It would be absolutely ridiculous for anyone to leave the spa feeling lethargic and in a bad mood, right? Absolutely ridiculous! To leave the spa rejuvenated, smelling great, with better posture, less cellulite, zero bloat and feeling really great from head to toe you even had a dreamy smile plastered on your face would be the ideal post spa feeling, right? Affirmative! I’m sure of this latter post spa feeling because this was me just a few days ago.
I had just paid a very necessary visit to Devarana spa at dusit D2, Nairobi which left me feeling great about life all over again and this was even before I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Let me just say that I was amazed by what I saw in the mirror. Amazed at how my usual poor-ish posture was all better and straighter. Also, upon closely examining my thighs while changing into my gym gear later on that day, I noticed about 80% of cellulite on my thighs had somehow disappeared leaving my thighs looking smoother than ever before! And the stomach bloat, well, what stomach bloat? For a couple of minutes I just stood there wondering why I don’t do this massage thing more often and there and then I decided that whoever came up with the Aromatic Detoxifying massage is a genius!
Picture this: It’s January, which is the beginning of the year and so much is happening and so fast too and it is all so overwhelming! You’ve been trying to keep your word about one of your resolutions which was to take better care of yourself but you’re failing miserably at it because life is happening and things have to be done and meetings have to be attended and your body is stressed, and your mind is stressed and so as much as you’re trying to do everything right nothing is falling into place and as a result you look tired and are even gaining weight as a result which is also stressful because the year is still fresh!
The Aromatic Detoxifying Massage offered at Devarana spa is a Thai technique massage that has been formulated to do exactly what its name suggests…detoxify your system. The massage technique is slightly different from what we are used to.
The massage therapist Kotchaporn (or Gob if you prefer which is the short form of Kotchaporn) starts off by dry brushing my body and she does this in a particular upward pattern. The dry brushing I later come to learn helps with lymphatic drainage. Gob starts dry brushing my feet and moves on to my hands and I notice she is brushing upwards toward my chest. I also later learn that the brushing is directed towards the heart as this helps to stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and helps the body detoxify itself naturally. The dry brushing also helps remove dead skin and toxins.
Gob keenly then follows up the dry brushing with different soothing and aromatic massage oils specific for this particular massage which are meant to detoxify my body further. She then kneads my muscles into place and puts me in that sphere of relaxation as she massages my body with four different aromatic oils namely Juniper, Sesame, Citrus and grapefruit oils. These aromatic oils help to firm up my skin. She completes the massage technique with the normal massage we know of kneading my muscles to release tension from my body and relax my muscles. At this point I feel like a newborn baby with my skin feeling all smooth and my muscles feeling calm and relaxed.
Masseurs know that massages can leave you feeling all gassy after all the kneading, tapping, deep circular movements and vibrations and so by the time I change back into my clothes and make my way back to the spa’s lounge, I find a small, delicious cup of Bael tea waiting for me. The massage therapist then explains that the Bael tea will help to soothe my stomach.
To complete my detox massage package I am given a menu of 6 detox juices to choose from. The detox juices are a healthy creation by dusit D2’s mixologist Angel who is a health enthusiast and swears by the healthy detox juices as she has benefited and continues to benefit from them. Based on your taste buds you can choose your detox juice which have been given fancy names such as The Perfect protein smoothie, Detox Retox, Slim Green, Jet lagged, Stretch Your Mind and Nairobi Sunrise which is Dusit’s signature detox juice and whose ingredients include fresh carrot, green apple, fresh orange juice, fresh ginger. The juices are packed to go.
Angel the mixologist prepares these healthy detox juices with organic products and she explains that they are meant to help you in different ways including flushing away toxins as well as providing the necessary vitamins and minerals for your overall well-being. Drinking any of these detox juices will go hand in hand with the detox massage.
They say finding a starting point is important. We should always start from somewhere, so if your resolution for this year was to take better care of yourself by exercising more, eating better and basically just choosing to live a healthier lifestyle, then the aromatic detoxifying massage should be your starting point as it will leave you craving a fresh, new start which I bet you will be tempted to go through with all year through.