Consider your perfect spa retreat] in a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including) hot springs (resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy.
The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan.
The Most ‘Out-There’ Spa Treatments, and Where to Get Them
By Victoria Veilleux
Pinterest.com
Nature Bathing
Research on the health impact of nature deprivation has led to a full-blown wellness craze that takes its inspiration from the Japanese practice of forest bathing. There’s a growing body of evidence that the practice can boost immunity and reverse stress. The Lodge at Woodloch, just 90 miles from New York City, employs three forest-bathing instructors to lead guests on walks around the resort’s 500 wooded acres in northeast Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the Forsthofgut Hotel in the Austrian Alps is characterizing itself as Europe’s first self-styled “wellness center forest,” with barefoot walking paths (in summer!). But nature therapies are moving well beyond trails. Hacienda AltaGracia, an Auberge Resort in the mountains of Costa Rica, offers a Forest Stretching Ritual, a holistic treatment that blends Thai massage with functional stretching amidst the lush Costa Rican jungle. And you can bathe naked under the treetops at the new Sunrise Springs Spa Resort outside Santa Fe, where the Ojitos Outdoor Soak allows guests to float in a mineral-infused soaking tub on an outdoor platform surrounded by cottonwood trees.
Getting Stoned
Maybe we’re all growing more open minded, because spas seem to be ubiquitously adopting the new-age notion that crystals and gemstones are grounding. At the Anantara Spa at The Palm Dubai Resort, a visit to the Crystal and Gemstone Steam Room precedes voluminous foam created by the exfoliating action of the therapist’s traditional Turkish “kese mitt” while you soak in the heated marble of the resort’s newly opened Turkish Hammam. The Crystal Healing Ritual at The Mulia Spa at The Mulia Resort and Villas in Nusa Dua, Bali—the first spa in Asia to boast an ice-crystal fountain—attempts to rebalance the body’s energy centers by placing quartz crystals on each of the seven chakras. Across the peninsula, Ayana Resort and Spa’s Diamond Miracle Facial imbues sea quartz with pure diamond dust to achieve glowing radiance or opt for the Jade Sensation Detoxifying Massage, which alternates between hot and cold jade stones to encourage lymphatic drainage. (Both 90-minute treatments are exclusive to the fittingly named Spa on the Rocks—two private spa villas surrounded by the Indian Ocean on three sides.) To promote circulation, sink into a warm bathtub of pebbles no bigger than coffee beans in Japanese style sunaburo within the Aqua Zone circuit at The Dolder Grand in Zurich, Switzerland. Or literally be bathed in jewels in the Alpine nation’s town of Andermatt, during the 90-minute Ila Amethyst Envelopment for Inner Peace Body Wrap—the violet gem is credited with the ability to draw toxins from deep within cells as well as balance and purify emotional and energetic fields- at the Asian-inspired spa at The Chedi. The Kimpton Seafire’s spa started offering Quartz Sand Therapy, a massage delivered on a bed of warm quartz granules from the Cayman Islands. And in a very different manner of “getting stoned” – namely using Cannabidiol, or CBD, a compound made from cannabis—the St. Regis Remède Spa in Aspen, Colorado is offering a CBD Healing Customized Massage, which employs a high-grade hemp oil to calm anxiety and ease muscles after a hard day on the slopes—the only high you’ll feel, since cannabis don’t have the same effects when applied topically.
Be it a weekend of relaxation or a special trip to the “Land of the Sky” to care for and pamper yourself, Asheville is a top destination for spas, massage and holistic wellness. Considered by many as the New Age Mecca of the East, people have traveled to our western North Carolina mountains as a place of healing oneself for centuries. The region features a diverse mix of spa treatments and alternative wellness virtually unheard-of in smaller cities.
Italy, and Tuscany in particular, is peppered with natural hot springs rich in minerals that have been used by people since the ancient Romans for their health and beauty benefits.
Photo: SHAIITH/GETTY IMAGES
But one hot spring, found amid the hills of Maremma, is actually one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. Cascate del Mulino is just off the beaten path and away from most tourists radars. Centuries of waterfalls, have carved the rocks into beautifully round pools. Locals like to come and soak year-round, especially since the waters stay luxuriously warm at 37.5°C, or about 99.5°F. [read full article . ]
Garden waterfalls do not only look amazing but it can also oxygenate the water.
Water features can add design and texture to your garden. Ponds and fountains can be used as a natural habitat for fish, and pond plants can be used as natural decorations. Water features can easily attract birds and wildlife. During hot summer days, water can cool down your plants. If you want to make your yard look bigger then add water features to your garden. Water can provide serenity and tranquility to your garden.
There are a lot of water features that you can choose from.
Sometimes it’s a bit confusing to choose which one will be appropriate in your yard or patio. When choosing, try to consider the price, the size of your space and the design of your garden. Here are some amazing water features to inspire you. Enjoy!
SPA ETIQUETTE: From Stripping to Tipping By ANITRA BROWN
Spa etiquette can be a source of anxiety for first-time spa-goers<, but it’s easy once you know a few basics. Here are some basic rules of spa etiquette to help you know what to expect and feel at ease.
5 Most Relaxing Massage and Spa Destinations in the World
In India, Kerala is the most recognized wellness destination. Here an abundance of greenery and the charm of backwaters make a perfect backdrop for a spa treatment. There are super luxurious resorts and budgeted massage centers where you can choose from an amazing variety of spa treatments. Ayurveda treatments, however, are the most popular here. Luxury or budgeted, Kerala has a spa treatment to suit everybody and every pocket.
This beautiful country is famous for offering the most soothing massage treatments. You can book a luxury spa resort or a budgeted hotel for a spa package. Traditional Thai massage is not to be missed when you are in Thailand. Indulging in a relaxing body massage in an urbane therapy room that overlooks the azure ocean is an ultimate holiday idea. If you feel a desperate need for a break from your hectic life, it’s time to head to Thailand for a spa holiday.
Bali is a picturesque spa destination that attracts wellness holiday seekers from all over the world. Its fabulous jungle spa and resorts vow you the most rejuvenating spa treatments. Whether you are looking for traditional spas and body massage treatment or a spa package that is inclusive of modern amenities such as Jacuzzi, sauna, salon etc, Bali offers you both, in the most luxurious to the most comfy budgeted setting. You can even book spa resorts overlooking the enchanting terraced paddy fields or one near the ocean. They offer an amazing choice in spa indulgence packages, so pamper yourself as much as you can.
Famously called, “The Spa Destination of the World”, Budapest boasts of several natural thermal springs that cause the formation of many mineral-rich baths. Romans built many luxurious public and private bath around these springs in the 16th-century that paved way for making Hungary a famous spa destination. Some of the ancient baths still exist, while many modern spa centers use the water from the thermal springs to offer an ultimate spa experience to their guests. Taking a dip in these natural mineral-rich water provides relief from many types of body aches, sports injuries, and skin ailments. Luxuriate in an ancient Turkish spa and experience the healing power of the mineral-rich waters.
If you have always been enamored with the sight of movie actors pampering themselves in exotic hammams (traditional Turkish bath), its time you spoil yourself with a holiday in Turkey. A hammam in a regal mansion dating back to the Ottoman Empire is an ultimate indulgence; you would surely not like to miss if you have a passion for wellness holidays. From the capital city of Istanbul to Cappadocia, you can find plenty of options for booking a spa or massage package.
If pampering yourself is on your mind, spending a few days in an exotic spa destination with your beloved or BFFs make for a fabulous holiday idea. Book yourself an indulgence package at a retreat of your choice and treat your mind and body with rejuvenating relaxation.
If you’re on your feet all day or do a lot of driving, chances are your feet and ankleslook like this by the end of the day, uncomfortable and swollen.
