spa treatments – EcoSalon

5 Unique Spa Treatments That Target the Mind, Body and Soul

Aylin Erman — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 08:00:56 +0000

When you think of spa treatments, does your mind quickly turns to images of a simple back massage, a pedicure or a facial?

These therapies are tried and true and most certainly relaxing, but these days, integrative health techniques have expanded beyond the usual and are far more diverse, condition-specific and effective than ever before. So, why not try them out?

The mind and body are intertwined and what affects one will indubitably affect the other. Physical spa treatments often have an impact on the psyche, improving mental clarity, reducing stress and eradicating mind fog.

Here are 5 unique spa treatments that you should consider next time you need some R&R; these are therapies that not only relax the body but also improve the mind.

1. Tok Sen

This centuries-old therapy is a Northern Thai practice developed by Buddhist monks. It involves the rhythmic tapping of a wedge with a wooden hammer on the body’s various Thai acu-points. The therapy invokes a healing vibration that deeply impacts the fascia and muscles across the body.

2. Color & Light Wrap With Aura Imaging

A spa therapist uses special light-sensitive photography to find your aura. After the photo, you relax whilst the therapist applies an exfoliating and detoxifying clay body wrap. Music, light, heat and aromatherapy work together to balance the senses and the body. When all is said and done, another aura photo is taken to identify the resulting change.

3. Naga

This massage treatment is truly in a league of its own. Naga evolved from the Thai Massage to release tension, balance and harmonize the body. To perform naga, a therapist suspends herself above your body with the help of colored silk strands hanging from the ceiling. The therapist wraps her arms in the silk strands and supports her body while she using her feet to massage, stretch and apply pressure by shifting her weight. It makes for a better-controlled massage that allows for deeper muscle work.

4. Feldenkreis

The Feldenkreis method is a somatic educational system that involves therapeutic movements that retrain your body to move in easier and more pleasurable ways, allowing for improved mind and body function. The method is based on the principles of physics and biomechanics and improves movement patterns rather than treats specific injuries or illness. Enthusiasts claim that the Feldenkreis method trains the nervous system to find new pathways around areas of damage.

5. B.E.S.T

B.E.S.T. may be the best thing since sliced bread, only much more metaphysical. B.E.S.T. stands for Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique. It is a physical but non-forceful energy-balancing procedure that reestablishes the full healing potential of the body. B.E.S.T. therapists touch certain pressure points in a specific sequence while having you think about memory stress. The result is that the body learns to re-communicate with the bran and ultimately strengthen your health, balance and sense of well-being.

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Photo Credit: Thomas Wanhoff

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Crazy Unusual Spa Services Across the USA

Sarah Pascarella — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 07:57:49 +0000

Unforgettable and unique. Indulgent and eye-opening. Relaxing and radical. That’s what these crazy unusual spa services at spas around the country promise: a one-of-a-kind experience that goes beyond a standard massage or facial.

Traveling soon, or looking for an excuse to take a memorable trip? Check out these distinctive spa services around the country that offer a bit of local specialties, an element of the exotic, and everything in between.

Everything Chocolate – The Spa at Hotel Hershey, Pennsylvania

If you have a sweet tooth, this is the spa for you. Nestled in Pennsylvania Amish country, Hershey is known for its namesake chocolate factory and its many sweet creations, from the brand’s namesake kisses to peanut butter cups. At the Spa at Hotel Hershey, however, the chocolate transforms from edible dessert to pampering spa product. Options include a cocoa massage, a chocolate fondue body wrap, and a “whipped cocoa” chocolate milk bath, among other services. Don’t arrive with an empty stomach – the chocolaty aromas of the treatments themselves may make you hungry!

The Geisha Facial – Shizuka New York Day Spa

Described politely, the Shizuka New York spa uses “sterilized nightingale droppings” in its famous Geisha Facial. Colloquially, it’s known as the bird poop facial, and the purported benefits include rejuvenated and brightened skin. Famous fans include Victoria Beckham, Lauren Conrad, and Anne Hathaway. Will nightingale excrement make your face as smooth as a geisha’s, or as poreless as a celebrity’s? The jury’s out on that one— you’l have to try it out for yourself and see.

Heaven in a Hammock – Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, Florida

Floating through air, without a care in the world … the Heaven in a Hammock Zero Gravity massage at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island spa in Florida has clients recline in a hammock during the spa service, creating a sense of weightlessness. Attention is paid to spine stretching, flexibility, and overall range of motion, and throughout the massage, the hammock maintains a gentle rocking sway. If you find a hammock extremely relaxing on its own, coupling it with a massage promises to be a real treat. (And if you’re prone to falling asleep in a hammock, this may speed up the process.)

