The healing touch of Terra
May 1, 2007 | 12:00am
The city seems miles away, although it’s really just a few floors below. Still, I like to think I had escaped it even just for a while. Coming to the Terra Wellness Spa allows me to do so.
For once, I can’t hear anything  neither the traffic nor the rowdy bustle of everyday living. In my solace, I can only hear the rhythm of calm. And in my mind, body and soul, my cares have all been soothed away. Nothing wears me down, now that I’ve been touched by Terra.
The Terra Wellness Spa is the newest and most invigorating space inside the Discovery Suites in Pasig City. Located at the fourth floor, it’s a blissful respite for us city slickers who are in need of some pampering, relaxation and perhaps, meditation.
Terra is actually Latin for earth, the essence of which is well reflected throughout the spa’s interior. "It’s not Mediterranean or Balinese. It’s what it simply is," says Terra Spa operations manager Angie Castillo.
What it is really is a vision of designer Isabel Asuncion Berenguer who gave this space a warm, earthy feel. She played with a lot of natural elements  bamboo on the floors, stone touches on the decor as well as cups and saucers made from Pinatubo ashes.
The walls, bathtubs, and massage beds are all covered in subtle tones of white and beige. Beige also lingers in the terrycloth bathrobes and towels so soft to the touch as they greet you from your pre-treatment shower. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
On entering the spa, you will be asked a few things. First is your kind of blend. Angie believes that your aromatherapy oil blend should depend on your taste and needs. Hence, they have decided to open an aromatherapy bar featuring organic Auroma oils from Australia. Blends ready for use include the Uplifting Blend, Exotic Blend, and Relaxing Blend. And whether you choose one of these or simply concoct something else when you get there, your massage oil is sure to have one of the two oil bases: virgin macadamia oil for those in their 30s and above or sweet almond oil for the younger clients. That settled, you just have to pick out one more thing  your music.
All of the seven massage rooms at the Terra Wellness Spa are equipped with an iPod, which plays your music selection of choice. Throughout your treatment, you can be serenaded by classical baroque music featuring Arcangelo Corelli and Mozart; French pop classics with Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet, among many others; Latin contemporary pop with Luis Miguel and Antonio Carlos Jobim; movie adagios featuring some of the most memorable film soundtracks; New Age (general) led by Enya and Nirvana; New Age (glass harmonica) with William Zeitler; New Age (piano) featuring Chamras Saewataporn; Popera (pop-opera) with Il Divo, Josh Groban, etc; Romance of the Violin with Joshua Bell and Nigel Kennedy, among others and, of course, spiritual music featuring traditional music for shiatsu, tantric massage, and more.
After all that, your therapist will welcome you with a pair of soft slippers before ushering you into your very own massage room.
As far as treatments go, there are a number to choose from, all of which have been developed with the help of spa guru Kathleen Moynihan-Rodrigo of Massage for Life. Some of them feature products from Decleor and Comfort Zone.
Personally, I would recommend the spa’s signature treatment, Terra’s Touch. This is a 90-minute therapeutic wonder, something all of us could use after a long day’s work. It’s a Swedish massage that features long strokes and kneading techniques. A popular treatment of choice, this massage rids one of body aches and stress.
My therapist Aubrey goes on to show me the curative powers of Terra’s Touch. Lying face up, a moist warm towel is wrapped around my feet briefly. Then, up in my towel-covered head, I suddenly get a good whiff of my aromatherapy oil. I actually chose to have the Relaxing Blend  a fragrant combination of lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus oils. And so with this relaxing scent upon me, my most-awaited massage begins.
Aside from Terra’s Touch, one may also try the Turning Japanese massage, which features the restorative powers of shiatsu. There’s also the Aromassage with your choice of Decleor massage balms ranging from Relax to Flow, Detox, and Tonic. Aside from this, you can also have the Ingham method massage, jade and hot stone therapy, and traditional Thai foot massage. Meanwhile, those with spot-specific aches and ailments may also opt for the Power Nap, a one-hour massage that focuses on areas where you require the most care.
As for other treatments, you can also try the 40-minute Quantum Chakra Cleaning, which makes use of chakra crystals; Aroma Envelopment which comes with a body scrub, massage, and body wrap; the Monticelli Mud Spa, which uses a micronized marine algae; the Redefine Bust; and the Dead Sea Salt Scrub. And if facial’s your thing, choose from the Alphatherapy Collagen, Absolute Pearl or the Aromafacial.
Emerging from my treatment, I’m offered a warm cup of tea. I drink it gingerly as I quietly regard how much lighter my body feels and how much more free my mind is. There is really something about a gentle therapeutic touch that works its wonders inside out. And just so you know, some hours later, I still couldn’t hear anything.
