Spas: basic terminology. Enjoying Spas! Third Part.

Here some basic concepts to understand a bit better what we can do in a Spa, from the web spafinder.com:

acupressure
Traditional Chinese pressure-point massage used to stimulate the flow of energy in the body.

acupuncture
Traditional Chinese healing technique based on Taoist philosophy. It can be administered by using needles, low-voltage electric current (electro acupuncture), or pinpoint massage (acupressure).

algotherapy
Seaweed bath that is a form of thalassotherapy.

aqua aerobics
Aerobic exercises performed in a pool using the support and resistance of the water to burn fat, strengthen bones, and increase cardiovascular health and endurance. The buoyancy of the water greatly reduces the chance of injuring joints or muscles.

aromatherapy
Treatments such as massage, facials, body wraps, or hydrobaths that include the application of fragrant essential oils. Different oils are used for different therapeutic benefits.

balneotherapy
The use of water to restore and revitalize the body. Since antiquity, balneotherapy has been used to improve circulation, fortify the immune system, and relieve pain and stress.

Bindi
Bodywork combining exfoliation, herbal treatment, and light massage.

body wrap (herbal wrap)
Treatment in which strips of cloth are soaked in herbal teas and cocooned around the body.

caldarium
The hottest room in a Roman bath, where the ancient Romans would bathe in steaming water for detoxification purposes. Modern-day spa caldaria may not have a pool of hot water, but they all utilize the detoxifying power of steam heat.

color therapy/chromatherapy
Use of color to balance mental and spiritual health through the use of colored rooms, light bulbs, fabrics, etc. The technique dates back to ancient Egypt.

dead sea mud treatment
Application of mineral-rich mud from the Dead Sea in Israel. Used to detoxify skin and body and to ease painful symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis.

effleurage
Massage technique involving quick, long strokes used at the beginning and end of certain treatments.

exfoliation
Procedure to slough top layer of dead skin cells off the face or body. Dry brush, loofah scrub, and salt glow are among the techniques used in conjunction with ingredients including grape seed, sugar, clay, and salt.

fango
From the Italian word for mud, a treatment that uses mineralized mud mixed with oil or water and applied over the body as a heat pack to detoxify the skin, soothe the muscles, and stimulate circulation.

gommage
Cleansing, rehydrating treatment using creams that are applied in long movements, similar to a massage.

herbal wrap
Treatment using strips of cloth soaked in a heated herbal solution to wrap around the body. It is used for relaxation and said to eliminate impurities and detoxify.

hot stone therapy
Relaxing, therapeutic treatment in which dark, smooth stones heated in hot water or hot spring pools are placed or stroked with light pressure on areas of the body such as the back, in the palms, and between the toes. Cold stones may also be used.

hydrotherapy
Treatment using water therapeutically to aid relaxation in a variety of procedures such as underwater jet massage, different types of showers, and mineral baths. Thalassotherapy, using seawater for hydrotherapy, has long been a staple in European spas.

Jacuzzi
The first free-standing whirlpool bath was introduced by Roy Jacuzzi in 1968, of the famous inventing Jacuzzi family, whose members also were also responsible for advances in agriculture and aviation. Though many companies manufacture whirlpool baths today, Jacuzzi is the trademarked name for the invention.

Kneipp baths
Water therapies originated by Germany's Father Sebastian Kneipp, a holistic teacher and proponent of natural remedies. Originally involving dips in the icy Danube, nowadays the therapy involves immersion both in warm and cold water.

krauter bath
Based on German natural remedy, this is a strong, aromatic herbal bath solution.

kur
From the German "kur," a planned course of spa treatments that typically involve mineral water, mud baths, algae, and herbs. "Taking the kur" might be a ten- to twenty-day process every three months.

labyrinth walking
Following a man-made, spiral pattern path (traced on the ground, as in many cathedrals, or constructed in garden) to meditate, focus, and calm the mind. Not a maze, the path follows a number of circuits to the center of a circle and back out.

