So, this Sunday, for the first time ever, I went to a spa. I know, people are stunned when I tell them this, but the spa has never attracted me. The idea of a massage with some random person touching me while I try to relax in a state of semi-undress did not appeal to me. But I was bought a session at the spa for my birthday and myself my besties decided we were going to make a morning of it – which turned out to be a whole day of it.
Because yes, while I started the morning questioning how comfortable I was going to be for the next hour, a light full body massage is actually very, very nice. Is it weird knowing that members of staff with who I eat lunch have now seen me naked? Yes. But we put this aside and focus on the wellness.
In fact, it suited me so well that one of the girls and I decided we were going to finish the whole process and go back that same evening for a facial since that was the only part not treated in the morning session!
So, with that, I figured I would take you on a trip around the body – and our wellness section – to find some reading material that is good for the mind like the spa is good for the soul.
First!
The head.
- The Power of Nunchi –
I love a good head massage. It’s my favourite part of hairdressers – after the final product of the actual cut – but when you’re lying back and they’re working that conditioner into the hair and getting the blood flowing, amazing! Yesterday, they put coconut oil into my hair which always does wonders. There is nothing quite like the oil here because it is sourced locally from the palm tree two feet down the path! It could have come one the coconut that tried to hit you on the head that morning. It is FRESH! And it is amazing on the hair.
The Power of Nunchi is one of my favourite books in the store because it’s a fascinating skill for everyone to learn. The subtle art of watching eye movement and suddenly you see people in a whole new dimension.
Next:
Neck and shoulders
- This is Going to Hurt –
Ok, yes, nothing to do with the neck/shoulders area but accurate to my experience. Everything else during the massage and facial was great and comfortable, and then they hit the shoulder region and OW! Shows me just how much tension I carry in the shoulders and neck.
This is Going to Hurt might not have been chosen for this blog for any other reason than the title, but it is a fantastic, funny look into the life of junior doctors and what that side of the stethoscope is life.
Chest and stomach:
- Exhale –
This was, to be fair, a very short period of the session. Chest and stomach felt nice and it reminded me to try and breathe naturally through the whole thing. Especially during the facial when the spa staff hold their hands over your face so that you breathe in the inhale the oil stuff on their hands – and I forgot to breathe. (In Young Adult fiction, it’s a running joke that characters don’t realise they’re holding their breath or forget to breathe but it does happen!)
Unsurprisingly, breathing is an important part of your daily routine, and Exhale helps you master the art of breathing – because there is an art to it – to help you get the most out of each breath. From bringing a needed flair of creativity to energising yourself to falling asleep, Exhale helps you find that ability and make it more natural than the natural art of breathing.
Arms and hands!
- The Remarkable Life of Skin –
It did interest me that my two favourite areas that they worked on during the massage and facial were the head and hands – the two parts that I need the most. Head – because you’re not getting far without one, but especially as a writer. Again, as a writer, I greatly value my hands and use them every day to get the story from brain to page. Who’d have thought a hand massage was so NICE! The reason I wanted a facial was because it can be hard on the skin working on an island resort. It’s not all blue skies and white sand, (I mean it is, but paradise comes and goes,) and I wanted to give my skin a bit of TLC.
The Remarkable Life of Skin is a scientific look into our largest organ. It’s not simply something that keeps the insides in and the outside out. It is complex and fragile and strong and complex, and Dr Lyman takes a look at all it has to offer.
Legs and Feet!
- In Praise of Walking -
Have you ever had a waaaaarm damp cloth pressed to your footsies and gently massaged around? If not, I recommend it. On a barefoot island, the feet take a beating and a lovely way to thank them for getting you from Point A to Point B every day. There’s a lot of muscle going on from the hips down and it was nice to give them a good stretch!
In Praise of Walking looks at something many of us do every day and reminds us why it’s more than just a mode of transportation. It benefits our bodies but also our minds and this book reminds us of why we should be out there doing it more and how to get the most out of something we do without a second thought.
- The Art of Rest -
So that concludes our trip around the body. The best things out of the whole day – more than the treatments and the nice smells and the relaxed muscles and good skin – was that it was an all-important Self Care Day. A proper day of rest. We’re all so busy these days, so stressed in this time of uncertainty and major social change, that we easily forget the take a step back and relax.
Of course, given the current climate, we can’t all simply amble down to the spa with a few friends and let someone else help detox the mind, so The Art of Rest comes into play and helps guide readers to finding ‘respite in the modern age’. Rather than glorifying the act of working until your drop, glorify the knowledge of needing to step back, take a break, and come back stronger than before.