January is a good time for looking backwards and forwards, like the two-faced God Janus who gives his name to the month. With Mercury being retrograde as I write this in late December, it's also an opportunity to review and perhaps restate my vision.
The process of putting together this New Year post for Vision Spa Retreat has helped me to clarify the three missions that have evolved out of creating this website as a platform for my thoughts about spa culture.
For two years, I have lived deep in an Missouri Ozark forest, immersing myself both in nature and in cyberspace. My introspection has benefited from a symbolic language for understanding complex phenomena and soul purpose - Astropoetics.
This time of year corresponds to the sign Capricorn whose form - half goat, half fish - derives from ancient Babylonian mythology. Ea, the Sea-Goat and Lord of Wisdom, emerges from his home in the sea to bring civilization and knowledge to mankind.
Capricorn seems a very suitable archetype to contemplate as I try to envisage an effective balance between the hardiness (of a mountain goat) and the soulfulness (of an underwater creature) in any bid for survival of wintery times, and renewal of hope.
I'm feeling unsettled that, despite economic and environmental crises, the spa industry and associated industries appear to be focused on the unconsciously reactive responses of control (standards and regulations) and expansion (more and bigger venues).
Both trends continue a drive toward globalization that may be justified by a thinly veiled paternalistic stance. Focusing locally is not easy for a restless society that has become increasingly separated from the spirit of place and the unpredictability of soul.
Both trends continue a drive toward globalization that may be justified by a thinly veiled paternalistic stance. Focusing locally is not easy for a restless society that has become increasingly separated from the spirit of place and the unpredictability of soul.
These last two notions are more feminine aspects of human culture. Since women likely make up the majority of spa professionals and spa goers, I'd love to see them guiding spa back to the sacred springs, at least metaphorically.
I'd like to see us all refusing to be seduced by technologies that separate us from source and process. Here are two ways that might be explored in this regard - both topics will be addressed in forthcoming posts on Vision Spa Retreat:
I'd like to see a shift from outward expansion towards a Slow Spa movement along the lines of Slow Food (see this series of posts on Spa Treatment Menus), and Transition Spas modelled on the Transition Town movement.
There are exceptions to the drives mentioned above - you can read about some in this recent report on Healing Lifestyles & Spas website 'Enriching Spa Tours'. However, there is still the assumption of unabated 'growth' (more travel, more people, more everything).
Vision Spa Retreat's tri-partite mission
Here is Vision Spa Retreat's emergent tri-partite mission. To promote from a place that demands as much personal integrity, authenticity and honesty as possible:
I'd like to see us all refusing to be seduced by technologies that separate us from source and process. Here are two ways that might be explored in this regard - both topics will be addressed in forthcoming posts on Vision Spa Retreat:
I'd like to see a shift from outward expansion towards a Slow Spa movement along the lines of Slow Food (see this series of posts on Spa Treatment Menus), and Transition Spas modelled on the Transition Town movement.
There are exceptions to the drives mentioned above - you can read about some in this recent report on Healing Lifestyles & Spas website 'Enriching Spa Tours'. However, there is still the assumption of unabated 'growth' (more travel, more people, more everything).
Vision Spa Retreat's tri-partite mission
Here is Vision Spa Retreat's emergent tri-partite mission. To promote from a place that demands as much personal integrity, authenticity and honesty as possible:
1. the significance and value of water in spa-retreat
2. spa-retreat as model for environmental consciousness
3. soulful sanctuary as a solution to transitional stress
2. spa-retreat as model for environmental consciousness
3. soulful sanctuary as a solution to transitional stress
Are these reflected in spa culture at large? This is something that Vision Spa Retreat will continue to watch in the coming year. I shall also continue to work towards co-creating a flagship venue that incorporates the above themes.
With regard to spa leadership, I'm impressed by the progress of BISA (British International Spa Association) under the chairmanship of Marion Schneider (see the last post of 2009 on Vision Spa Retreat). This organization is given special mention below.
Spa and water
Last year my Season's Greeting message on Vision Spa Retreat introduced the film Divine Water- a major education project of the Healing Water Institute (co-director Iain Trousdell). That film is still in process and donations would be gratefully received (go here).
Happily, this exposure of Iain's film led to his connection with VSR's Advisors Jonathan Paul DeVierville and Marion Schneider; and played a part in his invitation to present at the Global Spa Summit (May 2009) and in the forthcoming BISA conference in Hungary.
Marion chaired a panel discussion at the Global Spa Summit entitled 'How Shining a Spotlight on Water Can Energize our Industry' and has continued to forward this water focus in her role as Chair of BISA (click on the link to read my report).
In their Winter 2009 newsletter (Download BISA Newsletter), Robert Czik describes BISA as 'a spa organization which thinks and acts globally and cares for the core issues of the spa: the quality of service, education, the water and its international character.'
BISA's annual conference (Download) will be held in the spa town of Budapest, June 3-6 2010. I'm delighted to see that a special evening event has been scheduled to celebrate water, including documentary films like Iain's (above), and discussion about water.
At the beginning of 2009, I wrote a post entitled 'Putting the water back into spa' in which I looked at current trends away from this focus. For more, see Vision Spa Retreat's 'Message about water' and explore the blog categories Water in health and healing and Water in the environment (see righthand sidebar).
Spa and sustainability
Another goal of Vision Spa Retreat is to infuse the concepts of spa and spa culture with environmental consciousness. In my writing I've explored what this might mean and asked whether it is really happening in the spa world.
As with society in general, I've noticed that this depends on the inclination of the individual owners of particular venues. I've also been watching spa organizations to see to what extent they promote environmental concerns.
I'm seeing both forward-thinking action and business as usual.
