Thus, wellness has become a common and integrated part of modern life - or perhaps even a necessity at a time when everybody is busy at work and at home, and is constantly available through mobile phones, e-mail or messenger: we simply need a break.
Each individual person must find his or her own way of obtaining the desired effect, be it internal calmness, physical well-being, a well-groomed look or a combination hereof. In other words, the “feeling of wellness” is obtained once the person "feels well all around".
No wellness without a SPA
SPA is short for the Latin “Salus Per Aqua", meaning "health through water". Water makes up an essential element both in facial and body treatments; in the relaxation facilities of spa baths, in steam baths and saunas; in a healthy diet; and in physical activities and nature experiences. The SPA concept dates all the way back to ancient Rome when the Romans constructed wonderful health resorts featuring thermal hot spring baths in order to show off their glory and wealth but also in order to enjoy the therapeutic effect of those baths.
Old wine in new bottles…
Until now, the tradition of visiting a spa resort in order to enjoy life and cure illnesses was mainly maintained in Eastern Europe and in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It was not until the end of the 20th century that people in the USA and in Northern Europe started taking a serious interest in these facilities as well. The wellness concept as we know it today started to evolve around that same time.
Why is wellness so popular?
Wellness is a means of boosting your zest for life and your energy levels whilst experiencing physical well-being. Stress often manifests itself through physical discomforts such as headaches, stomach aches or restlessness, and wellness focuses on re-establishing balance and harmony within your body and soul alike.
Perhaps this is why wellness has become so popular: it focuses primarily on positive feelings and well-being – i.e. the good life – rather than on finger-wagging.
A wealth of possibilities
Wellness covers a lot of areas such as sauna, spa, body treatments, aromatherapy, walks, massages, manicures, pedicures, fitness, mental training, yoga, good and healthy food, and last, but not least, time and peacefulness. Offering such a wealth of possibilities and variations, wellness fits every preference and budget. In addition, all those different treatments serve as ways of stimulating the five senses: Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling. This focus on entirety, which most of us do not have time to consider in our everyday lives, provides both internal and external harmony.