Chase away chills with a body warming session
One Spa’s Warming Wellness Ritual is 50 minutes of circulation-boosting treatments, writes Gaby Soutar
I’ve been known to wear five layers of clothing in my chilly flat. Sometimes I feel like my bone marrow has turned to ice. Hooray, then, for ESPA, who might just have the remedy. They’ve launched a limited edition Warming Wellness Ritual, which is available at One Spa at the Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh, as well as Fairmont St Andrews.
I’m a big fan of this classic brand’s products, since the textures are lush and the aromatherapy blends pack a punch. They’ve created this experience to showcase those, and to warm and defrost chilly folk like me, while comforting and revving up the circulation. It's a classic mixture of body brushing, plus a body and scalp massage.
The body warming experience begins once you’re lying face down on the treatment bed. Electric blanket on? Tick.
My therapist gently cleanses my feet using a hot mitt, then we’re onto the body brush and polish.
She uses a soft scrubber, which features bristles made from Mexican cactus plants – it sounds painful, but it’s not – to whisk along the length of each side of my body, before applying a eucalyptus scrub, and then lifting the whole lot off. No rinsing in the shower required.
Then, after some gentle pressing moves (something they call a “bear walk”) up my legs and torso, we’re onto the back massage bit, using oodles of the warmed Restorative Oil, with rose geranium, sweet orange and lavender, that I’d chosen earlier.
I’m familiar with this scent, as I have an Atmosphere Mist version of it at home, which I spritz liberally whenever I’m flagging. You can also choose the Restful Oil, with lavender, clary sage and eucalyptus.
I’ve asked for firm pressure, and it’s just right. I feel like my neck and shoulders are glaciers that are slowly defrosting and shifting.
If you want, the therapist can add volcanic hot stones to this part of the treatment, though I just stick with the hands-on version.
My arms are lifted above my head, and gently stretched.
Once I’m onto my back, the body buffing procedure is repeated, before we move onto the head massage, using ESPA’S signature Pink Hair & Scalp Mud.
It’s worked into the roots, then I get a hypnotically good scalp rub, which moves right down to the area behind my ears and my tight scalene muscles. As we finish up, I feel like the last ice crystals are melting.
I wish I didn’t have to go home, though I very much enjoyed the warmth while it lasted.
ESPA’S Warming Wellness Ritual costs £99 for a 50-minute session at One Spa, Sheraton Grand, 8 Conference Square, Edinburgh (0131-221 7777, www.onespa.com) or Fairmont St Andrews (01334 837045, www.fairmont.com)