Vision Spa Retreat

Back to Eden: the water cure

An aquatics colleague writing about water's healing power, introduced me to a piece of American health history that I had missed, when she referenced the 1930s book below.  It would be a good read for anyone who wants to understand how some of the ideas still active in spas (especially under American influence) gained popularity. 

My partner had the 1975 (5th edition) of this book in his library, since it was a survival bible for many an Ozarks-bound back-to-the-lander.  It sounds as if it still is an important reference for health conscious people seeking self-sufficiency, though the language and some of the ideas are definitely those of the last century.

Back to Eden: The Classic Guide to Herbal Medicine, Natural Foods and Home Remedies by Jethro Kloss (original edition copyright 1939 Jethro Kloss.  Authentic Kloss Family Edition copyright the heir of Jethro Kloss 1975, 5th edn, Woodbridge Press Publishing Company).

Kloss was a staunch Christian - he believed that God gave health to the good and the sinful in equal measure, and that it is Nature that is the Grand and Great Healer.  Most of his book is devoted to herbal and dietary remedies emphasizing home self-care. He was associated with Seventh-Day-Adventist John Harvey Kellogg's Sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan, and followed very similar health practices.

Kellogg and Kloss both promoted the use of hydrotherapy. Their ideas were based on water cure (a synonym for hydropathy and later hydrotherapy) practices developed in the early 19th century in Europe, mostly involving cold water.  The Americans used both hot and cold treatments and combined hydrotherapy with other therapeutic modalities.

Read more on this Wikipedia link for Water Cure, which has many good references.

The most recent edition of Kloss' book is published by Lotus Press, 2004. A description on Amazon reads: 'Now in its expanded, updated revised edition, this is the original classic text (with more than 5-million copies sold) that helped create the natural foods industry. It remains today one of the major texts on herbs, natural diet and lifestyle and wholistic health.'

I haven't seen the latest edition so I'm not sure how 'original text' and 'updated/revised' can exist side by side.  I understand from the preface to volume I have, that there have been many unofficial copies of the original text which the Kloss family did not approve.  When it comes to using the remedies, check the information against your own commonsense and current medical understanding.

Still water: sabbatical retreat musings by Linda Potter

On the website iRetreat.org, Retreat Coach Linda Potter has been blogging about the value of personal sabbatical retreats.  Her latest musings caught my attention since she writes beautifully about the way in which water can provide good metaphors for retreat.  For example, the churning and settling of life experiences, and how life=water finds a way through and flows on.  With Linda's kind permission I have reproduced her article in full below.

Intentional Spa: a vision to hold in 2011

 

Spoken or silent, conscious or not, intention patterns of our perception, entrain our expectation and often actualize our realities.

Patrons and practitioners of spa culture need focus and clear attention to intentions, not only their own but especially to those of each other.

Clarity and contemplation of intention can help cultivate renewable ideas, authentic activities, and true transformation.

Then spas can become well-tended gardens where life-enhancing experiences are grown in harmony with nature's touch, tone and tempo.

 

(Adapted from a message sent to Sara Firman by Dr Jonathan Paul De Vierville who offers a week-long immersion in Spa Cultures, Dreams & Healing Waters.)
 

 

The image above was created from a photo taken of the windspinner outside the kitchen window in my cabin in an Ozark forest.  When the wind turns the copper wing at the top, the blue glass ball flows up and down the spiral. 

It reminds me of the ebb and flow of life on our blue planet.  And also of the vortex that is an inherent part of the vitality of water.  Reflecting on these patterns in nature, and on the way in which our own intentions can either support that life force or work against it, seems more important than ever.

When I came across my friend Jonathan's thoughts above as I was sorting through past messages, it seemed to capture eloquently the way in which the vision of spa that I continue to write about here could be like that blue crystal moving through culture, inspired by dreams and initiating healing.

I think we have a long way to go in our current 'western' culture before we take the courage to trust in, and work with, the mysterious power of dreams which show us both shadow and light, and the healing voice that is in each one of us.  No industry, no expert, no regulatory body can bring life to this vision, it is up to each of us.

What are the intentions that moves your own visions?

