My Mum was never one of those girly mums who would spend hours on hair and makeup. She'd never feel dressed without her perfume, but makeup was something that just didn't really feature in our house. It wasn't until I went to university that I ever really wore mascara, I remember one of the girls in my hall leaning over me with the brush in hand, with me clutching the duvet underneath me willing myself not to blink at the wrong time... So certainly massages were out.
My Mum had a big birthday earlier this year, and as she's had a bit of a year, I decided that it would be nice to treat her to a day of pampering. Not for the preening, but for the relaxation.
So off we trundled to Bath Thermae Spa.
Part of the package that I'd bought was a treatment. I'd had a list of three to pick from, and not knowing what any of them where I closed my eyes and stabbed my finger at one (yes, really!). That was three months ago, and even when we'd changed into our robes and slippers I simply could not remember what I'd booked.
Luckily the lady at the treatment desk did. After half an hour bobbing around in one of the warm thermal pools, I wandered up to the desk to book in for my treatment. "Hot Stones Vichy Hydro Massage" - even the name didn't really reveal much about what was going to happen to me. I'd heard of a hot stone massage, and so the extra words in between just sort of passed me by.
I filled in the brief health questionnaire and was met by a very friendly therapist who led me into the treatment room, where I was left to strip, don a pair of hugely unsexy paper pants, lie on the bed and cover myself in a towel. Laying there in the buff, I couldn't fail to notice the large metal contraption with what looked like shower heads pointed directly at my naked body. I started to wonder whether I should have paid more attention.to those extra words...
Looking up at those shower heads I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a gun. I certainly couldn't imagine the experience being relaxing.
I mentally prepared myself for jets of cold water, "just like an ice bath' my brain kept chanting over and over. To aid recovery. I was already a ball of goose pimples and the water wasn't even on....
When the therapist returned she calmly explained what I could expect. And I was relieved to find out that the showers weren't going to blast me we cold water.
It turns out that "Hot Stones Vichy Hydro Massage" is a top-to-toe treatment using the latest techniques where you're massaged under a warm shower. The shower heads were carefully directed to different areas of the body to stimulate blood flow.
My body was exfoliated with rock salt, cleansed with a nourishing aromatherapy bath oil and water ritual and then finally massaged with hot stones. To be honest I was a bit sceptical, but once I found myself in a position on the bed where I wasn't inhaling the cascading water I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I left the massage room in a very Zen state, feeling deeply relaxed and strangely light.
I won't even pretend to understand the technicalities of what the massage did, or how it worked. All I know was that I'd recommend it.
A day at the spa wasn't cheap, but for a special treat it certainly did the trick. My Mum loved it. However what they don't tell you is just how exhausted all that relaxing makes you... Zzzz
Part of the package that I'd bought was a treatment. I'd had a list of three to pick from, and not knowing what any of them where I closed my eyes and stabbed my finger at one (yes, really!). That was three months ago, and even when we'd changed into our robes and slippers I simply could not remember what I'd booked.
Luckily the lady at the treatment desk did. After half an hour bobbing around in one of the warm thermal pools, I wandered up to the desk to book in for my treatment. "Hot Stones Vichy Hydro Massage" - even the name didn't really reveal much about what was going to happen to me. I'd heard of a hot stone massage, and so the extra words in between just sort of passed me by.
I filled in the brief health questionnaire and was met by a very friendly therapist who led me into the treatment room, where I was left to strip, don a pair of hugely unsexy paper pants, lie on the bed and cover myself in a towel. Laying there in the buff, I couldn't fail to notice the large metal contraption with what looked like shower heads pointed directly at my naked body. I started to wonder whether I should have paid more attention.to those extra words...
Looking up at those shower heads I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a gun. I certainly couldn't imagine the experience being relaxing.
When the therapist returned she calmly explained what I could expect. And I was relieved to find out that the showers weren't going to blast me we cold water.
It turns out that "Hot Stones Vichy Hydro Massage" is a top-to-toe treatment using the latest techniques where you're massaged under a warm shower. The shower heads were carefully directed to different areas of the body to stimulate blood flow.
My body was exfoliated with rock salt, cleansed with a nourishing aromatherapy bath oil and water ritual and then finally massaged with hot stones. To be honest I was a bit sceptical, but once I found myself in a position on the bed where I wasn't inhaling the cascading water I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I left the massage room in a very Zen state, feeling deeply relaxed and strangely light.
I won't even pretend to understand the technicalities of what the massage did, or how it worked. All I know was that I'd recommend it.
A day at the spa wasn't cheap, but for a special treat it certainly did the trick. My Mum loved it. However what they don't tell you is just how exhausted all that relaxing makes you... Zzzz
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