Why women need to take “Spa time”… at eforea Spa at Hilton Hotel Queenstown
The list of daily commitments can often seem endless: work, children, family and friends, cooking and cleaning and, if you’re really well-organised, daily exercise gets slotted in there somewhere as well. Add to this the endless “to do” list, the constant “mind chatter” of everything you should be doing, what you should be doing better, or what you haven’t yet achieved, and daily living can seem overwhelming at times. However, this is life, this is what we do and what we love, but sometimes the “daily grind” can seem endless, especially for many women who are by nature “givers” and “nurturers”.
Time for some “Me Time”…
In New Zealand it is still considered an “indulgence” to book yourself into a Spa and take some much-needed time out nurturing your own wellbeing. Yet, while experiencing a heavenly facial at the Hilton Hotel’s eforea Spa here in Queenstown recently, I had a momentary thought that relieved any sense of guilt that I was merely “indulging” myself. My thought went something like this: “Life isn’t always meant to be hard work, and if it takes an hour of being nurtured in a Spa to be left feeling calm and at peace with all that is going on around me in the world, then this “Spa time” is worth every moment of its perceived “indulgence”.
Spa time is not just about the treatment…
Although the actual treatment is what we all truly look forward to, be it a facial, a massage, or a body wrap, the time spent lounging in the Relaxation room can be every bit as rejuvenating as the actual treatment itself. At the eforea Spa, I was graciously shown to the ladies change room which was luxuriously appointed with “soft” lighting, white fluffy towels, and the obligatory cozy robes to change into. How a Day Spa calls itself a Day Spa without offering robes to change into is beyond me! The eforea Spa, however, is in a league of its own, oozing luxury and rejuvenation without the pretension of some 5-star hotel Spa’s.
The treatment…bliss
I began my Spa experience with a steam in the comfort of the ladies change room, followed by a refreshing orange juice while reclining on a daybed in the tranquil Relaxation room. Because the eforea Spa allow their clients to utilise their health and fitness facilities throughout the day of your Spa booking, I could have swum laps in the heated pool to begin with, or simply lounged by the indoor pool on a daybed while reading my novel. The point being, there is no sense of being rushed into your appointment, and out of the Spa after your treatment. Instead, “lingering” is encouraged, and the result is complete relaxation and body rejuvenation. Needless to say the actual treatment I had booked, a deep-cleansing facial, was utter bliss. And if I wasn’t relaxed enough by the end of the facial, my therapist then led me back to the Relaxation room for some green tea and more “me time”.
A new frame of mind…
I left the Spa with a clear mind, a refreshed body, and glowing skin, feeling replete and ready to return to my reality. In this part of the world Spa treatments are not cheap, but if you weigh it up against the cost of ill-health and time lost in employment when your health suffers, then maybe we should adopt a new frame of mind when it comes to Spa-going and looking after our wellbeing. Instead of viewing time at the Spa as an indulgence, I would like to recommend we view it as an essential component of maintaining our health and wellbeing. Find a Spa that shares this philosophy and offers a loyalty program, whereby every 5th or 10th treatment rewards your loyalty with a complimentary treatment. On that note, I think I should heed my own advice and book my next Spa appointment!
all pictures (c) by eforea Spa at Hilton
guest author Amanda Coddington
I am Australian-born, raised between Australia, America and New Zealand, and now happily reside in Queenstown, New Zealand. This is partly due to marrying a “Kiwi” (New Zealander), and partly due to my passion for the southern alps of a country so beautiful it literally takes my breath away every day.
My background is varied (who’s isn’t these days?), from originally studying Fine Arts at University with the hope of becoming an Art Curator, to being gainfully employed in a publishing house, an advertising agency and an international airline (all of which allowed me to learn invaluable ‘transferable’ skills), to finally finding my “true calling” in the wellness industry as a holistic Nutritionist (following a further 6 years of study).
My dream is to operate a Wellness Retreat, one where body, mind and soul are nurtured, and that ever-elusive inner peace is found.