Some past posts:

A New Year for Vision Spa Retreat (2008-2009): Back at the start of this century, I set out on a quest for the wisdom of water that I called Aquaest, a combination of Aqua and Quest.  The phrase is also Latin for 'water is' and for me 'water is ... everything'.   That quest continues.

Standing for something: an acronym for Vision Spa Retreat (2009-2010): As I pursue my vision of a spa culture that is soulful and sustainable, my hope is to encourage a shared sense of purpose, and to establish a foundation of guiding values.

See also: A definition of spa

Spas as green educators?

Today on SpaClique (a free and open resource for the professional spa community) Kate Mearns posted an article entitled 'Spas See Greener Days Ahead'.  It's good to see this, though I remain sorry that the economic factor must still be put forward as the (organic) carrot.

Kate begins and ends with economics, saying:

In summary, the message to effectively reach spa consumers has changed. Today's challenging economic times have caused consumers to become more cautious with regard to spending. Emphasis is as much on value as it is on pricing. Spas have enjoyed success over the last decade providing "pampering services in a luxurious environment" yet the spa industry has really never effectively promoted some of its strongest attributes — health, overall wellness and lifestyle enrichment. Spas have a unique opportunity to provide this value to the consumer. Typically, consumers value and are drawn to eco-friendly businesses.

Kate does explore a little deeper and writes about why 'spas are well suited to be at the forefront of a green industry'.   Key points: 1.raising awareness, and 2. educating.

'As an industry which consumes water, energy and natural resources in its daily operations, spas that adopt green practices not only reduce environmental impact, but also offer an opportunity to raise awareness among spa clientele. Ultimately, everyone benefits. Spas are now perceived as a source of education and lifestyle enrichment which has pushed these facilities to be more proactive in the green arena.'

The best kind of awareness education is to 'walk your talk'. - to demonstrate what it takes, by doing it , to be an example of 'green' in action. Those spas that do so - not just in order to gain a share of the diminishing profits but - because it is the respectful way to treat the planet and to safeguard the health of us all, probably don't need to read articles like Kate's and blogs like mine. It comes naturally.

That said, can those who work in the spa 'industry' (I never did like that combination) look beyond the profits and see what we do to create 'greener' spas as an act of revolution for the sake of a healthier future for all?

Read Kate Mearn's full article: Spas See Greener Days Ahead

For more on the topic of economics/profits see:  Spa profits: an enlightened stance

Spa profits: an enlightened stance

    

'Money is like water. It can be a conduit for commitment, a currency of love.'  Lynne Twist (read more on Vision Spa Retreat). 

Is the spa industry in general more concerned with profit than with people and personal and environmental health? 

This is a question that has bothered me in recent years, so I was thrilled to read the introductory page of the British International Spa Association's October 2010 Newsletter which outlines an enlightened view of 'profits' that I look forward to see them developing and promoting.

Last year, I posted an article entitled Recession and Spas on Vision Spa Retreat.  It looked at what is happening in our culture in general, how this might relate to spa, and how we might respond - not in terms of surviving as businesses but to support cultural change and contribute to our survival on the planet.  I see change happening ...

From the BISA newsletter (Oct. 2010):

This year members asked how BISA could develop more deliverables to help them benefit from good ideas and convert these into a great profits. With the focus on sustainability,  “profits” are no longer limited to the profit margin that each spa aims to generate, but also encompass:

- “profits” for the guests, whose spa experience can lead to transformational journeys,

- “profits” for the spa staff, through advancement of their knowledge and skilful mastery of their science, technique and art of “care giving”,

 - “profits” for the environment and the community around each BISA member.
  

Meet another spa visionary:

BISA's Newsletter Editor, Jean-Guy de Gabriac is contributing in no small way to BISA's inspirational approach to spa business and more.  Jean-Guy founded TIP TOUCH in 2004, as a consulting and training firm addressing the issues and challenges of spas and wellness facilities, especially in marketing and management.

