A Spa for Body and Soul

 

Taking the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine a step further, the newly opened spa at the Huntington Hotel combines them with messages, scrubs and wraps to treat the whole person. The five elements are: Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water. A questionnaire filled out at the beginning of your treatment tells your therapist what is out of balance in your life at that moment in time. At my treatment time my element out of balance was metal.

The journey continues with a unique breathing ritual enhancing the focus on the chosen element and aiding induction of a deeper sense of relaxation. Essential oils, incense and teas are tailored to bring the element back to harmony. Chuan treatments include Chuan Element Massages, Chuan Scrubs and Wraps, Chuan Hand and Foot Therapies, Chuan Man and Chuan Escapes packages.

Hints of mint and citrus wafted up at me as I breathed deeply of the scented oil. This was the beginning of my sixty-minute Chuan Element Couples Massage. My companion was out of balance with fire so his treatment was tailored towards that element.

 

The full-body message uses a combination of Swedish massage coupled with Acupressure. The message therapists have been specially trained in the art of Acupressure which uses pressure points on the body to restore its healthy chi.

The amount of pressure is up to you, light, medium, heavy it’s your call. I went with heavy since I sit at a computer all day and my muscles get very tight and tense. I also suffer from carpal tunnel and find that massages of my arms and hands very beneficial.

After a full hour of my muscles being rubbed and gently manipulated I crawled to the tea room for a pot of tea brewed especially for me and my out-of-balance element. Further time spent in the whirlpool reduced me to a puddle of relaxed muscles. Going back to work was very difficult; I didn’t want to harsh my mellow.

Chuan Spa is Langham Hotels International’s global luxury spa brand.  “Chuan” in Chinese means flowing water and water is considered the foundation of life. Chuan is among the very first hotel spas to incorporate principles of TCM into its signature treatments, ambience and décor.

The spa also offers a number of Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies by qualified TCM Practitioner Paulette Y. Saddler, M.D., F.A.C.P., who is on the attending staff of Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena and has an office specializing in medical acupuncture.  Dr. Saddler’s TCM treatments at Chuan Body + Soul include Jet Lag; Smoking Cessation; Food Cravings; Stress Reduction; and Neck or Lower Back Tension. Guests may have a standalone TCM session or couple it with massage for the ultimate relaxation therapy.

Call (626) 585-6414 for an appointment or more information. The Huntington Spa is offering a special for guests who book online at www.thehuntingtonspa.com: 25% off a second treatment through June 30, 2010. The Langham Huntington Hotel is located at 1401 S. Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena.