Well good to know not everything is perfect. Head of Wellness stood me up and my caci facial disappeared off the face of the beach…however I did have a terrific Chi Nei Tsang massage from a really terrific Tao therapost called Toby Maguire. Not too many places offer this TCM stomach massage while a great number of people really dislike having their stomach touched. I am very keen on it as it can be quite strenuous but it does shift any sluggishness in there. This one was exceptional, even more so because I slept for part of it!
Final thoughts on Body Holiday – very good value for money and if you make it work for you it won’t get any better. It’s all inclusive, including a treatment a day and at least a choice of about 12 activities from golf to scuba, spin to walks as well as yoga, pilates, tai chi and meditation. Everyone os given a 30 minute slot with a personal trainer – hope for Felix, who runs the gym and whose body looks as if its made of iron…but he has the kindest smile…
Category: massage
the works
Facial acupuncture, which has existed for centuries in China is still making headwat in the west with a number of very good practitioners. I’ve had a series of treatments from John Tsagarishttp://johntsagiris.com where I once ‘enjoyed’ having over 100 needles in my face. However had one this week with Annee de Mamiel www.demamiel.com visiting London from New York. This time I had a few needles on my face but others on various parts of my body, and while they did whatever needles stuck in your legs , between your fingers and in your feet do, she gave me a facial including a massage with jade rollers and a going over with tuning forks along my meridians…or whatever. The vibrations across my chest, which I got from the latter, were quite strong and quite strange. Suffice to say the following morning my breathing was noticeably easier!
The treatment I was enjoying at Fortnum and Mason’s Beauty Roomfortnumandmason.co.uk
which lasted a good 80 minutes is known as a ‘seasonal attunement’, as Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that our bodies as well as our emotions change with the seasons, hence wevneed to adjust to those changes. She deals with this through acupuncture and her own specially formulated seasonal oils. I felt great immediately afterwards and my skin looks terrific. However the following day tiredness set in – odd how bodies react to various things.
But the treatment and the woman are fantastic…can’t wait until she returns to attune my creaking carcass for winter. Also the woman herself is a walking miracle – who only on a recovery
travel wellbeing
I have got airport angst. I used to love airports, they were glitzy, glamorous and invariably the gateway to somewhere warm and wonderful or exciting and exotic. Now they fill me with dread – it’s not just the queues, the security or even the simple bad manners of many of the people working there – they are simply places to keep, herd and dehumanise us while at the same time trying to extract as much money as possibly by serving indifferent food in uncomfortable watering holes. I’m sure it’s quite different if you are cocooned in First or Business Class but the majority of us aren’t. Interesting really that most places of refuge for the frazzled traveller i.e.spas are to be found only within the Business and First Class airport lounges.
British Airways are provided by Elemis but only for up the front travellers
Emirates has a two storey spectacular in their Dubai Business Lounge (only snag here, once you get in, you have to pay for your treatments!)
The Virgin ClubHouse at Terminal 3 is possibly the best of the lot, but again only for upper class
which is why I have to applaud some of the innovations found in airports for the humble traveller. Recently I spotted a Beauty Bubble at Nice where for 10Euros you could get an express blow-dry or manicure. Munich is dotted with little Sleep pods where you for a few Euros you can have a little peace and quiet all on your own. I know Clarins has a little manicure place at Gatwick, and a few others are now offering massage chairs but give me Bangkok anytime. Here for a few bucks you can have a back and shoulder massage with a good shot of oxygen to revive you after a long, long flight.
My dream airport treatment would be a dry floatation bed – just lie down in a darkened room and let the bed take your weight for total relaxation – I wouldn’t mind the hassle if I could look forward to one of these.
spa spirit
What was I saying about location? about how some places truly lift your spirits and help you feel better, easier, more relaxed even before you enter a spa. I am currently in such a place – theeuropehotel.comthe Europe Hotel in Killarney, Ireland and visiting Espa at the Europe. But before I even hit the spa the view from my room is so serene and tranquil that all thought of the journey and work evaporated. I am looking over the lakes which are still and silver in tone, but best of all they are surrounded by the blue/violet/deep green colours of the McGillycuddy Reeks, Killareney’s famous mountain range. Last night the whole scene was washed by gold as the sun set in almost clear sky, while this morning a wisp of mist just floated over the lakes – I couldn’t stop gazing at it and so before my treatment ( a two hour pamper session of scrub,wrap, massage)I just took up residence in one of the two outdoor vitality pools and while my flabby bits were being pounded by the jets, simply soaked up the scenery.