The existence of human beings is closely related to water. Before the baby came into this world, he lived in the warm "sea water" of his mother. When we are worried, stressed and sad, a warm bath or shower will bring comfort to our sad heart.
As early as 16 10, a word appeared in Latin: "Solus Par Aqua" means to get health through water, which is the original meaning of SPA. Legend has it that in ancient Rome more than 2,000 years ago, there was a small town called Spa in Belgium. There is a hot spring in the town. Because the spring water is rich in minerals, it is often soaked in this spring water, which not only makes people feel very comfortable, but also makes the skin particularly smooth and delicate, and can cure some diseases. At that time, many people came here, and even Peter the Great took his concubine to take a bath here. Only in modern times did scientists discover the secret of hot springs. The essential oil in the water comes from the soaking of thousands of flowers and plants on the local mountain in the upstream water source. People simulate the construction of similar environment and water quality to make it healthy and fit. This is the modern "SPA". The early SPA mainly used therapeutic hot springs and mineral springs, and now it has evolved into a new concept of leisure and health that everyone can enjoy, integrating leisure, beauty and decompression. This evolution is formed with the advancement of the trend of the times and the increasing attention of modern people to leisure life.
SPA is defined by the International SPA Association as: SPA is committed to improving people's overall health by providing various professional services that encourage the renewal of ideas, bodies and spirits. SPA in a narrow sense refers to spa beauty care. Different forms of SPA, including cold bath, hot bath, alternating hot and cold bath, seawater bath, hot spring bath, tap water bath, etc., can relax and relieve tense and tired muscles and nerves to some extent, eliminate toxins in the body and prevent diseases. In addition, hydrotherapy combined with various aromatic essential oils massage will accelerate fat burning and have slimming effect. Broadly speaking, SPA includes well-known hydrotherapy, aromatic massage, bathing, removing dead angles and so on. Modern SPA mainly realizes all-round relaxation through five sensory functions of human body, namely, hearing (dietotherapy music), taste (herbal tea, healthy diet), touch (massage, contact), smell (natural aromatic essential oil) and vision (natural or imitation natural landscape, humanistic environment). , integrating essence, qi and spirit to realize the relaxation of body, mind and spirit. Now the SPA has gradually evolved.
? SPA has different theme demands, some of which are mainly relaxation, soothing and detoxification; Some focus on bodybuilding and slimming; Others focus on aromatic essential oil, marine running water or pure herbal therapy, so Spa is divided into the following types: daily convenience SPA in daytime; Club Spa Club-style spas are mostly membership-based; Resort Spa resort spa, usually in a resort hotel or resort; Destination Spa destination functional spa, providing targeted treatment services; Medical spa medical spa, generally provided by professional doctors. But no matter what kind of SPA, it is combined with the above-mentioned five-sense therapy to please people's basic sensory needs and find an outlet for negative energy accumulated in their hearts, so that people can achieve a harmonious and balanced experience process in body, mind and spirit.
SPA spa has different "elements" because of different regions and cultures. Why use "elements" to explain the composition of SPA therapy? Because I think SPA therapy is to use those elements in nature to help people achieve physical and mental relaxation and peace. For example, China's Five Elements Theory uses gold, wood, water, fire and earth to explain the relationship between man and nature. Each element is associated with unique physical characteristics, such as emotions, tissues, sensory organs and specific natural phenomena, such as seasons and climate. To sum up, there are five main elements that constitute a spa.
? Water. Almost all spas will have a course of "water", which is considered to be closely related to the origin of human beings. The human footprint found in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa shows that when the sea receded 654.38+0 billion years ago, human ancestors migrated from the ocean to live on land. Early settlers drank fresh water and used it to grow crops and feed livestock. Early towns also appeared on river banks and estuaries. It is said that our love for water comes from the proportion of water in our body, just like our planet is covered with 3/4 water. Judging from people's weight, most of the human body is made up of water. Water accounts for 70% of human body weight, and the water content of infants reaches 80%. Floating in the water can remind us of the safety and comfort in our mother's womb. Even as long as we are close to the mineral spring or the sea, we will feel comfortable and relaxed. SPA therapy related to "water" such as aromatherapy bath, Vichy bath, Swiss bath, underwater massage, Scottish bath, foot bath, floating therapy and water pressure therapy. , not in this column.
It's on fire. Fire manifests itself as light and flame, which makes people feel warm. It is an element that makes people sweat and has always been endowed with sacred meaning and awe. Fire brings light, so we can move at night; Fire brings warmth and makes people resist the cold; Fire gives us cooked food and nutrition; Fire can also protect human beings from wild animals. It is also very common to bring people health and relieve muscle fatigue through the application of "fire" element in modern hydrotherapy, which reminds me of some therapies commonly used in our domestic hydrotherapy, such as sauna, steam therapy, steaming, moxibustion and cupping. And those commonly used in European hydrotherapy, such as damp-heat therapy, rasul, hay bath therapy, etc. It can promote blood circulation, relieve muscle soreness and excrete toxins from the body.
Gas. Speaking of "Qi", we in China are all familiar with it. Whether it is a SPA professional or a non-SPA person, everyone has a more or less interpretation of "Qi". This element is the most important factor on which life depends. Through breathing, human beings get oxygen from the air, so that our bodies and brains can function normally. I once read a report that when we inhale, we will inhale 2 1% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and 0.3% carbon dioxide, while in the exhaled gas, oxygen accounts for 17%, nitrogen accounts for 78% and nitrogen dioxide accounts for 4%. Our bodies need oxygen to metabolize the food we eat and convert it into energy. The fast pace of modern life, high pressure, air pollution and high-fat food will all bring harm to our health. Imagine that if the "Qi" in the human body does not run smoothly and the oxygen supply is insufficient, it will bring a series of negative consequences, such as the inability to completely and effectively eliminate toxins and the inability of blood to bring enough oxygen to various organs of the body. This will lead to a series of serious consequences such as back pain, headache, muscle pain, anxiety and premature aging. Therefore, comprehensive hydrotherapy should be combined with respiratory therapy, such as yoga, meditation and qigong, in addition to basic physical and facial treatment. , including oxygen therapy such as oxygen inhalation (essential oil with different effects can be added) and facial oxygen injection therapy.
Earth. Soil is considered as the place where life begins and ends. The earth is often compared to mother, protector, nurturer and so on. Because it can provide us with the necessary materials for clothing, food, shelter and transportation. Nature's natural pharmacies provide our bodies with basic vitamins, minerals and trace elements. These substances not only have biomedical significance, but many people think that they also have the ability to send subtle signals to help treatment. For example, there is a kind of crystal therapy in a spa where I used to work, which uses the special sensing ability of crystal to help people achieve a balance between body and mind. There are also some herbal therapies that we are most familiar with, such as mineral mud therapy, essential oil therapy, volcanic stone therapy and so on.
Harmony. We know that the process of hydrotherapy is to bring people harmony and unity of body, mind and spirit, and make the body more energetic. Traditional medicine believes that a healthy diet and a coordinated lifestyle are two important factors of health care. This reminds me of China's theory of five elements, and similar Ayurveda, which provides targeted hydrotherapy courses by supplementing the elements that the human body lacks, so as to balance the "five elements" or "sandy" of the human body and achieve the purpose of treating sub-health and balancing people's body, mind and spirit.
That's why in professional spas, we don't call the service personnel who provide treatment courses "beauticians", "technicians" or "masseurs" but "physiotherapists", because they always use professional knowledge and skills to provide a kind of "physical therapy" for sub-health people through aromatherapy, so that you can truly achieve health and beauty from the inside out, not just a beauty project or massage project.