The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 14: Winter 2019 | Page 43

Innovative new spa concept puts wellness at its heart Bath has been a pilgrimage of wellness for centuries, with many travelling miles to bathe in the city’s thermal waters for its health boosting benefits. Skip to 2019 and Bath could soon be known as one of the first adopters of the ‘Soul Spa’ a place for people to take time out of their busy lives for some all-important ‘me time’. In our ever-connected digital lives, taking time out to rest and reset is becoming paramount. Especially for those in the corporate world. According to the UK Mental Health Foundation, evidence suggests that 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions and better mental health support could save UK businesses up to £8 billion per year. But how can companies and individuals help their minds to become calmer, clearer and less stressed? Bath-based entrepreneur, Madeline Blackburn, may have found the answer. Madeline has just opened the doors to The Soul Spa. Based on Hetling Court in the spa quarter, just a few steps from Thermae Bath Spa, The Soul Spa is a new concept in health and wellness. Madeline said, “Many of us go to the gym, or try to eat healthily to maintain good health, but how many of us pay attention to what is going on in our heads? The first place to start when considering any regime for wellbeing is within. Our conscious and subconscious minds control everything we think and do, and we are often at the mercy of our automatic programming, environment, or simple habits as we go about our daily lives. “What if our thoughts are creating emotions and behaviours that don’t serve us? Can we change them or are we completely under their power? Are we pre-destined to get that rush of adrenalin when somebody annoys us on the road and we experience road rage? Do you know what happens when the adrenaline surges through your body? What about the long-term effects of being slightly worried, on edge or anxious? What happens to your mental and physical health then? “Recent advances in brain and body scanning techniques allow us to measure what is going on when we experience long- term stress. Almost daily there is a headline about the mental health of one group or another, but the connection between mental and physical health is not always discussed. “The great news is that we can indeed begin to change the way we think and feel. The automatic programming can be changed if we are willing to engage with it. The Soul Spa is all about helping people to become aware of the thought patterns that they would like to change and give them the tools to change them. “Dive in and look at some of the classes and courses on offer. With practice and determination, you can regain control of your mind and therefore to create the life you really want to lead, not the one your past and environment has programmed you to lead.” Meditations include: • Insight- develop a calm and focused mind and unhook from your thoughts • Unwind, relax and reset: Improved sleep – guided meditation • Traditional Zen meditation to balance your mind and body • Chakra balancing guided meditation • Peace – Traditional Zen meditation to reduce stress and create peace of mind • Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) meditation to release anxiety Treatments available at the Soul Spa include: • Massages, including Shiatsu & Hollistic • Reiki Felicia Severns, Odyssey World • Hypnotherapy • Ayurvedic medicine • Homeopathy • Aromatherapy • EFT • Acupressure • Pranic healing There are also five spaces available for both individuals and businesses to hire. These include: The Zen Den The Soul Spa has a dedicated room called the Zen Den. A space for private or guided meditation equipped with meditation mats, cushions or chairs, comfortable flooring, mood lighting and sound system. Some sessions may be conducted via headphones for an even deeper inner experience. The Zen Den runs daily timetabled meditation sessions, led by meditation teachers and practitioners. Outside of the timetabled hours it is rentable for groups at £25 per hour. The Quantum Field A room where the field of possibilities is wide open. This is where the learning occurs including workshops, courses and special interest groups. It is set out with chairs and a TV for displaying course materials. The space is also rentable for groups at £25 per hour. • Acupuncture The Mind Zone A rentable therapy room on the ground floor. It has a desk with chair, a gravity-free recliner chair, ideal for hypnotherapy or reflexology. If required, there are headphones which can be used in conjunction with a microphone and backing track for hypnotherapy or guided meditations. The room is also equipped with a blue tooth speaker for the therapist’s choice of music, mood lighting and an oil burner. The Mind Zone is rentable for £15 per hour. The Body Zone A rentable therapy room on the first floor with a permanent massage table with extra padded cushioning. Towels, pillows and fresh pillow-cases are provided. There is a gravity- free recliner if required. The room is also equipped with a blue tooth speaker for the therapist’s choice of music, mood lighting and an oil burner. The Body Zone is rentable for £15 per hour. The Spirit Zone The Spirit Zone can seat up to five for small group or family therapy. The room is equipped with a bluetooth speaker for the therapist’s choice of music, mood lighting and an oil burner. The Spirit Zone is rentable for £15 per hour. To find out more about The Soul Spa visit: www.thesoulspa.co.uk pop in to 2 Hetling Court, Bath, call 01225 318226 or email: [email protected] Supporting your staff ’s mental well-being is a no-brainer! Prices for corporate membership start at £20 per month per person Corporate memberships at the Soul Spa in central Bath include access to 13 teacher-led meditation and relaxation classes per day, plus daily drop-in sessions. Classes are built around the working day and benefi ts may include: • Staff retention, productivity and workplace engagement • Happier, less stressed, more focused and creative staff • Reduced absenteeism due to mental or physical illness • Recruitment incentive WELLNESS FROM WITHIN Contact Madeline on 01225 318226 or email [email protected] or visit www.thesoulspa.co.uk to fi nd out more • 2 Hetling Court, Bath BA1 1SH THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019 43