No time to spend the afternoon at the spa? No trouble. Take it home to you. The first thing is to remove all distractions, says Frank Shipman, owner of
TC Salons in Bethlehem and Allentown,
Pennsylvania. “Turn off the cell phone,
and put a note on the door that says, ‘Spa
time: Family stay out,’ ” he says. Then try
these suggestions.
ɋ SIGHT Get rid of clutter. You can’t relax
in a messy room. If you have access to
fresh-cut flowers, set some out in a vase.
Then dim the lights.
ɋ SOUND Put on some music. It doesn’t
have to be New Agey, just find
something you enjoy.
ɋ SMELL Light aromatherapy candles
(ylang-ylang, bergamot, and lemongrass
are good for stress). Take deep breaths
and focus on relaxing your face, neck,
shoulders, arms, and legs.
ɋ TASTE Have a favorite herbal tea or
pomegranate juice on hand.
ɋ TOUCH Nothing feels better than a
massage. Try the Magic Massager, a
silky cloth that you soothingly slide over
your body, found at massagewarehouse.
com. When you finish with your spa
experience, wrap yourself in a plush
robe. The higher the thread count the
better. To finish, crawl into a warm bed,
close your eyes, and bask in the feeling
of luxury for a few moments.
A Spa at
Home
With a little creativity,
almost any space can
become a temporary
sanctuary.
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