How to Prepare for a Spa Holiday

A spa holiday is a wonderful way to focus on your wellbeing.  Spa retreats are very effective in treating specific health issues, but more importantly, they offer an opportunity to break your daily habits and to develop fresh, healthful behaviours that will have a beneficial impact on your life in the longterm.

Spa holidays differ from other holidays because most retreats held at destination spas have an element of detox and stress relief that may take some preparation.  By preparing your mind and body for your retreat, you will get better results from your retreat and you will enjoy it much more.

For some, separation from work, the internet, and their smart phone is unthinkable.  Not all spas require you to submit your links to the outside world upon arrival, but certain programmes (e.g., Stress Relief) will wean you off your habitual reliance on filling your life with distractions. Many spas have an imposed silent hour during the day, so reading (books,  Kindles, and iPads for reading are allowed) and meditation are good ways to take advantage of this serenity of the silence. 

Many people struggle with detoxing on a spa holiday.  Even if you consider yourself healthy, you may be unaware of how many toxins (e.g., air pollution, processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) you absorb in your daily life and the reaction that your body has when they are removed.  Some people have acute psychological reactions where repressed emotions are brought to the surface and they may be brought to tears suddenly. Most people experience headaches and extreme sluggishness when they take caffeine and sugar out of their diets.  If you haven’t prepared your body for the shock of withdrawal, then your first three days of holiday can be spent in a foul mood, most likely in bed. 

If you want to get the most out of your spa experience, here are some tips to help you prepare in order to get your money’s worth and enjoy your time away improving yourself:

Before you go:

• Three to five days prior to departure, stop drinking coffee, black tea, soft drinks and alcohol.
• Two days prior to departure, reduce the amount you smoke and phase out the excessive use of internet and mobile phones.
• You should drink herbal infusions, fruit juice or water.
• Avoid consuming sugar or sweeteners, meat or dairy products and reduce the amount of salt consumed.
• Try to eat your last meal of the day before 7:00 pm and choose a low carb option.
• Get a good night’s sleep so that you do not arrive exhausted.

On the flight:

• Drink water to stay hydrated which will help you combat  jet lag.
• Wear comfortable clothing to travel in so that you arrive relaxed and comfortable.
• Prepare yourself to be without your mobile phone constantly at your side.

Have you been on a spa retreat?  I’d love to hear your tips.  I’ll update my blog  with your advice and give you a shout out & backlink!

By Spa Samurai

Destination Spa Vs. Resort Spa

Now that you’ve decided to go away for a spa break, you must choose between a destination spa and a resort spa.

Destination spas are fully equipped spas with state of the art facilities and the top practitioners in their fields offering dedicated spa retreat programmes.  The emphasis is on overall wellness with each spa specializing in a different area of expertise, a particular philosophy, or a unique location.  Most people go to destination spas for week-long programmes to kick start their health or to focus on a particular issue that can only be overcome through diet, exercise and spa treatments which are carefully constructed and calculatingly executed.  Spa purists love destination spas, but there are programmes at every spa that are also appropriate for first timers, so anyone can benefit from a spa retreat.

Resort spas are spas located at hotels or resorts for day use by guests of the resort, although some resort spas allow non-guests to book spa services. Resort spas are more common than destination spas.  The quality of the spa facilities, treatments, and practitioners can be extremely high, particularly at luxury resorts, but most resort spas focus more on pampering, relaxation, and beauty treatments than intensive wellbeing programmes meant to foster personal growth. Resort spas are popular with casual spa-goers on a holiday where the spa isn’t the main focus of their experience.

Go to a DESTINATION SPA if you want:

• A purposeful retreat to focus on the solution to a particular issue/problem.
• An adult environment.
• Personal privacy and a high degree of discretion by staff.
• To be surrounded by like minded people who provide camaraderie, inspiration, and energy.
• A supportive environment to recover from a major life event.
• An experience where it is easy to meet others and to socialize.
• To practice under experts in their fields with personal interaction.
• A pre-determined diet of spa cuisine tailored to your needs.
• To follow a particular nutritional philosophy.
• To abstain from alcohol and other toxins, sometimes including caffeine.
• Consultations with doctors, nutritionists, and instructors.
• To make a major, long-term change to your health and habits.
• Programming which includes exercise, classes, outdoor activities, lectures, and meditation.
• An all inclusive pricing plan which includes accommodation, meals, classes, and some spa treatments.

