The Spa. A Spa Day. What first comes to mind?
A day of pampering, relaxation, and wellness? Something only done as a modern day extravagant luxury? Believe it or not, the concept of “SPA” has been around for centuries. When we look back through the periods of the 19th through the 16th centuries historians have discovered scrolls, written records, and reports from long forgotten spa practitioners who provided places for their patients to “bathe and drink, rest and relax, eat and sleep while taking the waters”.
It is most commonly believed that origin of the spa dates back to the Roman era.
Romans started building baths around naturally occurring hot water springs. These baths were often called ‘aquae’, meaning water. The treatments undertaken at these aquae were known as ‘Sanus per Aquam’ which means health by or through water- shortened to what we today call a Spa.
The healing qualities of water are not a new concept. Throughout history numerous cultures have enjoyed the restorative benefits of soaking in hot water.
The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in a huge decrease in the recognition of the thermal springs or ‘Sanus per Aquam’ concept all over the globe.
Spas then fell into the cycle being discovered, disregarded, and then rediscovered. So although spas and hot water treatments have been in and out of popularity since civilization initially discovered them, the healing power of water was never lost.
“Whenever and wherever Human Culture is born, lives, and dies at some point Spa Cultures appear, blossom, ripen, and flourish and then decline, decay, and die, only to be reborn, renewed, and relived by subsequent generations and civilizations.” -Jonathan Paul de Vierville
We offer salt therapy in our nature inspired salt cave which uses water & salt to recreate the ecosphere of a naturally occurring cave. All of our massage therapy spa services in our healing arts rooms, such as couples massage, therapeutic massage, hot stone massage, reflexology, and body scrubs, all utilize salt and hot towels in some fashion. The healing power of both water and salt are remarkable!