aches and pains including back-pain, and can be great as a cure for insommnia. The seawater treatments also have a general de-toxifying effect and so can be beneficial for reducing cellulite and for weight loss in combination with a low calorie diet

Hotel Spas

A spa within a hotel environment

A Spa owned by and located within a resort or hotel providing professionally administered spa services, with fitness and wellness components and usually spa cuisine menu choices. Hotel Spas have excellent spa facilities and offer a very wide variety of treatment programmes, they may appeal to the spa-goer who would like to combine a spa holiday with other holiday activities.

Relaxation and Pampering Spas

Relax and be pampered in luxurious surroundings

A centre owned by and/or located within a hotel or resort providing professionally administered beauty and relaxation treatments. The spa experience generally does not extend outside the spa centre to include spa cuisine or exercise classes, however some of the most luxurious spas fall into this category, and are perfect for clients wanting top class pampering as part of a relaxing holiday. Source: Bodyandsoul Learn more »

It's time to check in on what's new in the world of spas. When you start looking into all the options that are available for spas now, you may become so overwhelmed that you need a spa treatment before you choose one. Alongside the technological advances of new treatment options and procedures, this year offers some very old treatments that have become popular all over again.

Here are the top 5 new trends for spas:

1 Spa for one – Individualized treatments based on DNA test results are now a reality. The Kurotel Medical Center for Longevity and Spa in Brazil measures your levels of cortisol, serotonin, and adrenaline, to customize the perfect spa experience for your individual chemistry. Beyond the typical algae wraps, massage, and hydrotherapy, you can expect training in meditation and relaxation techniques for mind/body holistic wellness. This ultimate MedSpa extends its concept of wellness to lifestyle choices after the spa, like a celebrity chef who will provide you with recipes and dietary guidelines that balance your chi energy.

2 Earth-based pampering – Spa towns have been health centers built around natural springs since at least the days of the Roman empire. Throughout time, some watering spots have been believed to have curative properties. As the modern concept of the day spa gained popularity, much of the natural element was lost. Many treatments today still used muds, sands, and other natural materials, though. A return to nature was probably inevitable with today's eco-aware spa goers and spa destinations that tap into the healing source of the Earth. One such destination that has gained a lot of publicity through reality TV is the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa in Reykjavik, Iceland. This lava-heated natural pool is a formation in Iceland's pristine landscape that glows an eerie blue from the minerals in the water. It is rumored that the white clay at the bottom is able to cure any ailment from flu to cancer.

3 Ancient renaissance – Facials are as old as Cleopatra, but the new versions combine advanced technology with ancient wisdom. Ayurveda has been around for four millennia, but it is now the newest thing in a “rediscovered wellness.” This health regimen from India offers dietary advice and herbal treatments. Ancient saunas, toning the skin with birch twigs, and aromatic oil treatments are some of the spa specialities at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in California.

4 Take me away! – With longer workweeks, downsizing, and a tight economy, staycations were the preferred mode of travel in 2012. The variation on that this year is stayspacations, with all the elements of professional spas delivered to your home. For those unable or unwilling to break from their schedules long enough to plunge into the restorative waters of a distant clime, the classic bath is coming into its own at home. Manicures and pedicures are more sanitary in your own space, even if the equipment is brought in by a professional from a Mobile Spa.

5 Brotox weekend – Last decade saw the ascendance of the metrosexual – men who actually take care of themselves. The contemporary evolution of this trend is spas that cater to men, with Botox treatments, sea salt scrubs and manly manicures at places like Milk + Honey For Men in Austin, TX. Perhaps not surprisingly, these men's spas report that most packages are bought by women because men often don't want a record of the purchase. Source- Candlespas.com Learn more »

Those sour-milk baths Cleopatra took a few thousand years ago might be the first official spa treatment in the history books. Since then, we've gotten a little more savvy—sweat-inducing hammams, hallucination-inducing detox clinics, collagen-stimulation chambers, not to mention the endless varieties of massage. So what's new in the spa world this year? Plenty, it turns out.

The trend: The lost art of bathing. These aren't the clammy stone caverns full of hirsute men you might imagine. The new Russian- and Roman-inspired baths are more luxurious and sexier than their predecessors. From vast electricity-free villas to bathing coaches that hand-pour your soaks—olive oil, red wine, or cava upon request—this is hedonism at its finest.

Where to do it: Aire Ancient Baths, a 16,000-foot underground brick-and-glass den in New York City's TriBeCa. One Allure editor called it a "temple of indolence." The hottest dipping pools are 107 degrees; the cold plunges are icy at 50 degrees. Gauzy curtains, heated marble floors (for laying, not walking), terra-cotta lanterns and a no-talking policy turn a pretty basic pursuit—floating in water—into a ridiculous pleasure. Aire admits only 25 bathers every two hours, so please, don't tell your friends.

Aire Ancient Baths, 88 Franklin St., New York.

The trend: Telomere analysis. Menus that are larded with pseudo-scientific terms are a personal pet peeve, but the spas that offer this cutting-edge treatment might actually be onto something. It's a crazy-customized approach to long-term health, weight loss, and overcoming fatigue. Upon arrival at a clinic, guests have their blood drawn or inner cheeks swabbed for a little chromosomal analysis to predict the longevity of cells. A personalized program of acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, hydrocolon therapy, aromatherapy, etc. is then prescribed. One size does not fit all.

Where to do it: The Sha Wellness Clinic, on the outskirts of Villa de Altea in Spain, is worth busting out your passport for. The sleek hilltop compound even looks macrobiotic, and no two stays are alike. A two-week stay is "strongly recommended."

