The Business Resource for SPA & WELLNESS. August 2015 dayspamagazine.com $5.00. Beautiful. Progress Science Brings Out the Best In Your Clients Skin

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1 The Business Resource for SPA & WELLNESS Sk in Sci en ce Iss ue August 2015 dayspamagazine.com $5.00 Beautiful Progress Science Brings Out the Best In Your Clients Skin

2 Global speak Dreaming Down Under Australian spas are tapping into the country s ancient roots, both literally and figuratively, to deliver uniquely sensory experiences. By Marina Chetner Australia may feel like a modern country, but it s actually one of the world s oldest continents. Located 7,000 miles south-west of North America, it s home to 23 million people and several extreme landscapes. With rainforests in the north, a fertile seaboard, arid interior deserts and the dusty central Outback, Australia holds 10% of the world s biodiversity and contains an abundance of native plants not found anywhere else on earth. Highly resilient, the land s flora comes naturally equipped with strong defense mechanisms and a vitamin-rich makeup for survival. Archaeological evidence shows that the Aboriginal people settled the country more than 50,000 years ago, which makes them the custodians of one of the oldest continuously living cultures. Although their society was rich in spirituality, art and culture, of the 500,000 Aboriginal people who represent 2% of Australia s population today, most speak only Aboriginal English or Creole, their 250-plus distinct languages having been lost. However, Dreamtime, the natural law by which Aboriginal communities live, is a culture that Australians and Aboriginals are trying to preserve. Aboriginal dreaming is based on the stories passed down through generations that describe how their part-human, part-animal ancestors created the landscape. By performing rituals near sacred sites where these ancestors spirits are believed to reside, and by practicing preventive medicine, especially touch therapy, Aboriginals attain balance in the mind, body, environment and spirit. An increasing number of Australian spas are embracing the country s beginnings by adapting indigenous traditions and incorporating Aboriginal-inspired healing modalities and spiritual practices into full-body treatments. The use of native Australian plants, fruits and flowers plays a huge part the indigenous population has known of their effectiveness in treating skin conditions, physical ailments and illnesses for thousands of years. With this reawakening, these treatments are reaching a wider, younger and more mobile clientele. Indeed, with today s greater emphasis on experiential, photo courtesy park hyatt SYDNEY 36 DAYSPA AUGUST 2015

3 Among the Unique Gwinganna Experiences are Tribal Dreaming, which incorporates didgeridoo healing; and Spirit of Sound, which features live percussion. luxury travel and an increased uptake in wellness services by the millennial set, the integration of indigenous practices and Australian botanicals into spa menu offerings is an excellent way to give clients from all over the world a sense of the nation s history and culture. Just as Dreamtime keeps traditional spiritual practices alive, storytelling through spa treatments brings guests closer not only to their own spirit, but also to a country s roots. Read on to discover how three Australian spas are capturing this renewed zeitgeist. Gwinganna, Queensland A stunning example of indigenous adaptation through spa can be found at the award-winning Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat. Perched on a mountain in Queensland s hinterland, Gwinganna takes its name from the Aboriginal word for lookout. The land was inhabited by the indigenous people centuries ago and several tribes passed through this area, so we re mindful of staying true to them and honoring their history, explains the retreat s marketing manager Tracy Willis. Mornings at Gwinganna are active, featuring qi gong, hikes, yoga and cardio workouts, and afternoons focus on Dreamtime, when guests enjoy strategic rest, reading, napping or rejuvenating in the indoor/outdoor spa, a 33-room treehouse-style sanctuary set in a native spa garden. The expansive Dreamtime menu includes ayurveda aromatherapy, iridology, mind medicine, remedial massage and yoga, although the most indigenous-inspired treatments are those provided by botanical skincare line Li Tya, which translates from the Aboriginal to of the earth. Li Tya was founded by Gayle Heron in 2000, and the brand s spa treatments are created in collaboration with Aboriginal elders Anne Warren and Eddie Kneebone and based on the ancient spiritual philosophy taught by Kakkib li Dthia Warrawee a from the Ya idtmidtung Aboriginal people. Employing native Australian plants, earth clays and desert salts, Li Tya products are designed to nurture and heal when used in treatment techniques such as acupressure, aromatherapy and energy work. The three-hour Signature Li Tya Treatment The Dreaming starts with a warm foot bath infused with juniper berries and rose petals. Next comes a foot scrub, after which the guest chooses a desert salt; a moodenhancing oil such as rejuvenating rose geranium; and an earth ochre to be applied throughout the treatment. (The Aboriginal people still paint elaborate designs on photos courtesy gwinganna lifestyle retreat 38 DAYSPA AUGUST 2015