In the US, we have the Green Spa Network which is evolving (quite cautiously) outside of the main organization ISPA (International Spa Association). This indicates that 'green' is still seen as an option rather than a globally shared commitment.
In an effort to remove the do-gooder tinge to 'green', and inspire practical business sense, the word 'sustainable' has been useful. It's a word that I've favored in my writing since it encourages a forward-looking perspective.
I was interested to note that at the 2nd working session of the BISA Green Spa Group (which took place on October 10, 2009, in Bad Orb, Germany), they changed their preliminary title from Green Spa to Responsible Spa.
The outline paper I saw for this Group looks truly innovative and reflective of some positive cultural/ wellness paradigm shifts. Ute Ruhrig of Quality Spa,Germany, will be presenting these ideas at the forthcoming conference.
I'm especially interested to learn more about the link with the Adam Ries Fachhochschule Erfurt whose students have been working on a 'Responsible Spa' project for the forward-looking Toskana Therme, Bad Sulza, and Bad Orb.
BISA describes itself officially as: a non-profit organization established to promote educational programmes and standards of quality and service for consumers and spa professionals around the world.
In its Winter 2009 newsletter, BISA offered a members' discount on the latest 'International Standards of Spa Excellence' from Linda Bankoski and Julie Register of SpaQuality. See my summary of where sustainability and the environment are discussed in these standards.
Spa and healthcare
Janice Gronvold, BISA member USA and principle of Spectrec, will be talking at the BISA conference about trends in Medical and Wellness travel, which is especially topical as the US re-envisions its healthcare system.
It's an area I'm unsure about, based on my concern that it might well be more sustainable and responsible to focus on developing small-scale local services available to all, rather than encouraging outsourcing and extensive travel for the relatively wealthy and mobile.
[For a great resource regards Ecotourism, responsible travel and sustainability see Sustainable Travel International.]
In a post entitled 'Corporate social responsibility: how does spa biz show up' at the start of 2009, I wrote:
What [reports like] this suggests to me, is that the luxury market that is so much the focus of many aspiring spa owners and spa product vendors, can make only the smallest of differences right now. It is a drop in the ocean of need that is swelling up around issues of sustainability.
In the Winter 2009 newsletter Janice notes that:
'Health
related travel has been recorded throughout human history, but
beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, drivers such as globalization, the
internet and increased worldwide travel accelerated consumer awareness
to a growing international industry providing medical specialties and
wellness services.'
The Enriching Spa Tours article above says 'Statistics reveal that by 2050, over 1.5 billion of us will be globetrotting each year'. I wonder. Still, perhaps all this cross-fertilization, along with the growing field of 'integrative' medicine, will eventually lead us back to our root values.
Which brings me to the third and most passionate mission of Vision Spa Retreat.
It was an invitation from Change.org, just after the recent election of the new US president Barack Obama, proposing that members of this innovative social network put forward ideas for positive change in no more than 250 words, that led to my initial outline idea for spa as healing sanctuary. In last year's New Year message I wrote:
How
does spa-retreat fit this ancient healing model? The word hospital has
the same root as hospitality. Both mean being welcoming and generous
to guests. Spa culture has it's roots in sacred healing traditions,
just as retreat has been associated with spiritual seeking.
Spa-retreat combines health and hosting.
Many people are dissatisfied with fundamental issues such as quality of life, the search for health and meaning, care of the planet and its residents, and the absence of the sacred in nearly everything we do. We need to envision a future that encompasses all these and is available to everyone.
Many people are dissatisfied with fundamental issues such as quality of life, the search for health and meaning, care of the planet and its residents, and the absence of the sacred in nearly everything we do. We need to envision a future that encompasses all these and is available to everyone.
I'm not at all convinced that this is what we are seeing in current developments in the spa industry. If we were to substitute the word 'culture' for 'industry' and start taking a more holistic and integrative view of what is possible for our human existence and influence on this wonderful planet, something might begin to shift.
I believe that spa organizations like BISA could lead the way in this; but I also know that they serve their members' interests and that the real impetus must come from the ground level. For me, ground has strong associations with the concepts of 'spirit of place' and 'soul' already mentioned, to be found only by searching our deepest, darkest selves for a strong sense of meaning and purpose.
This returns me back to the introspective place I started this post with. If you're intrigued, I invite you to dive in deeper and read more in Spa culture: a metaphysical perspective:
I believe that spa organizations like BISA could lead the way in this; but I also know that they serve their members' interests and that the real impetus must come from the ground level. For me, ground has strong associations with the concepts of 'spirit of place' and 'soul' already mentioned, to be found only by searching our deepest, darkest selves for a strong sense of meaning and purpose.
This returns me back to the introspective place I started this post with. If you're intrigued, I invite you to dive in deeper and read more in Spa culture: a metaphysical perspective:
Extract: I'm
worried about what is happening to our souls, I'm worried about what
that's doing to our spas, and I'm worried about the way we treat
water. I think all three (soul, spa, water) are irrevocable linked. I
want to ask all who work in spas to stop and make a leap of
consciousness, to ask themselves if the fantasy they are subscribing
to, or reinforcing, is really of value to the world.
Riding the waves of change into the New Year, Sara Firman
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Some participants at BISA 2010 whose work has been covered by Vision Spa Retreat:
Prof. Dr. J Paul DeVierville - The evolution of spa: unique insights on spa history and culture
Linda Troeller - Imaging Spa: an interview with photo-artist Linda Troeller
Micky Remann - an example of his innovative work with Liquid Sound at Toskana Therme, Bad Sulza
Also contributing to this event are:
Anne Bramham of The American Spa Therapy Education & Certification Council (ASTECC)
Jane Crebbin-Bailey of HCB spa consultancy services based in the UK but operating internationally
The last BISA conference was held in Baden Baden, Germany (see more here).
