Healing powers

Nestled adjacent to the towering Elite Resort in Muharraq lies a charming boutique spa that has, since its inception four months ago, carved its niche in the local health market.

Two Bahraini entrepreneurs Maisa Sheikh and Nedhal Al Khunaizi are the co-owners of Sparadise, an upmarket and exclusive spa that promises to provide its clients with pampering and luxury in an exotic oriental ambience.

"The spa is more of a labour of love than a business venture for us," Maisa informed me as I met her in the small but welcoming spa foyer.

"We conceived the idea two years ago and instead of hiring a consultant I have been working on the concept since then. I tried to envisage things from a client's perspective and had the freedom to develop a unique facility with attention to detail. International spa chains at times overlook small details that make a big difference in the overall spa experience.

"In Sparadise, I tried to incorporate the positive aspects of the various spas that I've visited through the course of the years which of course have been fine-tuned by our team of professional therapists," commented Maisa.

Indeed small details like temperature control in each room, individual music selection of four channels, hot cabbies instead of disturbing the client with the sound of water, separate dŽcor and colour scheme for each treatment room with a unique message for each are some of the distinctive features of the spa. Although Sparadise is not a sprawling facility - there are five treatment rooms for women and four for men with separate salons for men and women - the spa offers a bouquet of treatments from all over the world. What it loses out in size it more than compensates in ambience and treatments as I was about to discover.

My first treatment of the day was a relaxing milk bath. As I was led through the dimly-lit passage ways I was reminded of a charming Arabian quarters with the smell of incense emanating from every nook and corner. It seemed that beyond every carved wooden door of the treatment room a mystery was waiting to be unfolded.

Once inside my terracotta-tiled treatment room my South African therapist, Sally, helped me into a semi-circular sunken bath of jasmine oil, milk and rose petals and quietly stepped out of the room.

Everything around me from the flickering candle lights to rose petals and rich red and gold woven brocade spread seemed ethereal. As I closed my eyes and sank deeper in the warm milk bath it was as though I was transported to the bygone era of 1001 Arabian Nights. Sally's almost inaudible entry brought me back to reality as she informed me that it was time to start the next treatment, the Sacred Stone Therapy.

After doing the sniff test between three different kinds of oils in their respective crystal bottles - I chose an energising oil from Bali containing peppermint, rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus known for their uplifting and regenerative properties which have an additional benefit of boosting circulation - Sally started the massage with firm rhythmic movements with just the perfect amount of pressure. After completing the oil massage in one part of the body she incorporated the hot volcanic stones to further massage that portion of the body. The heat from the stones was pleasurable and relaxed my muscles to the core leaving me satiated and relaxed.

"The body is a road map of energy lines called meridians or chakras and through the use of the hot basalt stones and cold crystals we open the blocked energy channels in the body. Volcanic stones have been around since time immemorial and contain a lot of energy and according to some possess unique healing powers," Sally informed me while gliding the stones up and down my rather oily leg.

As I shifted my position Sally placed a couple of flat hot stones on the treatment bed which were positioned exactly underneath the length of my spine and proceeded to place cold crystals on specific spots on my body - amethyst on the crown of my head, turquoise on my throat, blue stones on my eye. I remained motionless for a couple of minutes with hot stones and cold marbles placed in specific parts of my body to balance my mind and body. It was an odd but pleasant sensation where I felt I was floating in the air oblivious to my surroundings.

With a steady flow of men and women entering the carved doors, the future of Sparadise is certainly looking bright on the island. The 30-minute Milk bath is priced at BD20 and the 90-minute Sacred Stone therapy costs BD42.