Go to a RESORT SPA if you want:

• To go to the spa while your children or travel partners do something else.
• Spa treatments as a part of your overall holiday, but not to be the main focus.
• To spend time with friends or family that you are travelling with.
• To participate in activities such as golf, tennis, and water sports that are not provided by the spa.
• To drink alcohol or caffeine.
• To eat meals outside of the spa or to not be restricted by particular diets.
• To stay in a particular hotel or location that does not offer destination spas.
• To gamble.
• To relax and rest instead of taking classes.

Many resort spas are now offering more of the services and facilities of destination spas, but they typically charge extra for these classes or activities and offer them a la carte, as they do their spa treatments.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS -

Some of my favourite world-class destination spas:

1. Canyon Ranch Tucson
2. Chiva Som
3. Kamalaya
4. SHA Wellness
5. Mii Amo at Enchantment

Some of my favourite destination spas at the moment:

1. Spa Village Tembok Bali
2. Six Senses Zighy Bay
3. Shanti Maurice
4. Fusion Maia
5. Verdura

I always book my spa getaways with Healing Holidays because I think they offer the best spa holidays to the world’s top luxury spas and their new website  is very interactive with blogs, videos, and other useful resources.

By Spa Samurai

Why Choose a Destination Spa?

Destination spas offer the ultimate in indulgence, pampering, and escapism.  There is no better way to take a break from the stresses of your job, your life, and your daily routine, than to sequester yourself in the comforts of an all inclusive environment where you don’t have anything or anyone to think about but yourself.  It is so rare that we take the time out of our busy lives to focus on ourselves, but it is absolutely essential for our physical and mental health, as well as our spiritual well being.  Regaining the balance in ourselves is the best way to reach a deeper clarity and improve productivity when we return to our daily lives.

Day spas offer a fleeting glimpse of self-improvement, but destination spas offer life-changing opportunities that you can only gain on holiday, away from the familiarity of your daily routine, when you learn to embrace the comforts of a foreign experience.  You come out the other side a new person, confident with the changes that you have seen in yourself during your retreat and equipped with the skills you need to maintain your progress.

A week-long retreat at a destination spa is a total immersion experience.  When you arrive, you are welcomed by staff that are there to take care of you and help you towards your goals.  You are surrounded by  like-minded people that  support you and inspire you by sharing their personal anecdotes.  An evaluation by a medical professional gives you a benchmark of where you are and what you need to do to reach your goals.  Regular meetings with dieticians arm you with the nutritional knowledge necessary to incorporate healthy eating into your daily life and cooking classes and lectures give you the delicious inspiration that may have been lacking.  To jumpstart your lifestyle change, the regimented spa cuisine takes all of the guesswork and temptation out of having to plan and cook your meals.  The food you eat is portion controlled and calorie controlled, but it is packed with nutrients, detoxifying, and absolutely gorgeous.  Top chefs painstakingly prepare beautifully presented cuisine according to strict dietary principles and present the dishes with the panache of a Michelin star restaurant.

Top practitioners in their fields offer personalized sessions in small groups with plenty of close interaction and opportunities to ask questions.  Although the workouts can be difficult, the training facilities are state of the art and the sessions are always engaging.  The scenery of the outdoor classes is so stunning that you are just grateful for having the opportunity to be in such a perfect, natural setting.

When you aren’t sweating it out to lose weight, relieve stress, detoxify yourself, or reach your fitness goals, you spend sunny afternoons lazing by the pool or treating yourself to pampering treatments such as massages and facials.  Unwinding and learning to let go is a big part of the destination spa experience. Finding quietness and learning to once again appreciate the stillness in the silence makes you realize how much constant noise there is in your daily life and how distracting it can be.  The tranquillity eventually leads to introspection, which lends itself to evaluating what is really important in your life.  After several days of detoxifying your body, concentrating on yourself, and being free of stress, you feel a sense of levity and clarity that is normally only reached through intense meditation.

If you are new to the world of spas or a seasoned spa aficionado, there is no better way to improve wellbeing and regain your inner harmony than taking a week to visit a destination spa.  There are some wonderfully unique retreats available at some sensational spas.

MY RECOMMENDATION - 

The experts at HealingHolidays can take care of your travel arrangements to the world’s best destination spas and help you choose the perfect spa retreat to help you reach your goals. Ask for Tracy - she has booked my last 2 spa retreats.

By Spa Samurai