Vision Spa Retreat: Reflections on spa, soul, and the role of water

Dreaming of a better future in the Year of the Black Water Snake

2013-02-08T06:00:00-06:00

Musing on dreams, water, spa; and a summer workshop

'Spa Culture & Dream Time' with Dr J.P. De Vierville

Oracles and divinations that offer insight into the complexities of human psyche and the choices and challenges that life presents fascinate many of us. We're also intrigued by dreams, and how these night-time visions can dive beneath our everyday personality and presentation to reveal what might really be going on both in our own lives and in the world around us.

As February comes in, according to Chinese astrology we shift from the year of the Water Dragon to that of the Water Snake. Dragon and Snake are both fiery creatures but the former has masculine qualities and the latter feminine. Last year and this one are both about 'fire under water', two elements in conflict. But what say we see the shift between these years as a chance to get out of hot water and into hot springs, set aside drama to do some dreaming!

For me, spa has always been associated with water, and especially warm waters. This increasingly minority view is shared by my friend Jonathan Paul De Vierville whose work I've featured each year on this blog. My encounter with him, and some notable others, led me to view water as more than a utilitarian substance; it's also the element associated with the unconscious, the realms of imagination and hidden knowledge, and dreams.

The Chinese motif for this year especially strikes me, since snakes appear often in my dreams (2013 already brought me one). Snakes are also present in the Ozark landscape where I live; the photo above is of the shed skin of a water snake found while wading in the creek that ran beside the spa-retreat I once owned. Snake signifies a heady mix of mystery and danger: these shy and sensitive creatures are linked with sexuality and sensuality as well as spiritual wisdom.

A Black Water Snake year is said to require attention to illusions and delusions ~ how easy it is to be seduced by the feminine beauty, glitz and glamor of spa or to get carried away by the advances in spa technology (the latter might associate best with the previous year's masculine Water Dragon!). But Water Snake also calls for revelation of our most daring dreams. If we can bear to shed old skins, it's said to be a year for transformation and new beginnings. Who knows.

Whatever your view on Chinese astrology, it's still worth taking time this year to look inside and beneath the surface of things and ask what most matters to you, what is truly needed by the world you live in. Seek out wild water places, soak in warm waters, contemplate your dreams. If you're wondering what a new vision for spa might look like, please take a look at my dream for change.

A unique experience in spa and dreaming

Join Jonathan De Vierville for Spa Cultures Dream Time in Bad Orb, Germany, June 23 to 28, 2013. To read more about it, including how to register, visit www.spacultures.com.

Press Release 13 March 2013

More on the ideas behind this workshop, adapted from my earlier post on the Evolution of Spa:

Jonathan's workshop carries with it the hope that a few people willing to dive deeper into the mysteries of spa might bring back new ways of celebrating and sharing its healing potential. This fascinating workshop incorporates Jungian dreamwork and Asclepian healing methods in the spa context. He's been offering this for nearly 15 years now at Toskana Therme in Germany, where the Liquid Sound Temple, cultural context, and natural surrounds, provide an ideal setting.

This unique seminar is 'for people who want to explore the unconscious for a variety of reasons from therapeutic to creative, and the right people find out about it mainly by word of mouth. The authentic spa experience prepares people for deeper exploration', says Jonathan. The seminar might be described as a spa mystery school but, he emphasizes, it is open and safe, and not in any way cultist.

Related posts:

Deep Sleep & Big Dreams at the Spa

The evolution of spa: an interview with Jonathan (2009)

Previous workshops:

Bad Orb, 2012

Bad Sulza, 2010

Bad Sulza, 2009

Jonathan De Vierville talks to Mickey Remann of SalveWeimar (2008)

Part 1

Part 2

Begone Spa!

2012-10-13T17:17:58-05:00

The Global Spa Summit (GSS) began its annual spa industry conferences in 2007 and this year (2012) added a trendy word to its name - Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS). Now, there may be a move afoot to kick out the Spa word with its possibly embarrassing connotations for an industry seeking to advance its status in the health arena. On October 6, 2012, the blog GSWS Weekender #30 revived a controversy initiated at the 2012 Summit when it asked its readers (for 'fun'): Do you think our industry should get rid of the word “spa”?

A critical commentary from keynote speaker Peter Rummell - former head of Disney Imagineering - at the 2012 GSWS has succeeded in provoking polarized reactions. Such a ruse works best if the audience is a ready target. It happens most often because something unsettling, sometimes denied, has been brought from shadow into light or from the collective unconscious into awareness. When that occurs those involved have an opportunity to take an honest second look, draw a deep breath and pull back the curtains still further. Is that what GSWS intends, or something else?