Call Terra Wellness Spa at 638-9145 to 46; 638-2977 and 683-8222 local 3804.
For once, I can’t hear anything  neither the traffic nor the rowdy bustle of everyday living. In my solace, I can only hear the rhythm of calm. And in my mind, body and soul, my cares have all been soothed away. Nothing wears me down, now that I’ve been touched by Terra.
The Terra Wellness Spa is the newest and most invigorating space inside the Discovery Suites in Pasig City. Located at the fourth floor, it’s a blissful respite for us city slickers who are in need of some pampering, relaxation and perhaps, meditation.
Terra is actually Latin for earth, the essence of which is well reflected throughout the spa’s interior. "It’s not Mediterranean or Balinese. It’s what it simply is," says Terra Spa operations manager Angie Castillo.
What it is really is a vision of designer Isabel Asuncion Berenguer who gave this space a warm, earthy feel. She played with a lot of natural elements  bamboo on the floors, stone touches on the decor as well as cups and saucers made from Pinatubo ashes.
The walls, bathtubs, and massage beds are all covered in subtle tones of white and beige. Beige also lingers in the terrycloth bathrobes and towels so soft to the touch as they greet you from your pre-treatment shower. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
On entering the spa, you will be asked a few things. First is your kind of blend. Angie believes that your aromatherapy oil blend should depend on your taste and needs. Hence, they have decided to open an aromatherapy bar featuring organic Auroma oils from Australia. Blends ready for use include the Uplifting Blend, Exotic Blend, and Relaxing Blend. And whether you choose one of these or simply concoct something else when you get there, your massage oil is sure to have one of the two oil bases: virgin macadamia oil for those in their 30s and above or sweet almond oil for the younger clients. That settled, you just have to pick out one more thing  your music.
All of the seven massage rooms at the Terra Wellness Spa are equipped with an iPod, which plays your music selection of choice. Throughout your treatment, you can be serenaded by classical baroque music featuring Arcangelo Corelli and Mozart; French pop classics with Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet, among many others; Latin contemporary pop with Luis Miguel and Antonio Carlos Jobim; movie adagios featuring some of the most memorable film soundtracks; New Age (general) led by Enya and Nirvana; New Age (glass harmonica) with William Zeitler; New Age (piano) featuring Chamras Saewataporn; Popera (pop-opera) with Il Divo, Josh Groban, etc; Romance of the Violin with Joshua Bell and Nigel Kennedy, among others and, of course, spiritual music featuring traditional music for shiatsu, tantric massage, and more.
After all that, your therapist will welcome you with a pair of soft slippers before ushering you into your very own massage room.
As far as treatments go, there are a number to choose from, all of which have been developed with the help of spa guru Kathleen Moynihan-Rodrigo of Massage for Life. Some of them feature products from Decleor and Comfort Zone.
Personally, I would recommend the spa’s signature treatment, Terra’s Touch. This is a 90-minute therapeutic wonder, something all of us could use after a long day’s work. It’s a Swedish massage that features long strokes and kneading techniques. A popular treatment of choice, this massage rids one of body aches and stress.
My therapist Aubrey goes on to show me the curative powers of Terra’s Touch. Lying face up, a moist warm towel is wrapped around my feet briefly. Then, up in my towel-covered head, I suddenly get a good whiff of my aromatherapy oil. I actually chose to have the Relaxing Blend  a fragrant combination of lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus oils. And so with this relaxing scent upon me, my most-awaited massage begins.
Aside from Terra’s Touch, one may also try the Turning Japanese massage, which features the restorative powers of shiatsu. There’s also the Aromassage with your choice of Decleor massage balms ranging from Relax to Flow, Detox, and Tonic. Aside from this, you can also have the Ingham method massage, jade and hot stone therapy, and traditional Thai foot massage. Meanwhile, those with spot-specific aches and ailments may also opt for the Power Nap, a one-hour massage that focuses on areas where you require the most care.
As for other treatments, you can also try the 40-minute Quantum Chakra Cleaning, which makes use of chakra crystals; Aroma Envelopment which comes with a body scrub, massage, and body wrap; the Monticelli Mud Spa, which uses a micronized marine algae; the Redefine Bust; and the Dead Sea Salt Scrub. And if facial’s your thing, choose from the Alphatherapy Collagen, Absolute Pearl or the Aromafacial.
Emerging from my treatment, I’m offered a warm cup of tea. I drink it gingerly as I quietly regard how much lighter my body feels and how much more free my mind is. There is really something about a gentle therapeutic touch that works its wonders inside out. And just so you know, some hours later, I still couldn’t hear anything.
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