It must have been not more than 6-7 years when it would become difficult to explain our business in detail to the people I met in India. As soon as I would answer the core business area of our company (we have been providing spa treatments, training and services to the western world from Indian for the last 10 years now), I would be asked, so what exactly is a Spa? It was difficult to explain then, as they could not differentiate between a spa and a salon. But I am amazed now how the scenario has changed over the years; every one now has been to the spa or knows what it is, though everyone relates to it as it suits them. For some people it is a place to groom themselves and look good, for others it is a place to relax, de-stress and feel better after a hard week of work.
In fact Spa has now become a lifestyle term; it has acquired a greater meaning, it is being used by estate development companies, interior decorators to the lifestyle coaches. It has been glamorized to the extent of being a fashion statement or status quo.
Spa word was invented somewhere in Europe thousands of years back, which back then related to water body or water therapy. It was limited to water therapies or treatments. People would travel from far and wide to the famous water units with therapeutic benefits for healing of various ailments. It was a global practice, many therapeutic water units and hot springs find mention in the history and culture of various countries like France, Greece, Italy and Japan where it is imbibed in their culture to visit hot springs. Turkish hamams have been pretty famous as well. In fact I remember my grandmother telling us about a Gandak baoli in Mehrauli region of New Delhi which could heal various skin ailments and how it will attract people from all over India for healing. And also the hot springs of sauna near Gurgaon which is still active. The practice of water therapy is still active in India in the form auspicious bathing rituals at the times of special planetary positions tagged as festivals.
It is interesting to see how the spa culture came into practice, starting off as an outdoor practice of visiting spa bodies for therapeutic benefits, it were the Greeks who brought this practice inside the homes in the form of personal bathing suites, which was adopted by other European countries and the world later as an in house practice which of course had its own ups and down. It has now come full circle as being a special zone for looking and feeling good.
With growing urban population the mental and physicals challenges related to the urban lifestyles are also growing in India and so is the need of spa a place to look good and feel better. But, is it all there is to a spa, is it just another means of entertainment or an alternative to shopping and pubbing, or there is more to it? What are the responsibilities of spa owners? Or better still what are the responsibilities of spa goers? We will discuss this and more in the next write up to be continued in this series.
I wish joy, love and passion.
By A.S. Rai for Five Elements - A Spa treatments specialist
