Photo: Elizaveta Porodina
Need a retreat from the stress and grit of urban life? The Spa at Palazzo Versace Dubai has a wild new fix, that will see clients reconnecting with nature to relax and release tension. Rainforest Therapy is inspired by the serenity of nature, with a series of healing rituals to help find one’s inner calm. Talar Hagopian Sabbatucci, Palazzo Versace Dubai’s spa and recreation manager, says that the ongoing stress of the past year has impacted our collective mental health, putting strain on both mind and body. “We have all been in constant and continuous fight or flight which is the body’s response to stress – a year of constant alert , overstimulation and alarmed state,” she explains. “As this has been a constant mode and not just a one off response of the body, this can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, suppressed immune system which makes us more vulnerable to catching colds and other illnesses and can even contribute to alleviated levels of anxiety and depression. Though we can’t avoid this obvious stress, we can try to respond better by training ourselves to ways that can activate a relaxation response for our general wellbeing.”
Rainforest Therapy at Palazzo Versace. Image: courtesy of brand
Sabbatucci says that The Spa’s Rainforest Therapy is designed around this stress release principle, with breathing exercises to designed to decrease cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone. “It’s a grounding sensory journey of all five senses, that helps you to take in the forest atmosphere – it’s not just an aromatherapy massage,” shares Sabbatucci. “The treatment room is visually transformed to have forest elements such as leaves, moss, rocks and inhalation of the 22 essential oils that are diffused with dry ice to create that morning mist effect while taking a walk in the forest.” The new concept is The Spa’s first aromatherapy concept, with elements of all natural fragrance introduced throughout the curated experience.
First, guests will find themselves in The Spa’s chic sauna, deeply inhaling the purifying scent of fresh eucalyptus oil and leaves, before rinsing in the rainforest simulation shower. Following a guided breathing session with frankincense pure essential oil to reduce anxiety and induce a meditative state, guests fully unwind with a 60 minute deep massage that targets tension and tired muscles. “The massage is performed with the fresh, clean and invigorating Forest Therapy Body Oil from Aromatherapy Associates,” adds Sabbatucci. “A hand-crafted essential oil blend of pink pepper, cypress and juniper that enhances the overall journey by transforming the atmosphere of the treatment room to one within the forest.” The rainforest’s impact is felt once again at the tail end of the treatment, with an almond oil-infused mud masque applied to hands and feet, before being cocooned in fresh banana leaves for a deeply cleansing effect. Once unwrapped and gently rinsed, guests will find themselves freshly renewed and ready to face to urban jungle, now with a little less cortisol pumping through their veins.
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