Watsu Massage – Harbin Hot Springs, California

A relaxing soak or a rejuvenating massage? Now you don’t have to choose between the two. Watsu, an in-water massage, was developed at the Harbin Hot Springs retreat and workshop center, two hours north of San Francisco. Using principles of Zen Shiatsu stretching and massage techniques, Watsu practitioners have the massage recipient get submerged in a warm-water pool, and then they focus on “greater flexibility and freedom” through targeted stretches, twists, and pulls. In addition to the treatments themselves, the center offers training courses on how to administer Watsu – so if you try it and like it, take advantage of the opportunity to learn more with hands-on training (pun fully intended).

Naga Thai Massage – Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa

A little bit of gymnastics, a little bit of chiropractic, and all relaxation: The Naga Thai-style acrobatic massage at the Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa in Tucson gives your masseuse a workout him/herself. Using suspended silks, the masseuse floats above your body, massaging you with his feet, and also uses the silks to entwine and move you during the massage. It’s lauded for deep muscle work and incredible tension relief.

Have you heard of—or experienced—a crazy, unusual spa service? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Recommended Reading

15 Weird and Unexpected Uses for Chocolate

A Sustainable Spa Indulgence

15 Fun Feng Shui Tips

Main photo credit My Best Treat via Flickr Creative Commons. All others courtesy linked spas.

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7 Bizarre Beauty Treatments That Need to Go

Katherine Butler — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:52:03 +0000

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? So that means beauty treatments are also in the eyes of the participant. But sometimes, these eyes are smeared with snail ooze. Or maybe they’re splashed by a ramen noodle spa or slithered across by snakes during a massage. Some beauty treatments around the world seem the stuff of Willy Wonka’s factory, without the ensuing sugar coma.

But hey, we don’t judge. After all, we live in a world where people make a practice of injecting botulism into their foreheads and silicone into their lips. If someone wants to put bull semen in our hair, we say “how much?” and “just keep it away from my ears”. And while we figure out a way to comfortably staple our ears closed, check out some of the stranger beauty treatments making their way around the planet.

1. Snail Ooze Facial

Would you ever consider smearing your face with snail ooze? If so, pick up De Tuinen Snail Gel, sourced from the snails of Chile. (And sold in Holland, nice carbon footprint!) The secret is in the snail’s secretion, which is used to smooth the snail’s shell. It is supposed to support the skin’s elasticity and more.

2. Snake Massage

Some people think that letting snakes slither across their bodies would be the stuff of nightmares. Not so, for the patrons of Ada Barak’s spa in Israel. The $80 treatment gets you several non-venomous snakes slithering around your body, apparently producing a therapeutic kneading sensation. Barak’s clients claim the treatments ease migraines and soothe sore muscles.

3. Ramen Noodle Spa Bath

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun of Japan offers up a treatment suitable for both lunch and spa. Sitting in a tub shaped like a ramen noodle bowl, the water contains pepper-flavored water colored a light, milky brown. Just what does the Ramen noodle spa bath do for you? The water contains collagen and garlic extracts, and officials claim it can help produce beautiful skin and aid moisture retention. And it probably makes you feel like a giant’s lunch in some fairy tale.

4. Bull Semen Hair Treatment

Think that organic chamomile conditioner you just shelled out 40 clams for is great? Consider lathering up with bull semen instead. Hari’s, a salon in London, uses the semen of Aberdeen Angus bulls to treat their customers’ locks. As the salon’s owner Hari Salem told reporters, “The semen is refrigerated before use and doesn’t smell. It leaves your hair looking wonderfully soft and thick.” We’ll take your word for it, Hari!

5. Fish Pedicure

You know what is my worst nightmare? Hands down scariest thing I can imagine is falling into a tank of dead fish. (And here’s to exposing our darkest fears on the internet!) Ask my young nieces, they can vouch that I’ve run screaming from the room at the sight of a possible floater in their little fish bowls. I can’t tell you why. I just skeeve dead fish.

So this latest spa treatment to sweep the world is not for me. But for the braver (read: less neurotic) sorts, you can dip your toots into a fish bowl filled with tiny carp that will nibble away your dead skin. And sure, these fish are alive. But can we really take that chance? Can we?

6. Sheep Embryo Injections

Want to look young forever? Who knew that all it took were sheep sacrifices! But before we all reach for our sacrificial robes (made of organic cottons, of course) keep in mind that you can merely inject sheep embryos into your face. Rocker Debbie Harry did 30 years ago and credits her youthful appearance to the procedures. As the musician told reporters in 2008, “I had these cells injected into me in my early 30s and it turned out that I was the youngest person to have the treatment. They would take (cells) from the liver, glands, bone and whatever. Whether that treatment lasted this long, I don’t know, but I feel great.”

7. 24 Carat Gold Face Mask

The secret to glowing skin? According to the good people at UMO, its slathering gold all over your pores. Using an “ultrasonic nano mist,” gold penetrates your skin to lift, firm, and reduce the signs of aging. No word on whether King Midas had anything to do with the development of this treatment.

Photo credits: Face; Snail; Snakes; Ramen; Bull; Fish pedicure; Sheep; Gold. All photos from Flickr, licensed for commercial use under Creative Commons.

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