Over the centuries there have been many weird and wonderful therapies, massages and treatments invented to relieve stress, and induce calm and relaxation.
Some may have the desired effect and others are just completely down right unusual spa treatments. However, for the world traveller there are some strange ways to shake off the aches and pains of a day on the road.
Snake Therapy
One of the more unusual spa treatments come from Israel, where you can try out the strange but apparently effective; if not scary, snake massage. This involves the alleviation of aches and stress through the gentle massaging effect of having six non-poisonous king snakes crawling across your body.
Freezing
Near death freezing is another refreshing treatment you can try out in Finland or Poland. This form of invigoration is becoming increasingly popular with sports persons and involves entering a sub-zero, cryo-chamber set to at least –110°C. Guests are invited to stay in the terminally cold fridge for between thirty seconds and two minutes and feel the instant benefits. This short and enlivening blast of super cold air is supposed to make the senses tingle but don’t stay in too long as you could quickly freeze to death.
Food Treatments
The Chodovar Brewery in Plana, Czech Republic advises the tired and tense to try one of their famous beer baths, where mineral rich waters are mixed with dark frothy beer for the perfect soak. Another foodstuff therapeutic treatment comes in the form of chocolate, the Hershey Company in America offer customers in their bespoke hotel a rejuvenating chocolate facial treatment. The Yunessan Spa in Japan offers visitors a host of herbal baths, including green tea, red wine, coffee and sake. Each is purported to have differing beneficial qualities and the herbal pools can cure anything from poor circulation to cleansing your skin and improving your immune system.
Solitude
Christ and the saints favoured the next one, with a little abstinence and peace. Now you too can try the delights of a solitary, hermit like retreat in the Sinai Desert. Living for a week in remote surrounds, eating little and taking traditional Bedouin baths, travellers experience a spiritual and physical regeneration of the soul through hardship and personal reflection.
Sound Bath
In California you can cleanse your soul and your chakra energy centres with a soothing sound bath. Situated in the Mojave Desert the acoustically aligned domed temple washes specially prepared music over the body and during the 30 minute session leaves visitors relaxed and refreshed.
Nature
The pleasure and joy of nature’s bounty are also harnessed to provide wonderful, natural therapies. In Canada and the Chiang Mai district of Thailand you can unwind beneath raging waterfalls, while the steamy, sulphurous caves of Italy provide a cleansing and curative atmosphere in which to bathe.
More traditional spa deals in London can also be found where they offer the tired and weary traveller or stressed out office worker professional physical and spiritual relief. Many hotels, wellness clinics and spas in London provide a wealth of worldwide massage techniques, using fragrant oils and lotions to relive tension and clean the skin. There are bubbling jacuzzis or steamy spas all of which are designed to chill you out and afterwards many offer chocolate-coated strawberries, with bottles of champagne to add spice to the relaxing pamper day.