destination spa – Jo Sent Me

Time to Fast

The third day of the #Grayshott programme is when we fast …but it’s just a semi fast. Finish supper the night before around 7.30 and no more food until the following lunchtime when some soup and a sald is served. That evening instead of supper the most delicious broth – although not enough of it. I pleaded with organiser, the glorious Elaine Williams, who says we can have seconds on our next fast day.

I don’t think I had been without food for that long in an age…but oddly enough it was no hardship. The only hunger pang I felt was immediately before lunch…but I am convinced that ws because I knew lunch was on the way…and I only had a smidge of a headache half way through the afternoon – nothing at all like I’ve had at other food deprivation retreats!

I’m not sure what the fast did to my tastebuds but I must admit that the sauerkraut at breakfast the following morning didn’t taste as ‘delicious’as usual…and was difficult to get through.

Back to normal for another couple of days and then one more fast before finishing the programme

The Grayshott Programme – day 1

It’s Grayshott’s newest programme so I arrived to test it in the freezing cold.

It’s basically a GUT CLEANSING affair and I’m fascinated to know how it differs from other similar programmes through diet, exercise, fasting and various massages and holistic therapies.

As with every visit to Grayshott, your stay begins with a visit to the nurse, and these nurses are seriously special. Most of them have been here since God was a girl, have seen it all, know almost everything there is to know about a body and so make everything seem like coming home. They reassure you with their knowledge and warmth…as Joanie did with me explaining that my blood pressure was normal for me, writing copious notes to everybody that they were NOT to tell me my weight (that’s something I don’t need to know, I know it too well from my side), and organising a hot water bottle for my bed. What’s not to love

This was followed by a consultation with Ravi about my fitness levels (or rather lack of them) before heading for the introductory lecture by a whirlwind of a nutritionist, Stephanie Moore who devised the prog with Grayshott’s resident angelic therapist Elaine Williams, and between them they appear to have banned most foods…in theory, if not in practice, for the supper following the lecture was delicious, it included steak(!) and filling.

Entertainment was even organised with the appearance of a glossy red fox streaking across the lawn. So far, so good, no headaches, no hunger and a huge amount of interesting information shared.

la prairie 2

Am always fascinated by who comes to places like this…and although it’s almost full…hardly see anybody. Occasionally pass in a corridor or at spa reception…and see a few in the dining room. Mostly Europeans at the moment – women with scary faces and eavesdropping gather none of them done here! silly…

a couple of very elegant elderly Italian couples and a rathar good looking Asian couple, could be Korean, could be Taiwanese. Spa area very ordered and smooth running, while the medical centre the soul of discretion.

Food is delicious if a tad fancy, although wildly healthy – grills, baked, salads and wonderful broths …many paying lip-service to the growing element of the clientele with a smattering of Asian fusion tastes.

Had a great yoga session today with Veronique. V worried because my back playing up at the moment but she just concentrated on gentle ways to create the spaces at the base of the spine and bewteen the vertebrae.

Terrible music throughout – but then I hate most spa music

Had a

You meet the dietician on arrival and choose your food for the day ahead…as I’m only here for a few days am opting for healthy eating rather weight loss…pity.

la prairie

How it’s grown! When I was last here Clinique La Prairie consisted of just two buildings – a medical centre and the Residence…it now has four…but it is still compact with just 69 rooms. The spa, though, has grown and is v impressive with 17 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, chromotherapy, steams and saunas as well as rather glamorous pool and a host of massages and beauty treatments.

Over at the medical centre, where here are also rooms and suites you can have your bone density scanned, get a new hip, new face, new boobs or simply have a filler or two, not to mention its renowned Revitalisation Therapy – cells taken from sheep embryos which once were injected into your buttocks…but now you can take orally.

Had a terrific yoga session this morning with Veronique. I haven’t done yoga for years having had a bad fall…and this woman not only gave me back confidence, but also did wonders for my aching back with special asanas

burn-out

Forget stress…forget sleep deprivation…the new buzz word(s) is burn-out. Spas are fallin gover themselves to now offer special burn-out packages…Viva Mayrvivamayr is one, while http://alpadisiusiAlpa di Suisi in the Italian Dolomites is another. while a whole lot more are joining in.

