In wellness and in health

It’s ironic, observes one street-smart fellow, that today, we have taller buildings but shorter tempers. We have bigger houses and smaller families. We have more conveniences but less time. We have more medicines but less wellness. We smoke too much, drink too much, laugh too little (or love too little). We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to our life, not life to our years. We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space.

Oh, well, if you’re searching for wellness (to soothe your weary body and spirit), you  need not look far. The newly opened LeSpa at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila boasts the latest in wellness technology. No ifs and baths about it.

Yes, LeSpa is bringing in the world-famous (and very pricey) Trautwein wellness bathtub that costs P800,000 (enough to buy a car or  perhaps a modest suburban house). Tracing its beginnings to 1928 in Emmendingen, west of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, Trautwein has been known for its high-end products for the wellness industry. Providing technology for all senses, Trautwein wellness products have found their way into big hotels, nursing homes, physiotherapy rooms, and private homes. And now, we have a Trautwein bathtub right here at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

And so to bath. The Trautwein bathtub will be available in one of the nine treatment rooms at LeSpa. “It will be there where the steam room is,” says Sofitel public relations manager Genny Marcial.

Trautwein is known for its quality fittings, perfected electronic system, and high-grade acrylic tub material.

“With its calming sounds, the Trautwein bathtub’s got a soothing effect on the nerves,” Genny elaborates.

Built around the concept of chromatherapy, the wellness tub uses color for optimal health. So, after running a bath, get into the tub, immerse yourself in the warm therapeutic water and, with a touch of a button, revel in the full spectrum of colors, from soothing to stimulating. Therapists say colored rays can cause changes in the cells, blood vessels, and the nervous system. Oh, what a bath! Who wouldn’t trade his soul for such a heaven-sent experience?

With its underwater massage, the Trautwein wellness tub can improve metabolism and help with medical/health problems such as rheumatism, vascular disorders, vegetative dystonia (involuntary, sustained muscle contraction), Sudeck’s syndrome (disturbance in the sympathetic nervous system), and arthralgia (pain in the joints).

If you had a bathtub like this at home, who could blame you for taking forever in the bathroom?

So, what else makes LeSpa the spa-cial place for spa-cial people? That is, apart from its state-of-the-art relaxation/revitalization/reharmonizing/beauty treatments?

Yes, there’s good news and there’s bed news. LeSpa is bringing in the Ionto wellness bed (four of them, in fact). What’s so spa-cial about this high-tech bed is that it’s got a one-of-a-kind, highly flexible cushion that molds to the shape of your body while you’re lying down in any position. That means guaranteed comfort to the max and proper posture in all reclining positions. Cushions are also available with temperature control and adjustable backrest, footrest, and seat height and angle.

What else can you do in an Ionto bed aside from lie in it? With two types of padding (cushion or medical), Ionto wellness beds are ergonomically suited for cosmetic, wellness or massage treatments. There’s a fully automatic Ionto with electronic remote control and a partially automatic one, where the backrest, footrest, and seat angle are adjusted manually.

Ionto wellness beds come in such variants as the Balance Wellness Bed with soothing vibrations and relaxing music to create a unique wellness experience, and the Relax & Balance Bed, which is just the right bed if you want peace and quiet in your room. It comes with a guarantee that its vibrations and sound will help you find your inner balance. Indeed, for some people, it’s harder to find a good bed than a good bedmate.

Ionto is also behind such bright, innovative ideas as the colored light that “acts positively on the psyche and calms down the skin,” and the infrared light (a short-wave infrared light that works deep within the body to activate circulation).

“Last week, Sofitel also brought in state-of-the-art resistance training (kinesis) equipment, the first of its kind in the Philippines,” Genny announces.

But then again, remember what another wise man said: “There’s a lot of people in this world who spend so much time watching their health that they haven’t the time to enjoy it.”