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Relaxation
from Head to Toe
by stacy shoemaker
Spas have a new purpose, a different definition. Over the past few
years, spa owners have sensed their clients' increased need to eliminate
stress. To address that need, spas are implementing relaxation
techniques for them to shed their burdens, gain clarity and be
rejuvenated.
According to the Harvard Mind/Body Medical Institute, between 60-90% of
all medical office visits in the United States are for stress-related
disorders. Clients need mind, body and spirit wellness. Spa owners agree
that, through offering and teaching a variety of relaxation techniques,
including Reiki, ayurveda, breath work and yoga, they can gain more
balanced, and happier, clients.
"Most people who go into the spa environment want something that
helps them to unwind," says Robert Sachs, co-owner of the Diamond
Way Ayurveda in San Luis Obispo, California. "Consequently, stress
management is almost a primary emphasis. If you can show someone that
you can take them to a place where they can let go of the burden that
they walked in there with, that is a real gift."
Medical outlook
Any biological baggage can induce stress physiologically. But relaxation
techniques have the ability to reverse this effect, creating what
Herbert Benson, MD, of the Mind/Body Medical Institute has named the
Relaxation Response. Yoga and other forms of therapies produce such a
state of mind by allowing clients to silence their everyday "mind
chatter" and produce a non-judging awareness. In the past three
years, yoga classes at fitness centers have more than doubled in
popularity, according to the results of a national industry survey
published in the February 2000 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
"There is a definite trend of using yoga and meditation to put
people in relaxation therapy," Baim says. "It creates a state
of mind of learning and improved memory."
Apple for the teacher
Physical massages alone won't necessarily release the cause of the
stress. Increasingly spa owners have emphasized helping clients help
themselves by teaching them techniques they can take home with
them.
"We focus on movements of the body, breath work and spiritual
aspects of things because most people can't clear their minds of the
stress," says Pieg Myota, founder of the VESTA Center for Wholeness
and Health Spa in Nashotah, Wisconsin. "Part of the technique is
teaching people how to use their breathing and their life force to truly
relax their body and keep their energy system open."
During the last 15 minutes of every yoga class at VESTA, the lights are
dimmed and quiet music is played in the background as progressive
relaxation techniques are taught. Clients are told to first tighten and
then relax their heads' muscles. Then they are instructed to move to the
face and do the same, followed by the neck and shoulders as they work
their way down the body. For each body part, clients take deep, long
breaths, concentrating solely on the specific muscle they are targeting.
"We have seen the amount of stress in our culture, a lifestyle that
is killing us," Myota says. "At VESTA, we look to getting
clients' entire lifestyles back in balance. People are not going to
change their jobs or the level of stress they work with, but what we can
help them do is build balance through regular self nurturing and
incorporate a technique they can use on a daily basis."
Myota warns that getting participants to implement these techniques into
their everyday life is a challenge. A lack of time makes it difficult
for them to practice the methods they learn in class. Clients feel great
during and after class, but just can't seem to break their bad habits.
Practitioners have to convince clients that self-care is not selfish. To
reverse this way of thinking, they need to understand that it is
beneficial for them be nurtured for one hour.
Reality
Spa owners know they have to provide and look for treatments that offer
long-term benefits. There is a genuine indication that this is something
clients are searching for as they realize the importance of
incorporating health-related services into their lifestyles on a regular
basis.
"People realize that esthetics is not just a facial business for
deep cleaning, but that there is a whole process of de-stressing, a
head-to-toe procedure," Whalen says. "Almost 95% of everyday
symptoms that people wish they didn't have to deal with will be
eliminated if we pay attention to learning how to de-stress our
bodies."
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This article was excerpted from the August 2001 issue of Skin Inc.
magazine.
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