Calming Sea

Enhance the spa experience with this exquisite element: water.

We need water to survive, this we do not question, but do we understand all of the reasons why and how water is so essential and beneficial to our life? There is an overwhelming amount of research proving that water’s healing abilities extend far beyond hydration.

What I hope to offer here is a new perspective on water by exploring some of its mysteries and perhaps some inspiration on how to incorporate H2O in new ways into your personal, professional lives, and environments in order to benefit from the full spectrum of its healing powers.

Water Helps us Breath

Visualize yourself standing on the edge of a body of water and taking in a huge inhale. If it seems as though you’re able to inhale deeper, and the breath is more invigorating when you’re standing at the water’s edge, it’s because you actually are taking in more oxygen.

We crave fresh air when we’re stressed for a reason, it balances levels of serotonin (the mood and health hormone) but when we are around water, the already powerful oxygen actually increases its power because it is charged with negative ions from the water which help us absorb oxygen better.

The information ancient civilizations needed for survival was in the water they drank, bathed in, and worshiped.

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Water is Alive

As crazy as it sounds, there is insurmountable scientific evidence that proves water is a living thing and has the ability to retain information. This scientific evidence provides explanation and understanding to the question of how human beings were capable of achieving so much with so little. The information ancient civilizations needed for survival was in the water they drank, bathed in, and worshiped. These civilizations were founded only around bodies of water; if there was no source, there was no life.

Similarly, the people in Okinawa, Japan (one of five locations in the world where research shows people live the longest, and are the healthiest) contribute their longevity to drinking water revitalized from their 600 million year old coral reef. They believe this reef has imprinted the information about longevity which is then downloaded to the human who then tunes into this information for a long life.

Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and scientist, performed an experiment by exposing water to Mozart to prove that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water (and vice versa since humans are mostly composed of water). You can witness the transformation from an unsymmetrical blob into a beautiful hexagonal snowflake-looking crystal. It’s as if the molecule of water is alive and goes from a depressive state to a state of bliss from the sounds of beautiful music. These fascinating experiments, and many more, were documented in the documentary The Secret of Water.

Blue Equals Green

There is one more vital piece of evidence proving just how beneficial being around water is to the human body, mind and soul, and that is: blue equals green. Real estate data suggests a water view tacks a 116.1 percent premium on a property, and real-world figures suggest we’re willing to pay 10 to 20 percent more for the same room with an ocean view in a hotel. So does that mean that clients will be drawn to your spa simply for its water feature in the lobby or pay more for services if water is part of the experience? Absolutely!

Five Senses Water Checklist

So how can you incorporate this information into your spa to enhance the client experience? By making sure water has a strong presence in your space, an easy way to accomplish this is to make sure your spa passes the Five Senses Water Checklist.

Sound

“When we are by the water, it cuts us off from the rattle and hum of modern society,” says Wallace J. Nichols, author of Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do (another brilliant resource). “Moving water is an expert at masking noise, especially the sound of the human voice,” he says, noting that the human voice is considered the number one source of workplace stress.

Offer your clients the sounds of water either from a physical water feature or a soundtrack played throughout the spa. Giving clients the experience of being “surrounded” by water is the ultimate way to reduce stress and increase client satisfaction.

Touch

When we physically immerse our bodies in water, we are resting the muscles that we use every day. Not only that, but when we surrender to gravity our brains are able to take a somatic break resulting in extreme relaxation. This science is the basis of the popular and quickly increasing float therapy experience.

Water is already an essential element used in spas and salons, but consider implementing services or options before or after a service where a client can feel water in some way. Even a simple and affordable service like a foot soak would provide your clients with the benefits of being in water.

Smell

When you first think of water, you may not always relate it to a smell, but the second you get a whiff of something that reminds you of an experience (like salt air reminding you of being on vacation) you are instantly trans ported to that place and time in your life. Therefore, if you can mimic the experience of being at your spa using the olfactory system, you can create a powerful opportunity to remind your clients to return to their sanctuary.

You could make this as simple as burning candles or diffusing oils, or you could take it to the next level by creating a signature scent for your spa that you can also turn into a retail opportunity; making a lasting and memorable impression long after a client leaves the space.

Taste

Most spas offer their clients water to drink but consider upleveling your hydration offerings to really stand out. Instead of handing your client a plastic bottle of water, how about creating an “aqua bar” or “hydration station” offering themed-water. Imagine how special your clients would feel if they could choose between “happy water” or “calm water”, each infused with themed music, fruit or veggies (e.g. lemon for happy, cucumber for calm).

Sight

You can easily check this off your list with a physical water feature like a waterfall (which can be achieved on a small or large scale or budget) or simply using imagery of water in pictures, murals, and decor around the spa which is scientifically proven to make people’s stress levels drop.

By making sure a client experiences water using all five senses while at your spa, you will surely give them the feeling of being whisked away to a relaxing vacation, guaranteeing client satisfaction and referrals.

Water has the ability to make a profound impact on our bodies, minds and spirits. By expanding our knowledge and our relationship to and with this healing element and respecting it as a living being, it just might start flowing more vitality, longevity, happiness, calmness and even financial abundance into our lives.

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