Taking the waters

Ideally suited for both physical and emotional wellbeing, water therapies and facilities can help spas take a body and mind approach to creating a wellness experience for their guests  

Constituting its very origin, the use of water features and treatments in spas is of course as old as the institution itself. As such, the industry remains highly attuned to the utilisation of water, including thermal waters, spring waters, hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy, to achieve bodily health and address physical aches and pains.

This is particularly true in regions with a strong tradition of bathing for health, such as central and eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Middle East. There is, however, not always the same focus on the no less substantial psychological and emotional benefits of water features and therapies.

In an industry that is increasingly defining itself as focused on wellness – a concept that naturally includes mental as well as physical wellbeing – this is however beginning to change, with a growing number of spas and practitioners taking a more rounded view.

“Hydrotherapy is brilliant for addressing pain and the body doesn’t differentiate between physical or emotional stress in terms of how it responds; if you feel terrible you feel terrible,” says Anne Bramham, founder of the US-based Advanced Spa Therapy Education Certification Council, (ASTECC), where all training starts with hydrotherapy. “We need to be aware that stress is caused by both physical and emotional circumstances and to look at the complete picture. There is no separation between mind and body.”

Read the full feature on page 20 of the August issue of the Professional Spa and Wellness digital magazine for FREE here, or access the digital magazine by selecting your chosen platform here.