lomi-lomi massage
This traditional technique was derived from the ancient Polynesians and administered by village kahunas in old Hawaii. Lomi-lomi is sometimes referred to as "loving hands" massage because of its extremely gentle, continuously flowing strokes. Gentle stretches and joint rotation are often incorporated as well. Massages may include traditional healing rituals and/or healing prayers in Hawaiian that forge a link between past and present.

loofah scrub
Exfoliation with a sponge made of the fibrous skeleton of the loofah, a vegetable from the gourd family. Loofah is used extensively in Europe and Asia because of its effectiveness in removing dry skin and stimulating circulation.

massage
Manipulation of tissues, usually manually, to improve health and well-being by relaxing muscles, relieving tension, and improving circulation.

microdermabrasion
Facial exfoliation procedure in which skin is "sandblasted" with ultra-fine crystals of aluminum oxide or other ingredients to remove top layer of skin.

mineral springs spa
Spa offering an on-site source of mineral-rich thermal or seawater that is used in hydrotherapy or thalassotherapy.

moor peat baths
Uses mud harvested from a moor or a peat marsh that is rich in proteins, organic matter, vitamins, and minerals. It is used as a body or facial treatment to hydrate and exfoliate the skin and in a bath to ease aches and pains.

parafango
Volcanic mud is mixed with paraffin wax to alleviate aches and pains caused by such illnesses as rheumatism and arthritis.

paraffin treatment
Heated paraffin wax is brushed over the body to soothe muscles and, by drawing out the dirt, removing the dead skin, and drawing out perspiration through the head, leave skin clean and soft.

photo rejuvenation
Treatment with laser light to smooth wrinkles, diminish the appearance of age spots, broken capillaries, and rosacea

phytotherapy
Healing treatment with plants, such as herbs and seaweed, and in the form of aromatic essential oils and herbal and floral extracts, applied in conjunction with massage, packs and wraps, water and steam therapies, inhalation treatments, and homeopathy.

Pilates
Body conditioning program developed by Joseph Pilates meant to develop flexibility and strength without building bulk via a system of controlled movements and specially designed exercise equipment.

polarity massage
Therapeutic, relaxing treatment involving hands placed along the energy meridians, stretching, and light rocking to bring the body's own energy into balance.

reflexology
Ancient Chinese technique that uses pressure-point massage, usually on the feet (but also on the hands and ears), to restore the flow of energy throughout the entire body.

reiki
Japanese healing technique in which practitioners use their hands to bring energy into the body for deep relaxation and wellbeing.

repaichage
Full-body treatment meant that uses a combination of clay, herbs, seaweed, and mud to deal with the differing cleansing and moisturizing needs of different parts of your body and face.

Rolfing Structural Integration
Deep massage system developed by Dr.Ida Rolf to achieve changes in posture and structure by manipulating the body's muscular-skeletal system. She believed proper alignment would relieve pain and chronic stress. Treatments progress from localized areas to larger body segments.

Roman bath
Traditionally, a series of hot, warm, and cold pools, but today used to refer to a hot whirlpool or Jacuzzi with benches.

sauna
Bathing process that consists of periods of perspiring in the heat and steam created by throwing water on heated stones. In combination with refreshing cold showers, sauna therapy is said to enhance the body's immune system and relieve stress.

Scotch hose
Water massage through high-pressure hose while client is standing. The therapist alternates hot and cold and fresh or salt water to relieve sore muscles and stimulate circulation.

seaweed wrap
Body treatment using concentrated seawater and seaweed that contains nutrients including minerals, rare trace elements, vitamins, and proteins. Said by proponents to detoxify, increase circulation, and improve appearance of cellulite.

sensory-deprivation flotation capsule
Enclosed tank filled with warm water and Epsom salts in order to create a dark, peaceful environment, similar to that in the womb, to promote total relaxation.

shiatsu
Massage technique developed in Japan in which therapist applies pressure to specific points in the body to simulate and unblock "meridians" (pathways through which energy is said to flow).