The spa industry struggles to define itself. This may be a consequence of having attempted to be all things to all people in pursuing business opportunities, while disregarding or denying the thread that once ran through its creative development from hot spring to resort spa. The 'spa' word has been applied with increasing liberty for some time (doggy day spa, auto spa, and it goes on). In the modern climate of linguistic and conceptual free-for-all, this is not unusual. It's becoming common practice to adapt the meanings and uses of words to serve new (marketing) purposes.

Recently, for example, I came across an article on the misuse and overuse by business of the word 'passion'. The writer suggests that in reality 'being passionate would be a handicap in business: it would cloud your judgement, and one thing that characterises many really successful people in business is that they have practically no interest in their product whatsoever.' Could it be that this has happened to 'spa' - that the most successful of those who've profited in this industry don't care about the origins of the term but are interested only in what they can profit by?

Professor J.P. De Vierville provides us in his comment on the #30 post with an historical accounting of 'spa(w)' and the central importance of water as a therapeutic medium. Yet, there has been a gradual draining away of the water from spa (as industry) that has been an intentional business manoeuvre. Back in 2004, the International Spa Association (ISPA) announced it had 'laid the task of defining spa to rest' after the association's board and marketing task force came to a consensus with the following statement that gave no mention of waters:

Spas are places devoted to enhancing overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit.[ISPA]

In 2010, a group of us associated with the British International Spa Association (BISA) under the chairmanship of Marion Schneider put forward a definition that reinstated water.   The following appeared in BISA's membership leaflet 2011: A spa is a place devoted to overall well-being by practising safe healing methods, including facials and body treatments, in an inspirational environment that acts in an environmentally responsible way and utilizes good quality water to enhance the consumer experience. My own variation appeared here:

Vision Spa Retreat sees the ideal spa as a place that encourages health and relaxation in an inspirational natural setting in which water plays a key role. Such spas promote safe healing practices, environmental responsibility and community involvement.

Also in 2010, Spa Business magazine asked 'Could a union with healthcare be the spa industry's reward for becoming more savvy about scientific research? This was met with enthusiasm and followed in 2011 by the launch of a Spa Evidence Portal at the Global Spa Summit (GSS). Since some in the spa industry aspire to being the answer to global healthcare, redefining Spa as Wellness (skipping the Water part again) would be attractive. Apparently, it's not about the word so much as what the word can win (or lose) you. Business opportunists seek abundant, readily available resources. Association of spa with waters has become inconvenient in the face of global water shortages. (But the healthcare business is a different thing.)

Perhaps perversely, for years now I have been suggesting that spa, in its original water-based meaning, could actually help restore our appreciation for water and its life-giving value. By reversing the trend of dissociation from its source waters, the spa community could, with more altruistic than profit-bent intent, help revitalize the world's waters, as well as human health. Without clean water, none of us will stay healthy. Instead of displacing the healthcare industry, spas might lend broader support and inspiration to it by modeling a deeply personal responsibility for the health of the waters and the environment on which we depend.

Had the spa industry (as represented by GSWS) been truer to its name, instead of selecting someone from Disney Imagineering to showcase this year's theme of 'innovation through imagination', it might have chosen instead the world-famous Cirque du Soleil and its founder Guy Laliberté. Back in 2009, this bold visionary spent 12 days aboard a Russian Soyuz, taking some astonishing photos that have recently been published as a book, GAIA. His space adventure was dedicated to raising awareness about water issues, and proceeds from the book sales will benefit the water charity ONE DROP.

If the spa world had that kind of imagination, I think it might provide a truly heart-warming example in recognizing the interdependence of people and planet. As it is, I'm disheartened by the ongoing scrabble within spa to prove itself (at least on the surface) to be something more than 'white woman walking a poodle'. Could the spa industry (along with all profitable industry today) dare to face its own shadow.   Could we stop wishing we were in a Disney movie, stop photoshopping images of ourselves and our planet, and start facing up to the predicament we are all in?

As Professor J.P. De Vierville asks (paraphrasing from personal correspondence): How many different ways can we integrate imagery in the unconscious and take this beyond the word 'spa(w)' and speak deeper to the very actions of the spa(w)orld? If you've read this far, you might be just the kind of spa visioneer to attend next year's Spa Cultures & Dream Time seminar at Toskana Therme, Bad Orb in Germany (June 23-28, 2013) - go here for more.

PS Although I have not referenced the gender issue (the archetypal battle between the wounded masculine and the repressed feminine) also raised in the comments after GSWS Weekender #30 in my post here, no doubt it is also present. If that is a topic that interests you, see: The Well of the Strong: Women and the Spa World

The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing: A Book Review

2012-07-09T10:38:24-05:00

The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing: A Guide to the Science of Holistic Healing by Jeremy McCarthy (July 10, 2012), reviewed by Sara Firman of Vision Spa Retreat is available at this link.

