Down the Rabbit Hole...
Led upstairs to the spa area by my therapist Emily, I was transported from the hustle and bustle of the busy city centre to a peaceful English country cottage, sprinkled with a little Alice in wonderland quirkiness.
Shelves and
dressers are adorned with jars filled with massage bars and an array of coloured
glass vials containing oils, each inspired by and labelled with feelings and
emotional states. Nature books, copperware,
pottery and various other vintage style knick-knacks were also dotted around continuing
the rural feel. It’s an inviting and homely atmosphere immediately putting you
at ease and providing a welcome break from the stark almost clinical looking
spa waiting areas you usually come across.
Invited into the cosy kitchen area and seated at a long table made from beautiful reclaimed timber,
Emily introduced me to the products that would be used during my treatment,
talking passionately about their purpose during the treatment and the beneficial properties of
the ingredients they contained. She went on to tell me more about the treatment
itself.
Lush believe
that sometimes we get stuck in life, unable to move forward and encounter new
experiences due to worries, fears and anxieties that become stored up in the
body. The Spell is able to rid you of these worries and help you move forward through
the ancient art of treating the body through the feet. The treatment consists of three stages;
ground, cleanse and release each stage containing different elements
and techniques.
I was asked
to write a down worry or something that was having trouble letting go of on a
piece of parchment and then to place it in a small copper kettle left on the
table. No one see’s what you’ve written other than yourself so you really can
feel free to write anything you feel is relevant. I then witnessed
a magical and profound moment as my therapist literally made my worry disappear
before my eyes. It is during this stage that
Lush and your therapist are giving you permission not to worry, you are assured
that your worry has gone and you don’t need to think about it again.
I was led
into the treatment room which was gently lit, enhanced by a number of tea
lights running all the way around the room, giving a really warm and relaxing
ambiance.
Before I go
on to discuss the treatment I feel that it’s fundamental that I mention the
soundtrack which accompanies it. You see this isn’t just some relaxation music
that’s plonked on haphazardly in the background. The music to the Spell (composed
by the brilliant Simon Emerson) and its narrative are absolutely central to the treatment
itself taking you on a truly magical journey. It’s all about voyaging, moving forwards, and
achieving something. The tracks have a folksy feel to them, filled with soft
haunting vocals, string instruments and birdsong as well as familiar sounds from everyday life.
The Spell is cast...
As the music begins the therapist
turns to a beautiful old spell book, opening it on a particular page which
portrays the narrative read out by
the hypnotic voice of Lady Helen (a hypnotherapist that helped develop the Spa treatments).
Sitting at the edge of the bed your feet are bathed in a
traditional pail to which the Volcanic ballistic is added. This is a brand new
product created for this treatment and is exclusive to the Lush Spas. It
contains grounding rosemary, thyme and sage which are known to calm and clear
the mind. Your feet then get an invigorating scrub with Stepping Stone before
being rinsed off and dried thoroughly.
Settling
back onto bed, I was
comfortably tucked up in warm towels. A hot stone was used giving a feeling of grounding and centring as I felt myself drifting deeper
into the music. My feet were then treated to Volcano foot mask and wrapped up in
warm towels. This is one of Lush’s great
unsung products containing healing clays, exfoliating pumice, cooling tomatoes,
and warming cinnamon to stimulate circulation.
While
beautiful ingredients in the mask got to work, my therapist moved on to a
beautiful temple massage using hot stones coated in Dreamtime temple balm. My
senses filled with soothing aromas of lavender, chamomile, jasmine and
sandalwood, providing a feeling of pure contentment and clarity of mind. The
hot stones were then placed just under my shoulders, creating a strong feeling
of letting go as I felt myself sinking deeper into the bed, and being carried
deeper into my journey.
What
followed was an incredible head, neck and shoulder massage which literally took
me to another place. I could feel all the tension I was holding in my body
melting away, leaving my body feeling so light and relaxed.
There are a
couple of stages in the treatment where the therapist uses an enchanting technique that quite literally feels like you’re gently walking
along and moving forwards in your journey.
As the
Volcano was removed from my feet with warm cloths, the now hardened mask filled
with pumice provided a stimulating exfoliation, removing any dead skin in the
process and leaving my feet feeling polished and renewed. A beautiful foot
massage followed using reflexology techniques to treat other areas of the body
(including the solar plexus) in the process. Again during this massage there
was a strong feeling of releasing and letting go throughout my mind and whole
body. My feet were then thoroughly moisturised with cooling Fairtrade Foot
Lotion, then dusted with T for Toes dusting powder to keep them feeling dry and
smelling fresh.
As my
treatment came to an end I was brought a refreshing drink made of hot water,
fresh lemon, mint and lemon grass, all of which were ingredients which had been
used during my treatment. As I sat coming round from the trance like state I’d
fallen under, a feeling of contentment, lightness and pure euphoria washed over
me. Once I’d collected myself and made my way back into the Spa’s ‘reception’
area, I sat chatting to my therapist in
a cosy lounge area like old friends as she asked me about my experience.
I had a
feeling that this treatment was going to be something special knowing how
innovative, creative and refreshingly unconventional Lush are as a company,
however I didn’t anticipate just how special an experience it would be. It
isn’t just the carefully thought out products, the stunning soundtrack, or
indeed the techniques themselves that makes this treatment so special, it’s the
way they’ve all been cleverly intertwined with one another with such creativity
and attention to detail that makes this such a magical and transformative experience.
As a self-confessed
worrier held back in life this holistic treatment was spot on for me. I can’t begin to explain how strengthening
and energising it felt to be able to let go of those worries, fears and
anxieties during my treatment and feeling able to continue moving forward from
them on leaving the spa.
I also suffer
from a lot of muscle tension and spasm, having lived with chronic pain for three
and a half years. So to feel this melting away during the treatment and be
replaced with such a state of relaxation, lightness and fluidity in my body was
a truly moving and memorable experience for me.
There was a
point in the treatment where it felt as though I dropped all the baggage
weighing me down in life and continued on my journey feeling light on my feet.
This exactly the transformation I feel as I leave the spa with a clear mind and
a spring in my step.
Although
Lush call this a foot treatment (and I can confirm your feet do feel spectacular
after this) at the end of The Spell you feel as though you’ve just experienced
a full mind and body overhaul. I cannot recommend this treatment enough; I believe
everyone would benefit from the magic of The Spell in their lives. To be freed
from their worries and move forward with joy, understanding and courage. With special thanks...
...to Lush Preston for their generosity and support in making this experience possible, and of course to Lush Liverpool Spa, especially my lovely therapist Emily for looking after me throughout my treatment and for giving me such a special experience.
And last bust by no means least a huge thank you to everyone
at Lush ltd, the Lush Spa’s team who
contributed to creating such a magical treatment.
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