HEALTH A day at the spa

Pummeling, preening and pampering


Nurturing
Áine Ryan

SO the excesses of the Christmas season are fading. Unfortunately, not on the tummy or in the bank account though. New Year’s resolutions teeter on the edge of the trash bin, along with the horribly healthy detoxification diet that, two weeks into, is humdrum, boring.
Don’t give up now. Think of the new light of spring, the darling buds of May, a sun-soaked afternoon on a golden beach.
And, moreover, as an incentive why not plan a treat. This writer highly recommends a pampering afternoon at the Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel at Westport Harbour. Recently, Ciara Moynihan, Living Editor, and myself were the most willing subjects of such a day of indulgence. Mmm…
Think caressing warmth, alluring citrus fragrances, soft lights. Imagine an intimate, soft-piled reception room with warm carpets deep armchairs, exotic fruits, refreshing sparkling water, tempting chocolates. And that’s all before the odyssey of pampering proper even begins!
Time to don that comfy toweling robe and slippers and sink into a Hydrotherapy Bath. Frankly, one could liken the experience to a cross between a Jacuzzi and a power-washer. Imagine an army of warm jets of water opening those clogged pores while aromatic oils and seaweeds cleanse them.
To put it bluntly, the experience felt like one’s innards had been deployed as go-go dancers at a rave. Totally refreshing and cleansing, and unbelievably invigorating.
As this writer stepped out of the hydrotherapy bath, it was as if every molecule and nucleus of my being had been forensically revived and reanimated.
That was as I glided back to our luxurious oasis for a browse through the Sunday newspapers and a cup of herbal tea before a heavenly Elemis full-body massage.
Seventy minutes of sheer de-stressing of those taut shoulders, tired limbs and deep tissue.        
The Elemis full-body massage provides a customised rhythmic massage, which both alleviates and eases aching muscles and, with the use of special oils, revives the senses.
And, what is more, courtesy of the professionalism and dedications of our two therapists for the afternoon, Aishling and Hazel Costello (not related!), Ms Moynihan and myself as good as levitated at the end of that particular experience.
But more indulgences awaited us! Those jaded eyes, furrowed foreheads, strained mouth-muscles (we talk a lot in The Mayo News) were about to be attended to via an Elemis Visible Difference Facial. 
Looking a decade younger, and feeling a half-century less aged, we can assure you that it was difficult to leave our pampering palace and return to the real world.
So, like all sensible and sophisticated women, we didn’t. Well not exactly. The Early Bird menu at the Carlton Atlantic Coast, followed by an exquisitely naughty little cocktail, is quite simply a delicious last course to a perfect afternoon. Garçon, another bottle of your best Chablis…