It's a good time for this refreshing book - an experienced and enlightened director's take on spa that is likely to both expand and deepen how the small yet potent word 'spa' is understood. I hope it will be read by both insiders and outsiders - supporters and detractors alike - since it offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking perspective on a world sometimes deemed superficial.

Jeremy McCarthy is Director of Global Spa Development and Operations at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and has over 20 years in the industry at management level. This book evolved from his capstone project while studying applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania (2009). Like the author, the book conveys its message in an accessible and inclusive way.

The text is also highly quotable, and would make an excellent training or review manual. Jeremy McCarthy's carefully distilled and articulated phrases could be used effectively to inspire your own questioning; and, if you work in the caring professions, to set a tone for your expertise that keeps a dynamic balance between intelligent inquiry and practical application.

Although this offering has been inspired by experience in the spa world, it has something to say to anyone providing services intended to take care of people. It is the direct service providers who could most benefit from the material presented, especially if their crucial role in translating ideas into practical actions is recognized by educators and employers.

None of the ideas synthesized so usefully here will have much impact if they are not conveyed through those on the front lines of service. As the author points out: ' Typically, the extremely good or extremely bad feedback does not have anything to do with the facilities of the spa, or even with the treatments themselves....[it is] based on [clients] interactions with one of our employees'.

Or putting it another way: 'having therapists who are confident and exhibit expertise and optimism can activate a healing response in their clients, regardless of the therapy being administered'. Which is not to say that Jeremy McCarthy is advocating the marketing of services lacking in substance or meaning that some have come to suspect of spa.

Instead, his book provides an upgraded foundation that is much needed - one that is not so much historical or cross-cultural but more a response to the interdisciplinary and innovative intentions of present-day spa. His insights place in context the myriad of treatments now on offer at spas; and would usefully inform the business strategies of an increasingly ambitious industry.

'[T]he real impact of a spa happens on the psychological level', says Jeremy McCarthy. This is fundamental to his approach and the unique contribution he is making to the profession. He's hopeful that scientific research in this arena can help to explain 'how a spa might be able to renew a person’s mind and spirit', and 'how the healing effects of a spa might be enhanced'.

In emphasizing the application of scientific findings, he gives us plenty of interesting and valuable examples. I'm glad he is also willing 'to recognize the limitations of science and not be afraid to go beyond the boundaries of that understanding', to 'push the boundaries to continue widening the circle of our scientific understanding of holistic wellbeing'.

When Jeremy McCarthy says: 'it is time to truly investigate the claims that the spa industry is making, and to better understand the mechanisms behind what makes a spa experience worthwhile, and why it is so popular', he means to demonstrate how to do that, and to take his colleagues along in a way that could motivate them to establish a distinctive mission.

'The value of the spa industry is that they go beyond science, offering services that are more holistic and encompassing the psychological and spiritual aspects of wellbeing .... [and] experiences that are novel, nurturing and pampering i.e., the delivery of the interventions is enjoyable, something we don’t get from our other more scientifically validated healing institutions.'

Rarely in any field do we find someone who is able to connect the dots to create a clear picture that others can both recognize and delight in. Someone who then enhances the view still further: 'For spas that are truly concerned with wellbeing, they must consider how their clients’ relationships and role in society can play a part.' This is something that asks for more than seeking out market advantage.

'Spas should attempt to understand the community and societal factors that contribute to wellbeing, and possibly to play more of a partnering role in working with their clients to resolve issues that impact wellbeing across larger groups of people.' In this statement is a suggestion I especially endorse - that spa could positively influence the culture it serves.

As pragmatic as he is altruistic, the author notes: 'The spa industry does invite criticism because of its exclusivity and its focus on the highest spectrum of the socioeconomic scale. There are huge business opportunities for spas that figure out ways to profitably offer their wellbeing services to the larger numbers of people who reside at the base of the economic pyramid.'

For anyone questioning whether spa and wellness do in fact intersect, some good insights, approaches and models are covered. 'The spa industry seems to wrestle with its own identity in this respect', notes Jeremy McCarthy and while 'spas want to be taken seriously as centers for health and wellness ....much of their dialogue with consumers is about pampering and luxury'.

The latter criticism is gracefully addressed, along with other tricky areas such as the association of spas with spirituality: 'Pleasure, engagement, and meaning all overlap and interplay within different individuals to contribute to their overall wellbeing.... Spas have an opportunity to leverage this synergy to create healing experiences' that encompass all these dimensions.

This is an enormously broad, arguably exaggerated, canvas for spa to claim. 'The challenge for the spa industry is to find ways to apply the science of wellbeing not only in the extensive offerings of the destination spa but also in the brief windows of time that other types of spas have to interact with clients.' Can all this come under one clearly recognizable umbrella as 'spa'?

