Measured up & stoned at Mandala
April 23, 2005 | 12:00am
Getting a treatment in Mandala Spa & Resort Villas is a definite must whenever I escape to Boracay. It’s one of the things that’s become so ingrained in my frequent visits to the island that I just can’t imagine a Boracay vacation without it. I always look forward to stepping into Mandala’s beautiful two-hectare-plus property of world-class spa facilities and 12 luxurious resort villas set amidst lush greenery. I immediately feel calm and relaxed knowing that everything will be taken care of with service that’s refined and professional. It’s no wonder that the spa recently received an award for Best Rejuvenation Program from the annual Spa Asia Awards held in Singapore. Mandala was also proudly featured in Wallpaper Magazine – an international magazine published in London known for featuring the best in travel, design and fashion. Their ooh la la "I must try everything" spa menu just got even better with the addition of a couple of new and fantastic treatments that I recently had the great pleasure of trying.
This three-and-a-half-hour treatment of luxurious pampering started with a cleansing footbath, which immediately relaxed me. Afterwards, my therapist took the measurements of my arms, thighs and waist to compare them with the measurements that would be taken after. I was then ushered into my massage bed for Mandala’s ultra-relaxing signature massage. After a blissful hour that I wished never ended, I was ushered for a quick shower and a warm floral bath, which was prepared while I had my massage. Oooh, this is the life, I thought to myself as I sipped my fresh calamansi slush while I bathed surrounded with clumps of red gumamela flowers.
What followed was an invigorating scrub meant to kill those evil toxins and rub stubborn cellulite away. My whole body was very gently exfoliated with essential oils of rose, lemon, chamomile, soapwort and rosemary, all working their natural properties to unclog follicles, slough off dead skin cells and improve skin tone. I was then luxuriously swathed in Pevonia’s plant- and marine-based formulations, the cellulite activating gel and the Green Coffee concentrate. These are massaged into target areas (arms, thighs and waist) to dislodge stubborn cellulite and fat deposits. Banana leaves were then wrapped over the entire body, and worked with the ingredients to increase blood flow and body temperature. This induced perspiration and accelerated the body’s elimination of toxins. As the ingredients began to do their work, my body and mind were treated to a relaxing head, face and shoulder massage.
As a finishing touch, a tension-relief gel was applied on my calves and upper back while a cooling nourishing cream moisturized the rest of my body.
I came out of the session completely relaxed and revitalized – my skin was silky smooth and firm and I lost a few inches total off my arms, thighs and waist. As Mandala’s Freida Dario puts it – the tape measure became my friend.
"Surrender your muscles, yield to the massage table," my therapist Farrah whispered as I glided to the massage table in anticipation. I naturally surrendered my body to her as she started to place smooth stones of various shapes and temperatures behind my back, neck, arms and legs. A stone was also placed on my stomach and over the chakras (spiritual openings): the third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral, and root chakras.
According to Freida, this ritual originated from the ancient Hawaiian Kahuna tradition of Pohaku (healing stones). Mandala Spa’s Stone Magic Therapy allows you to experience the harmonizing energies of "living" hot and cold stones. Hot stones receive energy from your body while cold stones restore energy. The stones that touch your body are carefully chosen to fit your body’s contour, for that perfectly dynamic flow of movement and energy.
It was amazing how my therapist used the other stones that were heating or cooling in a masterful combination of gentle and firm strokes all throughout my body. At certain moments, I got the feeling that the stones were actually rolling over my body, and alternately, the stone felt like it was grinding a deep-seated, stubborn knot. The result was a deeply soothing therapeutic experience that released tension, relieved congestion of the internal organs, and restored balance and harmony to my body, emotions, and spirit.
The session ended with the yang experience where a hot and a cold stone were simultaneously run from my yin and yang side, a technique designed to bring me back to present consciousness. And finally, the "closing spiral" where cold stones "rolled down" the back, sealing all the positive energy in – absolutely soothing!
I found a perfect ending while sipping my ginger tea at the terrace, thoroughly amazed at Mother Nature’s healing powers.
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