Jean-Guy kindly wrote me: 'Congratulations on your beautiful pledge [for Vision Spa Retreat], I feel the same about contributing to a soulful and sustainable way to manage spas.'  We've been discussing ways to bring vision and inspiration to the definition of spa, and I'd like to share here what TipTouch says on its own website about this:

.........................................................................................................................................................
 

TipTouch Spa & Wellness
 

[W]e prefer to think that what makes or breaks a SPA is:

S for SUSTAINABILITY: in order to minimize our footprint on the environment (energy, waste management...) and a long-term development strategy with one’s clients, suppliers, community, and team (respect, training, encouragement to fulfill one’s full potential)

P for PERSONALIZATION of the client’s experience: with a deep understanding of the client’s needs and desires, in order to deliver optimal satisfaction and mid, to long term results

A for the team’s ATTITUDE: « professionalism » is to meet your client’s needs and desires, « customer service » is to deliver the unexpected !

The importance of sustainable development for SPAs

One of the key issues for the SPA industry is to meet the strong clients expectations to preserve nature’s most sacred resources and find creative and cost-effective solutions to prevent tons of wasted waters, oil spills, a poor recycling of wastes, even SRI-ridden teams, with low or no motivation left.

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................

 Thank you BISA and TipTouch and all in the world of spa who are working for change with vision!

2010 Spa trends: Belonging to a spa

In the middle of my series on Vision Spa Retreat outlining spa culture as a unique hub for community, I'm glad to see that in reviewing SpaFinder's 2010 Top 10 Spa Trends, Susie Ellis  writes that Trend #3: Not “Going to” But “Belonging to” a Spa 'has been huge for 2010 and, in some ways, even exceeded our expectations'.

Although the focus of these reports tends to be on profit sources, Susie does go on to note that: ' "belonging" transcends mere membership, as spas are transforming themselves into places of community, education, and social mingling ....'

This could be a first sign of a more community-centered and water-reverent spa culture!

Regards the future, Susie Ellis says: 'I think it will be interesting to watch how spas continue to engage their customers and how valuable consumers find this ongoing relationship with their spa – whether it is in person or online.  (hint hint… one of the 2011 trends we are tracking looks at the next generation of ”belonging to the spa.”)'

It was also interesting to hear that the 'next generation of spa designers find the current spa environment, in a word, boring and imagine the “spa of the future” as a multiuse communal space revolving around a lounge/bar/”hangout” area, even incorporating online social media connections.''

Now, if those designers would also take inspiration from the Biomimicry Guild who set out to 'help innovators design sustainable products and processes that create conditions conducive to all life ' things could get really exciting in the spa world.

Read Susie Ellis's full post here

Series on Vision Spa Retreat:

When is a spa like an umbrella? Part I

A definition of spa

When is a spa like an umbrella? Part II

 

A definition of spa

 In the spa business and especially for the organizations that set out to serve this growing industry, the definition of spa is important.  In my last post, When is a spa like an umbrella? Part I,  I began exploring the difference between spa as business entity and spa as an expression of community and culture. 

I think this difference is significant.  It is certainly reflected in the broad definition that has been proposed in official circles.  That particular definition is said to be in response to consumer demand or at least consumer perception.

'Spas are establishments that promote wellness through the provision of therapeutic and other professional services aimed at renewing the body, mind and spirit.'

Yesterday, a spa friend asked me to come up with an alternative definition and I realized that I had not yet done this explicitly and succinctly.  I'm not intending to compete with the industry but rather to offer another approach and another potential that I see reflected in the 'consumer' response.

(By the way, I find it preferable to think of spa-goers not as consumers but as co-creators or at least participants in human community.)

I ended up with three versions: the one I am living by is given below.  There were two others, giving concession to water-based and non-water-based venues in urban settings far removed from nature.  Maybe you'd like to offer your own in the comments below?  It would be helpful to indicate if you are a spa-goer, spa owner or work in a spa. 

For the record:

Vision Spa Retreat sees the ideal spa as a place that encourages health and relaxation in an inspirational natural setting in which water plays a key role. Such spas promote safe healing practices, environmental responsibility and community involvement.

If you like the above definition and would like to adopt or promote it, please do!  Acknowledgment of the source as www.VisionSpaRetreat.com would be greatly appreciated.

