10 Spa Tips for Holiday Harmony

By Debra Bokur

Ever notice how the older we get, the more stressful the holiday season becomes? The combination of crowded airports and shopping centers, entertaining guests, old family issues, and the sheer stress of cooking, cleaning, and being perpetually cheerful can leave you dreaming of a tropical island with room service and unlimited access to a 24-hour spa. If that’s just not on the agenda this year, you can fake a getaway by indulging in these at-home treatments and therapies, courtesy of some of our favorite spa pros.

If all the holiday bustle has left you exhausted and longing for a spa escape, we’ve got good news: Some of your favorite spa treatments can be recreated in the comfort of your own home. 1. Morning Yoga Pose to Balance and Center

At this time of the year, the demands placed on us can be overwhelming if we’re not prepared to meet them. Roberto Juarez, spa operations manager at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort located in Los Cabos, Mexico, says that when we take time to balance our bodies, mental calmness follows. “Yoga poses are the ideal way to begin the day,” he explains, “because they help establish a foundation that centers you – a place you can return to, in your mind, whenever you feel tension and stress mounting.”

Juarez recommends Seated Forward Bend as being especially good for balancing and centering. He explains that this pose encourages a feeling of calmness and release, builds resistance against outside distractions, and assists in facing challenges with clarity. It also stretches the entire back and increases spinal flexibility. To begin, sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight ahead, perpendicular to your body. Stretch your arms toward your feet, and begin slowly releasing forward, exhaling little by little. Allow your chest to sink towards your thighs while exhaling slowly. Breathe softly without straining. When you have reached as far as you can without arching your back, place your hands under your knees, calves or ankles – wherever you can comfortably reach. Keep your back straight and focus your attention on a distant point in front of you. Exhale slowly and deeply. Repeat five times. (www.lasventanas.com)

2. Foot Relief

Has all that running around in high heels left your feet and legs aching? The Six Senses Spa at PuntaCana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic offers a soothing Aromatic Foot Ritual. Katia Cuya, assistant spa manager, says the treatment can be easily replicated at home.

You’ll need a large bowl or small basin; warm water to fill the vessel; flower petals; two towels; peppermint, spearmint and lavender pure essential oils; salt, baby or massage oil; and moisturizing cream. “Pour the warm water into the tub, adding the petals,” directs Cuya. “Add two drops of each essential oil to the water, then soak your feet for a period of 10 – 12 minutes. Dry your feet thoroughly with one of the towels, and then apply the massage oil to your lower legs. Rub in the salt, massaging gently to exfoliate and stimulate circulation. Remove the salt with water from the basin, and then dry your feet again. Apply the moisturizing cream to your feet and lower legs, massaging them and applying pressure to sensitive areas to soothe muscles.” (www.puntacana.com) Or, try Panpuri Spice Foot Rub. Made with crushed ginger, green tea, basil and sesame, this unique product cleanses, stimulates, and nourishes your feet. (www.alcanz.com)

3. Five-Minute Pre-holiday Meditation

Having dinner with family members that cannot get along? Putting yourself into the right frame of mind can help you breeze through the whole affair with your good nature intact. At the Phoenician’s Center for Well Being in Phoenix, Arizona, guests can learn take-anywhere meditation skills with private meditation instruction in the property’s Meditation Atrium. Christina Drozda, a professional meditation practitioner, offers her Rhythmic Connected Breathing Technique to practice at home when preparing for potentially stressful events.

“Focus your attention in the now, close your eyes and gently inhale through your nostrils, noticing how deeply you allow breath into your body,” instructs Drozda. “If your breath is short or stuck in your throat, it is simply an indication that you are feeling stressed or constricted. Instead of forcing yourself to take a deeper breath, exhale through your mouth and imagine pushing that stress out on your exhale. Soon your diaphragm will open and the breath will naturally move deep into your lungs; you’ll feel a sense of automatic breathing. Begin to imagine your breath being filled with Golden Life Force Energy.”

“Next, see or imagine yourself standing in a place where you feel empowered, feet on the ground, connected to the Earth. Imagine being surrounded in a beautiful bubble of Golden Light, beginning at your feet, and wrapping around your body, all the way to the top of your head. Leave an opening in your crown (top of head) for ideas and inspiration to come in and out of your consciousness. Say, ‘I now claim this as my own personal space where I am protected and detached from stress and negativity, yet free to reach out to those around me in a kind and loving way.’ Connect your thumb to your first finger on each hand until you feel this wonderful energy pulsing through your fingertips and say: ‘As I create this circle with my fingers, I am creating my own circle of Life Force flowing through my body, healing, regenerating, and rejuvenating. I am now connected, balanced, energized, and prepared for what lies ahead.'” (www.thephoenician.com)

4. Tame Your Wild Winter Hair

Ever wonder how your hair can look so fabulous when you have absolutely nowhere to go – but resembles the coat of a wild animal when you’ve got to make a party appearance? At Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, near San Diego, California, the spa menu offers a Hair & Scalp Treatment that’s a favorite with guests. The spa uses Phytologie products, which feature plant oils and extracts that tame and restore dry, unruly hair with natural, nourishing ingredients. Kim Flores, director of the spa’s beauty program, says the treatment can be simulated at home with a simple recipe that includes honey and maple syrup.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. margarine (softened)
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. orange oil
1 tbs. light sesame oil
1 tsp. macadamia nut oil
1 tsp. avocado oil
1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. honey

Mix the first eight ingredients together in a saucepan over low heat. When the mixture is warm and blended, remove from heat. Cool slightly, adding syrup and honey. Make sure it’s not too hot to apply to your scalp, and then massage through your hair thoroughly. Cover your hair with plastic wrap or a plastic cap, and leave on for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on dryness. Before soaking your hair with water, apply a mixture of equal parts shampoo and water to your scalp and work through hair, then lather and rinse as needed. (www.cal-a-vie.com) Or for a fast fix, try Biosilk’s Silk Therapy, a weightless treatment that revitalizes dry hair. (www.farouk.com)

5. Hydrating Facial Mask

Winter weather can be tough, especially on delicate facial skin. At The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Colorado, guests indulge in the Avanyu Spa’s customized Radiance Facial, featuring all-natural products from Epicuren.

For an at-home version, Cordillera Spa Director Angie Primmer suggests beginning by carefully removing eye make-up with an organic cotton pad soaked in organic olive oil. “Remove any excess oil with a warm, damp cloth,” she says. “Next, prepare a scrub by mixing together equal amounts of yogurt and finely ground walnuts. Lightly massage [the mixture]onto your face and neck, removing with a warm, damp cloth. Finish with a light application of coconut oil. Coconut oil will moisturize the skin and has antibacterial properties to help minimize acne.” (www.cordillera.rockresorts.com) Another at-home option is to try Boscia Moisture Replenishing Mask with ingredients that invigorate congested skin in minutes. (www.boscia.net)