4 The Spa at Park Hyatt in Sydney offers soothing services based on indigenous ingredients. each other, especially during ceremonial practices. In the Ya idt-midtung philosophy, red is associated with initiation and grounding; yellow, with joy and welcoming; and white, with spirit, birth, death and sacred ceremonies.) At the same time, the guest bases his or her intention on one of four cards that contain tenets of the Ya idt-midtung people, such as Adtomon ( truth is the path ) or Linj dta ( now is the moment of your being ). The therapist presents the cards face-down; the guest s intuition guides them to the card of their choice. Next, the client is exfoliated; enveloped in a clay body wrap; soothed with a scalp massage; re-energized with a rhythmic Kodo full-body massage that entails spiraling motions and focuses on pressure points; and invigorated with a macadamia oil facial. Finally, the client s awareness is brought back into the room with a hand and foot treatment and the smell of smoking coolamon* (an indigenous carrying vessel). Ultimately, this treatment is designed to celebrate the client s dreaming, achieve his or her utmost potential and restore balance in the mind, body and spirit. *Something unique to note about Gwinganna: Before any Li Tya treatment begins, the therapist creates a sacred space by smoking the room. This requires lighting a blend of o yarrang (a type of lichen native to Australia), lemon myrtle, Australian paperbark and gum in a coolamon, swirling the aromatic smoke around the room to help the guest release held energy and transition them into the now. Park Hyatt, Sydney Its setting is far more urban than Gwinganna, but The Spa at Park Hyatt also draws on the techniques of dreaming and connects its rituals to the natural Far-flung Fiji The archipelago of Fiji is a four-hour flight from Sydney. The Fijians believe the power of massage is bestowed upon them by a higher power, and that if it is their calling, they must heed to the practice. At the Intercontinental Fiji Resort & Spa, the nine treatment rooms each boast native garden views and are decorated with locally sourced artworks and the spirit animal-as-totem, a wooden turtle. The Eastmeets-West menu offerings take their names from the Fijian language: Berabera (which means relax ) aroma massage; Ciqoma ( receive ) detox body treatment; and Kau-Kaua ( strong ) after-golf massage. The signature treatments offer unique options like Vivili, a warm-shell massage (60 minutes); Bitu, a bamboo-stick massage (75 minutes); and Vaka-Viti, the traditional Fijian Bobo massage (90 minutes). The latter is performed by a therapist armed with skills passed down through generations. Each Bobo massage is personalized, and depending on the guest s needs, the therapist uses techniques such as light pinching, chopping with the hands, or sweeping strokes with the forearms and elbows. Niu (coconut oil) is commonly used to massage away stress, and Dilo lotion, locally sourced from the namesake evergreen tree revered for its healing powers, helps relieve inflammation. photos courtesy park hyatt SYDNEY 40 DAYSPA AUGUST 2015

5 Guests at CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, experience a sense of the Outback without leaving the treatment room. world: the sun, wind, water, flowers and earth. These sensory journeys take place in tranquil, private treatment rooms, some of which overlook the iconic Opera House. The Spa Organic treatment menu features ikou, a luxury spa brand that uses ingredients sourced from the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, 50 miles west of Sydney. The menu s most popular treatment is the two-hour Australian White Flannel Flower Ritual, which Naomi Whitfield (who founded ikou with her husband, Paul) describes as a multi-sensory, headto-toe experience. The service starts with the serving of an organic native herbal infusion flavored with lemon myrtle, lemon-scented tea tree, aniseed myrtle and wild-grown hawthorn berries. This is proceeded by a body polish incorporating organic coconut, jasmine rice and native hibiscus, followed by a leave-on hydrating cocoon infused with Australian white flannel flower. The flower, indigenous to the Blue Mountains, works on an emotional level to connect with inner joy and happiness. It s the most amazing ingredient: a beautiful, furry little flower that also has incredible anti-aging benefits, enthuses Whitfield. Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, takes its inspiration from the Asian culture (as well as the legend of Shangri-La), but each outpost around the world hooks some treatments to its location. In Sydney, the spa s services highlight Australian healing techniques and botanicals. We promote these styles of treatments to our international guests who may not have the opportunity to experience the Outback firsthand during their visit, explains CHI s manager, Chaniele Erasmuson. The spa s three Sense of Australia options, which showcase several ingredients unique to the continent, are the 90-minute Crystalus Body Massage with ancient Australian healing stones and crystals; the 90-minute Wattleseed Reawakening, a full-body exfoliation and massage that incorporates sandalwood and wattleseed botanicals; and a 150-minute Australian Botanical Retreat that includes an exfoliation, wrap and a full-body massage using a eucalyptus and honey myrtle oil. According to Erasmuson, clients are drawn to these treatments for their multisensory appeal. Guests consider them very grounding and appreciate them as an opportunity to experience native Australia, she says. Marina Chetner is an Australian freelance writer based in Los Angeles. photos courtesy CHI, The spa at Shangri-la 42 DAYSPA AUGUST 2015