It stands to reason really – if you’re stressed you get tired, if you get over-tired you can’t sleep, if you can’t sleep you get exhausted – therefored stress+exhaustion+sleep deprivation = burn out time.

Mind you, the current economic climate isn’t helping to de-stress any of us…perhaps this is the moment to take time for yourself and even if it’s just for a few days to go somewhere quiet, nurturing and most of all relaxing

spa vibrations

This is one of the strongest therapies I have experienced anywhere – it is the Spa Bath Sound Therapy at Chiva Som. Given that we are all supposed to aim for good vibrations within our body (like everything else if the frequencies within the body become unbalanced it affects our wellbeing and stress levels), this treatment is geared to assist vibrational healing. I have had something similar before which used cymbals, singing bowls and Tibetan bells which I found deeply relaxing. However this, adminstered by a sweet man called Danchai Chernprateep – half Chinese, half Thai – was supposed to be much more rigorous. I had been warned by Pilant, my advisor throughout my stay at the spa, that she had been sick after her first treatment! Yikes, I nearly called it off as I had a two hour car journey to Bangkok the following day.

But, I didn’t, I carried on in the name of research. Indeed I found the treatment restful and relaxing and had a terrific night’s sleep that night. Woke refreshed and ready for the journey…but by the time I hit Bangkok the after effects began to catch up with me.

Whatever it had released into my system I needed to take to my bed – and missed a half day’s shopping into the bargain.

I slept straight through until the following morning – about 16 hours non-stop. I felt fine when I woke but after calling Pilant to find out whether this was usual or not…back came the reply that my body obviously needed serious rest.

Suffice to say I had a perfectly normal day and no more signs of heaviness and tiredness…but for the first time on my return to the UK I had no trace of that heaviness that accompanies jet lag.

spa glamour

Wow! the thermal area of Espa Life at London’s Corinthia Hotel is possibly one of the most glamorous I’ve ever seen – deep, dark and seriously sexy. The relaxation area (see pic) faces a wall of flames (a fire, nothing dodgy) through which you can see the granite vitality pool complete with bubble beds, jet massage chairs and a host of jets to frighten away your flabby bits. Further on there’s the signature Espa ice shower and a gorgeous stainless steel lined swimming pool…all it needs for perfection is Johnny Depp in the shower and I might never leave

frigidarium

I’ve never been really keen on icy cold water…like plunge pools, ice fountains et al…especially after I’ve just been steaming or sweating in a spa. Now I realise I’ve been conned. Have just visited Herculaneum, the town just near Pompeii which was submerged by the same volcanic eruption of Vesuvius, and seen one of the very first spas. The Romans practically invented spas (SPA even comes from the Latin salus per aqua, Health through Water) and when building them made one major difference between the mens and the womens variety – both had heat rooms, the tepidarium and caldarium, but the womens’ spas were minus the cold bath, the frigidarium. Now I will never feel guilty again if I don’t fling myself into a freezing cold bath or pool…

xuba

No matter what a spa has to offer in treatments, therapies, products, incense, silks and fluffy towels…it is of little consequence to your wellbeing unless the therapist is good. Some are quite good, others well trained,( a few are gifted with healing hands – but that is so rare) and every so often you find an exceptional one. I did yesterday. She’s called Xuba and is at the Chi Spa at Shangri-La’s new Villingili Resort in the Maldives. Not only does she have one of the happiest smiles I have seen in a long time but she has such a strong yet soothing touch. She knew exactly what my jet-lagged body needed before I even lay on the massage bed. Of course you have to fill in one of those rather vacuous questionnaires they now give you at most spas…but she knew long before glancing at that where my aches and pains were. Within minutes I was totally relaxed and spent the 90 minutes drifting in and out of sleep… and left totally relaxed. I had the spa’s signature treatment which used seashells a little like hot stones…except they also asked you to listen to them and the sound of the sea… I slept like a baby last night, and can’t wait to have another treatment with Xuba. There are very few Maldivian female therapists – so she is a rare creature and if you are coming this way…I would recommened booking her.
(www.shangri-la.com)