Health & beauty treatments can be a real pick-me-up, making you look and feel great. If you automatically think “I can’t do that – it costs too much”, are you really broke? An occasional treat may not break the budget. Why not phone a few local places and find out?
Spas and Beauty Therapy
For some of us it’s a hairdo – a gentle head massage and a flattering cut can do as much good as a holiday. And if your hairdresser makes you feel guilty about your split ends, go to someone else next time. Remember you’re paying!
Others take refuge in beauty salons, which offer a wider range of comforts such as massage, pedicure, facials and body wraps. Again, it’s the mixture of relaxation and beautifying which has such beneficial effects.
Health Clubs
Some women don’t like hands-on therapies, especially if they’ve had babies clambering over them all day. For them, a health club is the place. Health clubs offer a variety of facilities for relaxation, including a Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, as well as massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and beauty therapies. Don’t bother with the sunbeds, they can damage your skin – head straight for the warmth and water.
Saunas put out an intense dry heat which some people love. But don’t despair if it brings your skin up in hot blotches – stream rooms are back in fashion now, hiding everyone in clouds of soft vapour. Then shower the sweat off and jump into the swimming pool or Jacuzzi. If you do all this after an aerobics class or game of tennis, of course, you’ll have the added glow of virtue.
Float Tank
You take a shower, then climb into a bathtub with a lid, or a tiny room like a flooded sauna, and shut yourself in. It’s pitch dark and silent.
- You lie on water so salty that you float. Both water and air are at body temperature, so you can’t feel anything. With nothing to stimulate your senses, you may hallucinate.
- You can turn the light on or scramble out whenever you like.
- Not everyone takes to it, but even claustrophobics find themselves letting go of the light cord and drifting peacefully in their own word.
- You may find beautiful or disturbing images well up from your unconscious. You may feel a deep sense of peace and oneness with the world. You may just get bored.
- Some centres play relaxing music and you can also bring a meditation or self-hypnosis tape – this is one place where you won’t be distracted.
NOTE: If you’re pregnant or suffering from an illness, especially a heart or skin condition, please check with your doctor before trying health club treatments. Don’t use the float tank if you have mental health problems.
Health Resorts
Are you going to a health resort? Shop around for one that meets your needs – some are real old-style fat farms, specialising in quick, short-term weight loss through hunger. Others are geared up for activity, and may help you start a fitness regimen that’s tailored to your needs.
If relaxation is your main aim, head for somewhere with treatments and facilities you would like to try, preferably in peaceful country surroundings. You could also contact health centres and retreats advertised in New Age magazines, which offer alternative therapies like crystal healing too.
For more options, visit the top health & beauty centres in Australia.