Page 47 - Select Wellness 2017

TAKE ME TO THE WATER
The curative power of water has been recognized for thousands of years. In 60 AD, the Romans perfected the art of a warm soak in Bath, England, where they built their famous temple dedicated to the steaming waters that naturally rose from the Somerset countryside. In the late nineteenth century, fashionable mineral spring resorts drew well-to-do Victorians throughout Europe and America.
Today, a new collection of spas and wellness resorts have brought this ancient practice into the 21st century with expanded menus that combine time-honored traditions with modern techniques. Along with recognized rituals such as soaking pools and saunas, these spas offer treatments that may be new to your vocabulary, such as Vichy showers, Watsu massages and Janzu therapy.
As you begin your exploration into the curative power of water, consider London’s Akasha spa at the Hotel Café Royal. Boasting the city’s rst Watsu pool and a specially designed Vichy shower treatment room, Akasha is an international destination ffor wellness treatments
and patrons rave about the spa’s Watsu. Patrons rave about the spa’s Watsu massage performed in a dedicated pool heated to a balmy 95 degrees.
Janzu, another emerging form of water massage, is known for releasing physical and emotional tension. At the Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico, the Kinan Spa’s warm water meditation pool was designed for the treatment’s uid, dance-like movements. Guided by a therapist, this massage is less about body manipulation than it is achieving a state of total relaxation.
Whether you’re a traditionalist who favors a good hot soak or a curious adventurer willing to go out on a limb to nd the latest and greatest wellness experience, there is no denying the restorative power of water. As Sylvia Plath famously wrote, “There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.”
VISIT THE WELLNESS COLLECTION ON TLSELECTHOTELS.COM OR CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR WELLNESS STAY 46