shirodhara
Ayurvedic treatment lasting 7 to l0 minutes during which stream of oil is poured in the center of your forehead (on your "third eye") in order to help you focus, concentrate, and relax your mind and body.

spa
The International Spa Association(ISPA) defines the word spa in the following way: "Spas are devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit."

spa journey
A seamless treatment experience, rather than a perfunctory service, that might include a consultation, welcome foot bath, scrub, and massage in the same treatment room, thus aiming to improve the service quality of a spa treatment for guests (no switching rooms; cross training therapists in aesthetics and massage, etc.) as well the relaxation benefits.

steam room
Room where temperatures are kept at 110 to 130° F and humidity is generated in order to soften the skin, clean the pores, calm the nervous system, and relieve tension.

stretching
Extending and lengthening muscles slowly, then in a static manner when hitting resistance. Meant to increase flexibility and relieve stress by improving circulation, and facilitating blood flow to the muscles, heart, and brain.

sugaring
Ancient depilation process that involves applying a sugar-containing sticky paste to the skin, then pressing on a cloth or paper strip and quickly removing it to remove unwanted hair. Estheticians in some states must be licensed to perform this procedure.

Swedish Massage
Classical European massage technique of manipulating muscles with the use of massage oils. Meant for relaxation and to improve circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, and improve flexibility.

sweat lodge
Traditional Native American place for ceremonial purification and meditation involving the use of intense heat in a sauna-like environment.

Swiss shower
Treatment that involves powerful shower jets directed at the body from various heights, creating the effect of an invigorating massage.ge

tepidarium
A heated open space, which in the ancient Roman spas was used as a room where visitors would prepare for a bath. Contemporary tepidaria often feature lounges and other types of comfortable furniture on which guests can luxuriate before and after treatment.

temazcal
Also known as a sweat lodge. A traditional healing method involving heat that is practiced by indigenous North and Central Americans. Inside a dome-like structure, participants gather around a pit where water is poured over heated stones. The steam is meant to relax and detoxify, and thus to create a relaxed, balanced, contemplative state.

Thai massage
Traditionally done on the floor, with client dressed in loose clothing, a full-body treatment that involves passive, yoga-like stretching and pressure-point massage along the body's major energy channels to release blocked energy, relieve tension, and increase awareness and tranquility.

thalassotherapy
Treatments using sea and seawater products such as seaweed and seaweed wraps. See also hydrotherapy.

Traeger massage
Therapy developed by boxing trainer Milton Treager, MD, that uses gentle, rhythmic movements to relieve tension, ease movement (especially in joints), and induce relaxation. Compressions, elongations, and light bounces as well as rocking motions are involved.

Turkish bath/hamam
Bathing procedure that involves going through a series of steam rooms of increasing elevated temperature, followed by a rubdown and massage and finished off with a cold shower.

ultrasound
Ultrasound spa treatments use low-frequency sound waves to promote subcutaneous rejuvenation by causing friction beneath the surface of the skin. This technique is employed in several areas of spa aesthetics, from facials to cellulite reduction. Many spa professionals claim that ultrasound treatments tend to be even more effective and efficient than similar treatments without ultrasound.

vichy shower
Inspired by treatments in the French thermal spa city, involves client lying down on a table atop a cushioned mat and under a spray of warm water from a five- to-seven head shower system. It is meant to reduce stress, hydrate, and improve circulation.

watsu
Healing massage treatment performed in a warm pool in which the therapist administers rhythmic movements, pressure-point massage, and stretches to help client achieve deep relaxation.

waxing
Depilation process that involves application of warm wax followed by a strip of cloth quickly pulled away from skin to remove unwanted hair.

whirlpool
Whirlpool baths can supplement spa services by providing stress-relieving, therapeutic hydromassage. Regular uses of whirlpools are often prescribed by doctors to patients experiencing chronic pain or recovery from injury. Most baths are equipped with hydrojets utilizing electric pumps and automated air vents to soothe muscle tension, aches, and pains with streams of heated water that can be directed by the bather(s).

(Pic: Hotel Senator Spa, Madrid, Spain).

(To be continued).