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On Ventura, Azura and Arcadia there’s also a Rasul chamber for mud therapy and even a spacious thermal suite with steam chambers, hot rooms and – my favourite – heated ceramic beds to lounge on. What a fantastic opportunity to allow yourself some extensive ‘me’ time.
I have had a hot stone massage before, but it was the first time I had heard of a Warm Bamboo Massage. In the Orient, bamboo symbolises strength, fertility, youth, prosperity and peace. And it’s reputed to keep evil spirits away, too.
Jenny had a collection of cho (bamboo) sticks varying in length and diameter, and they had been warmed up. When put under pressure, bamboo releases therapeutic energy, your circulation is stimulated thus toxins are removed more quickly and your respiration is improved. The oxygenated blood brings nutrition and healing to the cells and tissues of your poor aching muscles, and the massage helps realign muscle fibres without damaging them.
That’s the ‘science’ bit. Of course, I didn’t notice any of this while I was busy unwinding under the ‘rolling pin’. You feel the pressure of the big bamboo stick being applied to a much greater area, so it’s like a dozen hands are massaging you at the same time. Smaller sticks can follow the contours of your body into every groove, reaching muscles little
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It sounds a bit weird – a continuous flow of warm aromatic herbal oils was drizzled onto one spot on my forehead from a jug secured over me before trickling away down each temple – but it was very calming.
and large, and the warmth of the bamboo seeps through your skin to comfort stressed tissue. It’s so incredibly relaxing.
I was very impressed to see the Oasis Spa offered the OXYjet Star™ facial programme. OXYjet sells itself as a non-invasive but effective alternative to cosmetic surgery, and it’s one of the most state-of-the-art therapies you can have.
All you have to do is lie back and let the therapist take years off you. Again, the science goes over my head a bit, but my therapist, Sonica, started by deep cleansing and exfoliating my skin. Next comes the facial. It’s difficult to describe, but a kind of wand is passed over your face and neck, which pushes oxygen and nourishing serums deep into your skin.
The end result is a firmer complexion, plus fine lines and wrinkles are less noticeable. I felt the improvement particularly on my jaw line and neck, where the aging process seems to have most taken hold. Six weeks on, the effects are diminishing – I need to book another cruise so I can top up on OXYjet – but what a great alternative to cosmetic surgery, and you don’t need a celebrity’s bank balance to afford it.
The final treatment I opted for was from the Ayurvedic range. Ayurveda is a well-respected ancient
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