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Tucked away in the busy folds of Manchester city centre is The Spa at The Midland. 2016 marks The Spa’s first birthday and, in celebration, they have created a new treatment package: Serene Sleep. This new treatment is available as a 55- or 80-minute session and is comprised of:
- A personal consultation
- Hot stone back massage
- Facial massage with rose quartz crystals
- Facial treatment mask
- Scalp massage
On arrival at The Spa, you are greeted by friendly staff and provided with a robe and slippers to start your experience. Once changed and ready to leave your cares behind you, your assigned therapist will begin your consultation.
The purpose of this exercise is to give the therapist a good understanding of you and your body and an awareness of any stresses, anxieties, allergies and/or injuries you may be experiencing.
Based on this discussion, you are provided with a tailor-made treatment to suit your needs. In my case, I was provided with a modified selection of products and an inhalation aromatherapy oils experience, due to ingredient allergies.
Following the consultation, the therapist steps out of the room to allow you to make yourself comfortable and returns a few moments later. Soothing music is played and the lights are dimmed to encourage your body to relax.
The treatment begins with the hot stone massage. The therapist checks throughout this treatment if the stones are of a comfortable temperature and modifies her application of pressure on request.
Hot stones are placed on the length of the back, beside the hips and in the palms. Alongside essential oils that were handpicked during a sensory test at the start of the session, the hot stones play a key role in the massage as they focus on the Marma points, releasing deep-seated muscular tension, clearing toxins and rebalancing the chakras.
This is an incredibly relaxing treatment and the application of pressure in more painful areas helps to eradicate tension in the back and shoulders. My upper back was much more relaxed by the end of this treatment.
The therapist provides a gentle prompt when it is time to move on to the next treatment. On turning over, I was very much aware that my body had gone into a relaxed state, very much similar to the state just before sleep.
Warm rose quartz crystals are placed on the face to reduce tension, particularly around forehead, eyes and jawline. Again, the therapist is attentive and checks that the temperature is okay.
The mask immediately follows the massage. The oil blend used in the mask following the warm heat of the massage has a comforting and soothing effect.
Lavender, cedarwood and ylang ylang essential oils not only induce a state of serenity, but help to hydrate and rejuvenate the skin. The face is then patted with a warm damp towel to remove any residue and allow the skin to breath and fully absorb the oils.
Finally, the therapist carries out a scalp massage. I was pleased that consideration was given to the choice of scalp product and that she had chosen a product suitable for afro hair.
A clay massage mask is applied to the scalp and massaged into the head. This process helps to clear any remaining stresses. Following the other treatments, I had already been left with very few.
At the end of the session, the therapist provides a personal booklet highlighting products used in the session and products that may be of interest/of particular use. I was then escorted to the relaxation room, filled with individual sleep pods, where I was able to continue my chilled experience before heading back into the busy city centre.
Following my session, I purchased an essential oils toner that had been used during the facial and was provided with a complementary package of sample products for combination/oily skin (every purchase comes with a free gift).
If you’re looking for the perfect get-away from busy city life, The Spa is definitely the place to head to.
Details of treatments and prices can be found on their website.