In practice, does the industry rise to the empowering approach implied in asserting: 'Regardless of the type of spa, the biggest value comes from what the customer is able to take away from the experience' and 'the true benefit of a spa visit comes when someone learns skills and behaviors and adopts them into their lifestyle to change long-term health and wellbeing.' This remains to be seen.

There is a significant way in which spa as industry may have diluted or dissolved its original source in an attempt to be all things to all people, and that is in its gradual abandonment of the waters. Beyond the physical benefits, in psychological, spiritual and mythological terms, water provides many insights into human behavior and human potential that have long been neglected.

Whilst Jeremy McCarthy acknowledges the ancient association of spas with water, and that '[w]ater continues to be prominent in many modern spas', he points out that 'it no longer seems to be a requirement or a defining feature.... People now seem to believe that the mechanisms behind what makes a spa beneficial go beyond the healing properties of the water.'

Is this what the industry intended as it grew from sanctuaries at natural water sources - many now lying in disrepair in the US - and became an outlet for the sale of products and promises in place of the fountain of youth? Some say the shift occurred around WWII when medicine reclaimed the territory of health. Hopefully the latest call for science at the spa will not be a repeat takeover but a truly respectful alliance unpolluted by profit motive.

Notably absent in this book, is the environmental impact of spa. Human health and planetary health are necessarily inseparable. From providing safe settings to using non-toxic products to conserving resources like energy and water, spas effectively demonstrate their intent and integrity when they uphold the highest of standards for health and safety in both human and environmental terms.

Healthcare of any kind is missing something crucial when it overlooks this interconnection between environment and people. We are also missing something when we assume that everything from water to spirituality may be turned into a commodity administered by experts and a globalized industry. Considering the state of our waters as a reflection of our own state, might be salutary.

At the start of his book, Jeremy McCarthy provides an intriguing quote from Alex Szekely suggesting that spas can be considered 'fences' against going over a dangerous cliff to an unhappy end and avoiding the ambulances. I hope also that people rediscover trust in themselves and their own capacities to know what is best for them. Spas might offer an encouraging setting for that if they allow enough leeway.

Above all, our widely respected author has described how his industry might achieve the balance of scientific protection and creative freedom. He has done this in a way that is likely to be appreciated by people across the spectrum from medical spas (apparently the fastest growing category in the industry) to spas that seek to revive and incorporate ancient healing traditions. This is a man capable of encouraging cooperative collaboration.

Jeremy McCarthy says 'While there is no right or wrong way to spa, it is helpful for consumers to understand the core philosophy that has helped to integrate spas into the mainstream.' I'd add that before this can happen, spa providers, managers and owners need to become aligned in their core philosophy. This book is an excellent resource for deepening that understanding and initiating honest dialogue about the degree to which spa serves its people.

Read the book ...

The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing: A Guide to the Science of Holistic Healing by Jeremy McCarthy will be released on July 10, 2012 and can be purchased directly from his website here.

Take the course ...

UC Irvine Extension’s Spa and Hospitality Management Certificate Program is offering a new course on Positive Leadership in Spas and Hospitality with Jeremy McCarthy - it has run twice this year and will no doubt be on the program again. For more go here.

Deep Sleep & Big Dreams at the Spa: An interview with Dr J. P. De Vierville

2012-05-21T17:16:32-05:00

This summer (July 1-6, 2012), my friend Dr Jonathan Paul De Vierville is offering a 5 night/6 day long seminar on SpaWaters, Dreams & Cultures at Toskana Therme in Bad Orb near Frankfurt, Germany. It is my pleasure to introduce him to you in a recording of our recent discussion via Skype.

I hope this audio will give you a taste of what the workshop involves, although by far the best way to immerse yourself in this sleeping, floating, dreaming, spa experience is to try it yourself. There are still some openings for participants and I encourage you to consider it. More on registering here.

I asked Jonathan to talk about the practice he calls Eco/Social/Psi/Cultural Dreaming, and to describe how the spa and cultural settings provided by Toskana Spa & Therme in Bad Orb, near Frankfurt, Germany, play their part in creating the right ambiance for this dreamwork.

Since Jonathan will soon be attending the Global Spa and Wellness Summit (3-6 June) where this year's topic is 'Innovation through Imagination', I also asked how he sees Eco/Social/Psi/Cultural Dreaming contributing to the role of spa in shaping our world.

Finally, we spoke briefly about 'The Waters' role in restoring body, heart, mind and soul. In particular, how we might tap into this power of water to affect our psyches through the active imagination in symbols from dreams.

So, I invite you to sit back with a long glass of cooling water or to relax in a warm bath with your ipod nearby and listen to more on dreams and healing waters. Click the play arrow on the left of the bar below for approximately 25 minutes of dreaming listening time.

Spawaters, dreams and cultures 2012

This is the sixth time this seminar is being offered with ToskanaWorld and the first time at Bad Orb, Germany. For more information about the upcoming workshop, please visit spacultures.com.