We Sang to the Water: BISA 2010

A key theme of Vision Spa Retreat has been the importance of water to spa, so I was delighted that the first day of the International Spa Conference organized by the British International Spa Association BISA in Budapest 3-6 June 2010 ended with celebration of water.

The evening was hosted by Micky Remann, Musia Heike Bus and Tom Blue Wolf.  A thought-provoking description of the program from the conference website is given below. 

After the event, I asked Tom to share a little about how it went.  His words speak to all of us about something we can do wherever we are:

The ceremony I was asked to take a leading role in was  called "Waters of the World" and was just that. It was about our mother earth and all her life forms and water as the source of life. It was a much bigger context than any one person or any one subject or any one thing.

Drawing up water for spas: is it sustainable?

 

Early last year, in an article entitled Putting the water back into spa, I expressed my sadness that the spa industry in general might be tending to focus on wellness without water.  This shift is certainly partly related to economic factors.

There are obvious challenges for spas in providing safe water in abundance without incurring heavy financial costs and without further exacerbating increasingly evident problems regards our water resources in general. 

To many, a statement like the one below from that article, might seem quaintly naive at best.

Can we imagine a spa industry that has something more than an economic motivator?  A spa culture that models personal, communal, and planetary health?  Spa with water flowing from its heart.

The latest Spa Business Digital Edition, issue 1, 2010, describes some heartening developments that indicate that economic and environmental issues can come together.  In Alternative water supplies (spas using groundwater ), Emilie Filou presents four examples of spas celebrating and valuing water.

Visions for Spa?

Visionaries see possibilities and promise. Excellent visionaries see real and significant possibilities, not simply the utopian variety.

Vision Spa Retreat take the first part of it's name seriously, though that's certainly an ongoing process of exploration.  In fact, a friend recently commented that Sara 'seems to be trying to work something out' though this website and sharing.  That's true!  No definite answers or opinions but a call to wonder, to envision how things could be better - specifically in the world of spa.

Please join me in sharing your vision for a new spa culture.

Meanwhile, others are visioneering in many and broader spheres.  Here is an extract from the home page of The Vision Project, where you can peruse the inspiring thoughts of 67 visionaries.  And perhaps contribute your own (especially called for are perspectives from non-English speaking parts of the world: Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America).

[Visionaries] are not the mystics, prophets, or forecasters. These are not the ones who tell us what will, probably will, or should happen. Visionaries see possibilities and promise. Excellent visionaries see real and significant possibilities, not simply the utopian variety. The vision they see is not one to which others must be persuaded. When they show us how to see it, we instantly see it as our future. It makes a connection with some esoteric circuit in us that knows it is seeing the truth of our existence more fully revealed. A true vision points the way to our purpose for existence, and it gives a glimpse of how our lives could be if we lived in the context of that purpose. It imbues how we live with the power of why we live.

A vision, like all else in time and space, is limited. It will have its time, it will stir the activity of those it touches towards its fulfillment, and then it will fade in the face of the new vision. If there is an ultimate, all-encompassing vision, we must not be ready to see it, because we (apparently) can only see a small portion at a time. Vision inspires us to expand, evolve, and elevate; it causes us to change the way we think, what we expect, and who we believe ourselves to be. Vision reveals a light in which we can change our world and ourselves for the better. The change itself is the construction of a new step on the ladder, and from that higher step we can see farther still. The change is the seed for the new vision, and thus we grow. In it all, vision is integral to the process. It is in this light that the ancient proverb, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18) derives its meaning.

Old visions sometimes live beyond their usefulness. Looking at the world today, many are becoming convinced that humanity is at war with itself, something like an autoimmune disease a human might have. One explanation of this disorder is that we seem to be applying older, nearly used up visions in ways that are inappropriate for an increasingly interdependent, globalized humanity—a humanity waking up to itself. Segments of humanity are seeing that all others should become what their individual group is or holds dear. We have just come through a millennium where we killed great numbers of humans in the name of competing visions of religions, economic and political systems, not to mention the competing national, racial, tribal, ethnic, and gender visions.

