Spa Day

Well, I'm back from the spa and I had an amazing time! I got lost on the way there, but a nice lady with a beautiful black lab got me turned in the right direction and then proceeded to walk there with me, chatting the whole time, which was a fun way to get things started. My spa experience started with choosing the type of mud I wanted them to use - I picked the Oceanic Clay-Mud which smelled like lavendar and was supposed to be really moisturizing. Then I was given a tour of the facilities and given a locker, towels, a kimono and flip-flops. At this spa, before you begin any treatments you do the water circuit, which goes as follows:

1. Shower (using a delicious smelling mint-lime bodywash) to remove any impurities from your skin.
2. Spend 5-10 minutes in the warm salt-water pool in front of one of the massaging waterjets.
3. Spend 5-10 minutes in the 100% humidity eucalyptus-scented steam room.
4. Shower.
5. Take a plunge in the cold pool for a minute to stimulate circulation and regulate body temperature.
6. Spend 5-7 minutes in the infared heat sauna.
7. Shower.
8. Another plunge in the cold pool.
9. Steep in the hot green tea pool for 5 minutes.
10. Shower.
11. Last 1 minute cold plunge.
12. Sit in the warm salt pool for a few more minutes.

Once you've done all that, you sit on one of the lounge chairs next to the pools and sip water or tea or juice until someone comes to get you for your treatment. I didn't have time to get steps 11 & 12 in before they came to get me for the 1/2 hour massage, but that was alright. I was already feeling much more relaxed, but by the time Christiana finished I seriously had all I could do to keep myself awake! She took me back out to the lounge chairs, where I sat with my cup of 'Vitality Tea' and did my best impression of jello.

After about 10 minutes, Rachelle came to take me to my 'body bake and beyond' treatment. It was just like the description said - nirvana! I couldn't really see what was going on because she kept a warm cloth over my eyes almost the whole time, but there was a great deal of sloughing, slathering and rinsing taking place. I have never felt so pampered in all of my life.