Lucky for us, there are several essential oils you can use to get your circulation moving as well as a couple of ideas for DIY spa treatmentsthat can really make a difference too. Combine both and you have a few new entries for your EO journal!
If you’re a slave to your feet these days, try an EO remedy…
Apply 2 drops each ofLemongrass, Grapefruit andCypressessential oils diluted in 1 T. of fractionated coconut oil, massage into feet, ankles and calves upwardstowards the heart. If you can someone to do it for you, all the better!
DIY Spa Treatment, try this!
All you need are 1 dozen or sosmooth stones. You can find them at your local nursery, even Walmart has them in the craft and candle section.
A large,shallow bowl~ big enough for both the stones and your feet.
Very warm water and 2 drops each of Lavender and Cypress (flower petals optional, but nice!)
Now, roll the soles of your feet slowly over the pebbles for a few minutes.Bliss!
When you consider the science ofReflexology, a simple remedy such as the stone foot massage will not only relieve swelling, it willbenefitmany other areas of your body as well ~ don’t you just love DIY,multi-taskingbeauty treatments?
For generallypoor circulation, especially for the elderly (thin skin), Geraniumessential oil is lovely and can show great improvement with regular use!
An added bonus is the mood and skin brighteningeffects ofGeranium.
Add 10 drops ofGeranium to 2 T. of fractionated coconut oil and massage from thehands to the elbowsand from thefeet to the knees. Always with an upwards motion. Geranium is one of the bestrevitalizingoils and will make your skin softer and smoother while aidingcirculation, a win win! Geraniumis also Spark’s Oil of the Month Club feature EO for the month of JUNE, sign up to receive a 15ml bottle delivered to you every month at a discounted price {FREE shipping too}.
Hot springs spas and thermal baths: why you should visit one
byCarol Perehudoff
Natural hot springs, also called thermal springs, have been used for healing and wellness for centuries. The Romans built temples and towns around them, the Georgians loved thermal bathing and so do spa fans today.
Here are some reasons why hot spring spas are good for you, and why you should put one on your travel itinerary.
The joy of natural hot springs
Is there anything as soothing as slipping into a pool of steaming water? Natural hot springs have a lot to offer wellness fans. But what’s behind our love for these mineral-rich springs and why are they better than simply soaking in a heated pool? Here’s a deeper look at why thermal springs are so good for us.
How are hot springs formed?
The core of our earth is hot. The lower down you go, the hotter. A natural hot spring occurs when water sinks into the earth, gets heated geothermally from magma (molten rock under the earth’s surface) and gets forced back up again. As the water travels through underground streams or rock, it can soak up minerals, which is what makes a hot springs spa so healthy. Usually. There are exceptions, but if you go to a hot springs resort, it’s more than likely that the water has been rigorously checked.
Why are hot springs healing?
Hot springs are healing because of their warm temperature, which soothes sore muscles and alleviates stress, and because of the minerals the water contains. Some of the healing minerals and salts hot springs can have are: calcium and magnesium salts, selenium, sulphur, lithium salts, zinc and iron. Because thermal water is heated, it can hold more dissolved salts and minerals than regular water.
Hot springs were so revered that temples were built around them like thesprings at Bathand places such as Saturniawere considered a place of the gods.
Here are just a few of the medical issues hot springs are said to help with:
Skin infections: Sulphurous springs are said to be helpful with skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rashes.
Muscle and joint problems: From muscle aches to rheumatoid arthritis, hot springs are said to soothe and help heal.
Circulation: Soaking in bicarbonate water is said to open peripheral blood vessels which improves circulation
Stress relief: I don’t think I need to explain this one. Is there anything more relaxing than sinking into an outdoor hot springs pool? Especially if it naturally contains lithium?
Detoxification: Soaking in hot springs promotes sweating, which helps rid the body of toxins. (People have argued with me over this, but I still believe it and I’ve met several spa doctors who do, too.)
