Work, eat and sleep — that’s the routine of most corporate go-getters like you. It may appear you have a job; however, most of the time, your job has you.

You are constantly overwhelmed and, try as you may, relaxing is seldom an option. That’s when the daily hustle-bustle starts ruffling you as Monday mornings become a drag.

The best selling book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” byStephen Covey underscores the need for a sustainable long-term lifestyle through mental and physical rejuvenation.

Everyone deserves a little pampering now and then. Sometimes, you need to just unwind, relax and soothe those tense muscles with gentle massages. It makes you sharper at office.

There are many activities that can help relieve tension, mentally and physically; one such place for relaxation that has become popular in recent years is the spa service.

Some spas focus on wellness by providing traditional services such as Thai massage, Swedish massage, Shiatsu (Japanese massage) and Ayurvedic treatment. Many spa service providers also add zing to traditional services by clubbing them with recreational programs, exotic food and private consultations.

Types of spa

Historically, spas have been associated with treating illness with mineral rich water — a bath in hot or cold water as a means of cure. When you have decided to go for a spa, do a little research on what type of spa you would prefer.

Day spas are common, where you get minimal massages and facials on a daily basis. The facility is often shared with a salon.

But when you want to unwind completely, destination spas are ideal. In these spas, the entire environment is geared to promote a healthy living with classes and exercises for physical and mental wellness. For instance, Ananda in the Himalayas is a destination spa, where people stay for a few days to detox, get treated or simply relax.

Also, a hotel or resort spa is offered by hotels. Kaya Kalp, for example, is an ITC-owned spa in their hotels.

The selection of spa services depends on the time, the need for spa as well as cost considerations. There are also spas such as Kairali, an ayurvedic healing centre, which focuses more on curing ailments than beautification or stress busting.

Choose your treatment right

Selecting the right spa is important. This is because most spa service providers offer packaged treatment; also, the type of services remains more or less similar. Facials, body treatments such as polishes, jacuzzi, bath massages, body wraps, scrubs and nail treatments are some common services.

However, most luxury spas offer signature treatments that are inclusive of other services. For instance, Royal Leela facials, a signature treatment offered by ESPA of Leela Hotels, includes cleansing, exfoliation, pressure point massage, warm poultice massage and mask with head massage. But when you opt for ESPA facials separately, exfoliation and cleansing are also included.

Note that it is always best to know the outcome of your spa, that is, whether your treatment should relax, detox, relieve your stress or make you feel energetic.

For instance, JIVA Spa by Taj Hotels offers Vishrama, one of its signature treatments, to help realign the body and restore the energy flow, while Sushupti helps relieve stress by recommending deeper relaxation.

The pressure varies with each of the massages; it is recommended that you inform the therapist about what you want before specifying the treatment.

The goal of the spa is to make you feel better and not subject you to discomfort.

This is applicable to all kinds of spa. However, if you choose a destination spa, you need to specify your requirements in advance.

The cost factor

The next big question that crops up is the price . Now, destination spa is one of the preferred choices for most people as it comes with a hotel facility and you get to explore the area too.

For instance, Ananda Spa is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas near Rishikesh, overlooking the Ganges and surrounded by the Sal forests.

It offers wellness packages, a signature package inclusive of all programmes, with a minimum stay of seven nights and focused services such as detox, yogic detox and ayurvedic rejuvenation.

The price for two nights premium valley view works out to ₹67,863 ($1,060), and for seven nights to approximately ₹2,37,500, inclusive of spa treatments and food.

The rates vary depending on accommodation facilities such as a swimming pool.

In recent times, many hotels and their spas are emerging as destination spas, as is the case of Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa (Sereno).

Such hotels provide a wide range of services in addition to spas, such as complimentary breakfast, arrangement of touring and transport facilities. You could visit the hotel either for its spa or its location.

In this case, Sereno provides ‘the marine experience’, one of its signature spa treatments for the body using mineral-based luxury products and seaweed. They also use three marine algae to detoxify your body.

The rates work out to ₹9,500 for three hours and 30 minutes. This is excluding hotel stay and taxes of 26 per cent. Since you are away, a little indulgence is healthy for your lifestyle.

Almost all spas offer conventional Shiatsu or Ayurvedic services. For instance, Per Aquum Niyama in the Maldives offers Lime spa that provides Shiatsu, Shirodhara and Abhyanga (Ayurvedic) at about ₹15,000 ($ 235).

Now every time you go on a holiday, be sure to stay in one of the destination spas in the area just to relax, pamper yourself and splurge some money for your well-being.

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