In these confusing, often dangerous times, we need a new vision for a new humanity, and we need it yesterday. This urgency demands that we know if this vision exists, and if not how we can aid in its formulation.

The new vision is becoming visible, but certainly not in crystal clear completeness. We have a wealth of visionary thought and writing in the world today, but not one thinker or writer has resonated with of all of humanity, and for obvious reasons. Six and a half billion viewpoints create much diversity within humanity and form great barriers to anything resonating with everyone. Any visionary faces the problem of his or her own viewpoint: each is a specific gender, age, nationality, and race; each has been taught in a specific educational system, and colored by the traditions and mores of his or her own culture. All of this colors the vision regardless of how essential it is intended to be. And this coloring is a hurdle for others because each of us must work through our own unique viewpoint.

Another obstacle is that the new vision is humanity’s vision; and it may not be possible (yet) for any human to contain the vision in its completeness simply because of scale. If humanity is a great being (even if immature and only semi-conscious) living through human beings, it may be impossible for a single human to contain the vision for the greater being. How many of us truly identify with the greater being over and beyond our own individuality? This complicates the work of both the visionary and those potentially affected by the vision.

Please join me in sharing your vision for a new spa culture!  Comment below or Subscribe or Email.

Sustainability 101 for Spas

We're delighted to share with you, thanks to Rhana Pytell, the following presentation outlining some primary measures and steps towards sustainable spa operations.

It's a very clear and valuable summary of important issues. 

In particular, we'd like to draw your attention to these ways in which spas can influence current culture:

Participation in the local community

Contributing to the larger spa community

Promoting education and knowledge

Staying connected to the original seed of spa: 

'Healing through Water'

Rhana Pytell is the Director and Co-Owner of GAIA Spa L.L.C. and the President of Amethyst Systems.

In 2007 GAIA became a seed member of the Green Spa Network, an organization whose purpose is to bring sustainable operating practices to the spa industry, and to promote the natural connections between personal wellbeing, economic sustainability, and the health of our environment.

Rhana has been instrumental in developing the Green Spa Network Sustainability Assessment Tool, which supports strategy development and implementation of greening practices.

More about Rhana:

Blog

LinkedIn

Inspiration: A water meditation

This Water Meditation by Barbara Harmony, who was interviewed for Vision Spa Retreat recently  (go here to read the article), is reproduced with her kind permission.

It was presented at a preconference to the 4th World Water Forum held March 16 to March 20, 2006 in Mexico City - a full account can be seen on Barbara's blog, May 02, 2006).

[The photograph shows the beautiful forest pool - The Wishing Pool - that is just along the canyon from the cabin where I live.]

I am going to ask you to close your eyes and visualize a place near my home. Breathe deeply, picture yourself walking along a path in the forest that smells of pine. Along the ground is a wonderful variety of flowers, mushrooms and moss. The path starts to slope down toward a creek.

Take in the wonder of the limestone outcroppings and overhangs. You come to the creek and jump from stone to stone. Breathe again deeply. Now imagine that you are at the source of the creek, a beautiful natural spring and pool.

Dip into the water. It is cool and refreshing. Cup your hands and take a drink. The water tastes sweet. Notice as it moves through your body. It feels so nice and cool as it drips off your fingers.

The water is so inviting, you decide to swim. As you dive in, feel the rush of energy as your body is immersed in cool water. Every cell of your body feels completely alive. The water swirls around your feet. It is circling around you and you feel your muscles relax.

In the swirling and circling water, let go of tension and breathe. Notice that as your body adjusts to the water temperature, you feel the water in your body blending with the water outside your body. Float along supported by the gently moving water.

Think of the ways that you have enjoyed water that it is part of your life. Your friends are 70% water; the trees are 90% water. The air has water. See what comes to mind.

Notice you are one with the water. Notice the feelings in your body. Let your worries go like leaves floating past you downstream.

Think of your earliest memory of water. Feel the water in your blood and in your cells. Keeping in mind that you are a part of the water cycle, breathe again deeply and when you are ready, open your eyes feeling very relaxed and refreshed.

Thank you Barbara - water lover extraordinaire!