Sha Wellness Clinic, Verderol 5 El Albir 03581, Alicante, Spain.

The trend: Healthy hotels. Historically, and at least according to R Kelly's Ignition Remix, hotels are hotbeds of excess: room service, oversleeping, and other, uh, indoor sports. But the golden age is over, and "wellness suites" are popping up in hotels the country over. In-room spinning bikes and Physique 57 DVDs aren't rare amenities; UV-light-emitting bathroom mirrors trigger feel-good brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Your next room-service binge could be gluten-free and vegan.

Where to find it: Believe it or not, the city of sin. Mornings at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas start with a vitamin C-infused shower to neutralize chlorine levels in the skin, and at night, floor-mounted LED lights illuminate pathways without disturbing melatonin production. (I have to wonder who's worried about melatonin production in Vegas.)

MGM Grand, 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas.

The trend: 24/7 relaxation coaching. We've outsourced blowouts and braids, so why not relaxation? Specially trained wellness coaches pick calming massages and facials specifically calibrated to your skin type and stress level. Your coach will also appear at choice moments to hand you a smoothie or chilled towel.

Where to get it: A stay at the LIME Spa at Per AQUUM in the Maldives (pictured above) opens with a lengthy consultation. Facials are custom-tailored, and treatments can be administered in a private outdoor sanctuary or a cabana with a transparent floor overlooking the water. Don't worry about getting lost among the 47 private villas—your fairy godmother, er, wellness coach is never far from sight.

LIME Spa at Per AQUUM, Forum #16-01, 583 Orchard Road, Singapore.

The trend: "Earthing." This one sounds a little Portlandia, even to me. Earthing refers to making direct contact with the earth's surface. The claim: Grounding the body to the earth's electron-rich elements stabilizes our natural electric rhythms, reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure. All of this is accomplished —deep breath, because this'll blow your mind—by walking barefoot outside.

Where to do it: The Bathhouse Spa at Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley. Hikers traverse "sandy soil with loose rocks" on the 157-acre complex, and Steve the gardener teaches vineyard management. Even the nightcaps there are healthy: You can get a wine facial with Steve's own Sotero's Cabernet Sauvignon. It all comes full circle.

The Bathhouse Spa at Calistoga Ranch, 580 Lommel Rd., Calistoga, California.

Source- Allure.com

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Treatments using exotic oils and pastes can be a boon for thinning, heated tresses this time of the year

It's certainly hot and while you're watching your diet and eating right, also ensure you take care of your hair, which faces damage due to the heat. A hair spa can take care of that. Importantly, it seeks to normalise oil secretions due to sweating. Of course, one can go in for a hair spa for tired- out hair during any season, but with the hair losing its moisture and sheen during the summer, the treatment is especially a boon. Agrees beauty expert, Nisha Jhaveri. "Sun damage does have an adverse effect on the hair, leaving it dehydrated. But as people are constantly highlighting and streaking their hair, it makes the hair very brittle. So, I'd advise a hair spa at least once a week at any time," she says.

What is the treatment about?
If you're going in for a hair spa, the therapist would first take a look at what kind of hair you have, its quality, etc. You are then offered suitable remedies and packs. Some spas also have a protein treatment for hair. Says Jhaveri, "The idea is to rejuvenate and protect the hair. A serum is mixed with the conditioner onto the hair. I recommend using argan oil, which is very beneficial and can penetrate the hair shaft and restore moisture. After oiling and shampoo, a deep-conditioning mask or pack made with natural ingredients is applied to the hair and massaged well.

5 steps to a home hair spa
A hair spa is not just about pampering the hair with a massage. It also provides nutrients to the hair, with a variety of packs. The four essentials are: Oil massage, shampoo, mask and conditioner.

1. Massage your scalp: This is the first step to start a hair treatment at home. Warn some coconut oil or olive oil. Massage your head with this. This increases blood circulation and boosts hair growth.

2. Steam the hair: Dip a towel in warm water and squeeze the excess water out. Wrap the towel around the hair. This allows the oil to penetrate deep into the scalp. Do this for about 5-six minutes.

3. Wash your hair: Now, wash the hair with a mild shampoo. Use only cold water as hot water is harmful to the hair roots.

4. Apply conditioner: Post the shampooing, use a conditioner. You can also use the water of tea leaves to which a few drops of lime juice has been added. Or try a paste of grated beetroot to which hibiscus powder has been added. The hibiscus flower powder is a great base and is rich in iron and other vitamins. Rinse it off after half an hour with just warm water and no shampoo.

5. Lastly, a hair mask: The last step is crucial as it seals in the nourishment. Try making this mask at home. In a bowl, mix two eggs, honey and some coconut oil. You can add a ripe banana to this — banana is a softener. You can also use olive oil instead of coconut oil. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes, then rinse with a mild shampoo.

Try these hair masks
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Avocado mask
Make a mix of 1 avocado, 1 egg and a little lemon juice. Apply this concoction to wet hair and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse and wash.

Banana-almond mask
Mash up a banana and add a few drops of almond oil to this. Mix well and massage this on the hair. Allow it to remain for about 20 minutes, then rinse and wash hair. Gives softness to the hair.

Honey de-frizzing mask
Take half a cup of honey and yogurt. Add half a teaspoon of almond oil to it. Mix and add to the hair. Wash off.

Pumpkin booster
Blend a cup of cooked and diced pumpkin, half a tablespoon of coconut or almond oil, a teaspoon of yogurt and one teaspoon of honey. Apply on the hair and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off. As pumpkin is a source of vitamin A and potassium, it calms the scalp and promotes hair growth. Learn more »