Technology has turned the once simple shower into an invigorating tool for hydrotherapy thanks to both Swiss and Vichy showers.

A Swiss shower is a multi-headed vertical shower that drenches you with water from head to toe. Nozzles are adjusted for pressure and angle, allowing you to customize your own full body water massage.

A Vichy shower, the closest most of us will come to lying naked in a rainstorm, is a seven-headed horizontal device that provides a full body cascade of water as you lie on the treatment table. Often used in conjunction with messy body treatments like scrubs and wraps, the Vichy allows the client to rinse off without leaving the table.

Thalasso

A standard European health ritual since the early 19th century, thalassotherapy is literally therapy from the sea.  Thalasso treatments use mineral-rich seawater, algae, and seaweed in baths and body treatments to nourish, heal, and soothe the body from the outside in.

Based on the theory that the ocean “a source of sixty trace minerals and nutrients like oxygen, helium, and nitrogen “contains a balance of nutrients proportional to our body fluids, thalassotherapy combines bathing, body treatments, and even seaside exercise for total body rejuvenation. Seaweed contains a high concentration of ocean minerals and is rich in vitamins, folic acid, and niacin. Seaweed also helps reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and soothe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

At the Seawater Spa at Gurney’s Inn, thalasso programs feature hydro-massage in seawater, exercise in heated seawater pools, and body wraps and scrubs using seaweed and algae.

Watsu

Watsu, or Water Shiatsu, is a form of therapeutic aquatic bodywork that takes advantage of water’s buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure on the body and shiatsu’s stretches, compression, and manipulation to create a one-of-a-kind massage experience. Performed in a warm tub, pool, or spring, this nurturing bodywork uses synchronized breathwork, gentle rocking movements, and twists to increase range of motion, relieve pain, and induce relaxation.

Christina Frantzen, watsu therapist at The Well Spa at Miramonte Resort says, Water’s lulling ability to melt tension and ease pressure from the spine is unparalleled. Yoga-like stretches and shiatsu-like moves enhance the ability to relax and release tension held in the body.  Frequently compared to returning to the womb, Watsu cultivates trust while unraveling physical and emotional stress.

Water Therapy Wonders

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Sonoma, CA, www.fairmont.com/sonoma/

Grand Velas Resort and Spa, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, www.grandvelas.com

Gurney’s Inn & Seawater Spa, Montauk, NY, www.gurneysinn.com

The Mayflower Inn & Spa, Washington Depot, CT, www.mayflowerinn.com

Miramonte Resort & The Well Spa, Indian Wells, CA, www.miramonte.com

Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Skaneateles, NY, www.mirbeau.com

The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY, www.mohonk.com

Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach, CA, www.spamontage.com

The Spring Resort & Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA, www.the-spring.com

Sundara Inn & Spa, Wisconsin Dells, WI, www.sundaraspa.com

Wickaninninish Inn & Ancient Cedars Spa, Tofino, BC, Canada, www.wickinn.com

Hydrotherapy at Home

Self-care treatment compliments of David Erlich, Regional Director of Spa Operations, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

You can often replicate a hydrotherapy circuit at your local YMCA, gym, or aquatic center. Call ahead to confirm that your destination has a steam room, sauna, and pool, and inquire about a whirlpool. Start with a five-minute warm shower (you can even bring your own scrub). Then relax in the steam room for five minutes. If essential oils aren’t used, you can always bring your own. Next, step into the sauna for another five minutes. Follow this with a plunge in the pool. Try to stay in the cool water for at least a full minute, then, move into a 10-minute hot soak in the whirlpool, if available, and follow with a two-minute cool shower. If a hot tub isn’t available, start over with a warm shower. Rest between cycles, and continue for a total of 30-60 minutes, drinking water or herbal tea throughout. Erlich advises to listen to your body; if you begin to feel overheated, dehydrated, or dizzy, stop, rest, and drink plenty of fluids.

May/June 2007




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