| Hawaii's Spa Experience |
 |
| by Sherrie Strausfogel |
From the indigenous healing practices of the ancient kahuna to the
modern-day spa, Hawaii has a collection of rejuvenation secrets. Hawai‘i’s
Spa Experience: Rejuvenating Secrets of the Islands is the first book solely
dedicated to the spas of Hawai‘i.
From lomilomi and ti leaf wraps to yoga and tai chi, Hawaii’s spas offer the
best beauty and wellness treatments from the Islands and the many other
Asian cultures that influence the Hawaii spa experience. Evocative
descriptions of the signature treatments of the top resort spas will leave
you longing for a macadamia nut body scrub, orchid oil facial or sandalwood
foot massage.
You will find recipes for tasty spa treats, as well as tips to recreate the
Hawaii spa at home. For the spa novice, there are instructions on how to
find your way around a spa and a glossary of “spa speak.” Lastly, you’ll
find a directory to make it easy to book your next treatment. |
9.5" x 9" • 128 pp • Softcover • $22.95 1-56647-687-9
|
Excerpts from Hawaii's Spa Experience: Rejuvenating Secrets of the Islands by Sherrie Strausfogel and Sophia V. Schweitzer.
Uniquely Hawaii
About 1800 years ago, a small group of men and women set out from
the southern Marquesas in double-hulled canoes. Guided solely by the pattern of waves and winds and the flight
of birds, they navigated the vast Pacific Ocean for more than a thousand miles….
A unique health care system developed, centered on deep respect and reverence for the bountiful new
homeland. It had to embrace the unavoidable and frightening reality of active volcanoes, tsunamis, floods and
droughts-phenomena that they believed the Gods controlled and that were intimately connected to one's
physical, emotional and spiritual health. The Hawaiian people came to understand that all things were
interconnected.
Products from Hawaiian Soil:
In Hawaii, endemic and indigenous plants-those that
grew here before the first voyagers came - were supplemented by Polynesian species. At least four of
these natives-awa wild ginger, noni, and mountain apple -have garnered the medical community's interest. A
handful have made their way to the spa.
Limu (Sea Plants)
Whether they are apple-green wisps, translucent voile, amber-colored parchment, or crisp, dark-rose clumps
along Hawaii's lava-strewn coasts, these nutrient-packed sea plants and algae are integral to the modern spa.
Hawaii's Elite Spas
Many of the most prized spas are situated in the Edenic places,
where ancient times and ali'i (kings and queens) played or convalesced.
Oahu
Today millions of people come to the shores of Waikiki each year to play and, perchance, to heal. Here,
bordered by a calm canal on one side and the ocean on the other spas nestle against each other along Kalakaua
Avenue. Escape within their sanctuaries-with the latest healing traditions-and you will quickly leave the
crowd behind.
Abhasa Waikiki Spa at the Royal Hawaiian
Abhasa is the only spa here to offer outdoor cabana massages-on a small secluded garden patio.
Abhasa is one of Waikiki's first spas in one of Oahu's oldest hotels-the Pink Palace of the Pacific" was built in 1927-but the spa's mystique reveals itself in its rather unexpected offerings, blends of high-tech equipment and traditional approaches.
To see more about my tour of the spa, click here.
Ihilani Spa at the JW Marriott, in Ko 'Olina
Ihilani Spa at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko 'Olina was the first spa destination to open on
O'ahu, and has remained loyal to its own themes.
To read my review on the spa, click here.