SOME VERY INTERESTING MINERAL SPRINGS..
Termas Geometricas
Pucon, Chile
Located at the bottom of a canyon in the heart of the lush Villarica National Park, this Asian-inspired hot spring consists of 20 pools connected by bright red, suspended wooden walkways. In addition to matching changing huts, there’re also two cooling waterfalls, a fire pit, and a café.
Grindavik, Iceland
One of Iceland’s most famous/photographed sites, this picturesque geothermal lagoon in the country’s black lava fields is rich in mineral salts, sulphur, and a silica-heavy mud; in fact, the 98 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit water is so good for your skin that the lagoon boasts its own line of skincare products, not to mention an on-site research facility determined to use the water to cure other ailments. Healing powers aside, the Blue Lagoon also rocks a restaurant and swim-up bar.
Dolores, CO
Part of a restored 1800s ghost town turned five-star resort in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Dunton’s six pools range in temp from 85 to 106 degree Fahrenheit and are bright red in color, thanks to a restorative cocktail of calcium-bicarbonate, iron, manganese, and lithium.
The therapeutic use of water has been recorded in ancient
Egyptian Greek and Roman civilizations. Egyptian royalty bathed with essential oils and flowers, while Romans had communal public baths for their citizens. Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness. Other cultures noted for a long history of hydrotherapy include China and Japan, the latter being centred primarily around Japanese hot springs or “onsen”. Many such histories predate the Roman thermae. “For Uses, Techniques and History” go to: full article
Spa Reads
By Vicky Raab
Royalty may go to the watery kingdoms of Bath, Baden bei Wein, or Marienbad to take the cure and imbibe culture; literary lights may thence repair to create “ The Magic Mountain” or “ The Gambler,” but the rest of the detoxifying masses need transport our entourages and amanuenses no farther than Spa Castle,in Queens, to hear the languages of the world if not the music of the spheres in its burbling baths and mineral-rich saunas of gold, jade, and L.E.D. This includes the bookish, who will undoubtedly wish to immerse themselves, while enthroned in an infra-red massage chair, in “Water Music: Making Music in the Spas of Europe and North America,” by Ian C. Bradley, a short yet exhaustive study of the musical culture that sprang up in these rarefied realms.
Unlike the spas chronicled in Bradley’s book, Spa Castle, a meditative, family-oriented Korean spa, had no orchestras down in the pump room, along the promenades, or out on the roof garden spouting Wagner or Lehár (although it did have waterfalls, a full moon, and a silent captioned TV coronating the dazzling final night of the Olympics, which no one was watching because, let’s face it, a chorus of well-clad hockey players can’t compete with a bevy of beauties of all sizes and nationalities in bathing suits). Nor, like its more raucous counterparts in Brooklyn, did it emit a hip-hop vibe. Those who go there hungry for a chance encounter with Brahms, Strauss, and the many other renowned and wet-behind-the-ears music-makers who grace the pages of this specialized book (“It was in Carlsbad that Beethoven met Goethe”) will have to slake their appetites with bibimbap, seaweed salad, and this font of delightful musical tidbits instead. article source
Brazilis home of the world’s largest hot spring resort in the city ofCaldas Novas. Caldas Novas is known throughout Brazil as one of the largest hydrothermal resorts in the world so in the high season the city receives as many as 100,000 tourists and at carnival as many as 300,000 people. Almost two thousand people are employed in this sector. The infrastructure of the city has more than 80 hotels and pensions (12,000 beds), (many with heated swimming pools and all with hot water produced by the natural thermal system), chalets, clubs, nightclubs, bars and restaurants. “public domain”
Mato Grosso do Sul is a state in central-west Brazil, bordering Bolivia and Paraguay. In the northwest, Corumbá is a gateway to the vast Pantanal wetlands, with diverse wildlife. Near the southwestern town of Bonito, Gruta do Lago Azul is a largecave with a vivid blue lake.
Bonito is responsible for the transparency of the waters and for the existence of a wide variety geological formations, due to the concentrations of lime in its soil.
Local activities include diving in caverns observing the underwater fauna and walking along trails in the forest places like gruta lago azul (blue lake cave) and the fazenda estancia mimosa, aquario natural (natural aquarium), the rivers, sucuri, prata, and formoso, are popular.
Lagos Azul Cave (Wikipedia)
The Pantanal covers 12 townships in the states of Mato Grosso and mato grosso do sul. To the north, there are paracis, and the azul roncador mountains. And to the East, the Maracaju Mountain Range. To the South, the Dodoquena Mountain Range. And, to the West, the Paraguayan and Bolivian swamps. The Pantanal is so diverse that researchers subdivided it in sub-regions. Each “Pantanal” – North and South – has its own natural features, activities and ideal period for visitation.
The Pantanalis are an ecological destination in the heart of Brazil.
The Pantanal is the largest flooded lowland on the planet and the third largest environmental reserve in the world It is home to one of the richest ecosystems ever.
Luxury Spa Bath Time: Massage Music, Relaxing Songs, Tranquility Music Therapy by @relax_river …more great relaxing music to come! We could be proud and say this is the best massage music ever 😀 But instead we only invite you to try to reach your personal Nirvana with our pampering spa music playlist, ideal for meditation, sauna soundtrack, massage and relax. Relax river provides you music for relaxation, study and meditation. We are a collective of musicians who compose calming music for passion, everyday.
We hope that what we like is exactly what you like: using music to free our minds, reach a state of peaceful joy and soothingness. With our relaxing music you can afford mental and physical relief, motivate yourself, sleep better, chill, free yourself from fears and anxiety, and restore self confidence. Relaxriver: your daily stream of wellness. Are you feeling comfy now?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE USING ESSENTIAL OILS. INTO YOUR BATH.
BY STEPHANIE GERBER
AN EXCERPT
oils directly to the water
We all know that oil and water don’t mix. So if you pour essential oils directly into the bath the drops will just float around on the top of the water. When they come in contact with your skin they’re essentially undiluted, which can sting and cause irritation.
If you’ve added essential oils to your bath, chances are you’ve made a few errors. During my essential oil courses I realized I was doing it all wrong! I’m especially cautious with essential oils in the bath because it can impact your whole body – red, irritated skin ruins the whole experience.
These tips will help you get the most out of your oils without experiencing any unpleasant reactions.
Do not add essential oils directly to the water
We all know that oil and water don’t mix. So if you pour essential oils directly into the bath the drops will just float around on the top of the water. When they come in contact with your skin they’re essentially undiluted, which can sting and cause irritation.
Dilute properly
The Tisserand Institute, the experts in using essential oils safely, recommend mixing 5-20 drops (1-4% dilution) of essential oil into 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil likeapricot kernel,grapeseed,jojobaorsweet almond. Again, the oil won’t dissolve into the bath. It will float on the top of the water, but you can rub those drops into your skin because the essential oils have been diluted into the carrier oil. Just be careful because things can get slippery! full article here
Healing Springs Of Himalayas
makogul (35) in healing • 2 years ago
Healing Springs Of Himalayas
Neelum Valley Azad KashmirThe northern areas of Pakistan are bestowed with many treasures, where amongst others, there are the naturally occurring springs and streams of sparkling natural waters that trickle down the mountain terrain, passing through various mineral strata, foliage and plant roots, and acquire, absorb various nutrients, minerals and active principals that are beneficial for the existence of various life forms. It is a well known fact that people from all over Azad Kashmir, in Pakistan, converge upon these springs for ailments such as arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, various skin diseases and especially diabetes mellitus.Cure possibilities from these fresh water springs have never been investigated scientifically, however, countless people have benefitted and are still benefiting from these sources one way or the other! read complete article here