It had probably begun in ancient Sparta through which, people started going to public steam baths. Experts believe this to have some root of spa experience as people got benefited with such therapies. Ancient people also believed that bathing in natural spring water could soothe their body systems by restoring hormones and enzymes. The four main elements –touch, steam, scent and water then on, remained unchanged as most important factors in any spa therapy.
Right from the beginning, all knew that not only do spa therapies get human body the jointure of the body, mind and soul that achieves a total wellbeing but bathing and massaging with certain medicated oils, waters and/or extracts could also help curing many health ailments. Here, it is to be noted that while the look and features of spa changed along with time but the concept has remained the same. Also, the health benefits and favors from different spa therapies never changed.
In Ayurveda, spa therapies resembles to that of the Panchakarma, the most famous Ayurvedic therapies. Various types of massage (including mud therapies, hydro-therapies, and aromatherapies) have been described wonderfully in ancient Ayurvedic scriptures and texts. On the other hand, we can also find swimming pools, gym, spa, galleries and libraries etc in the huge botanies of ancient Roman bathrooms of Caracalla and Diocletian. Furthermore, old paintings of Russian culture in ancient time appeared with steam bath, cold-pools and platzas that involved scrubbing the skin using soapy branches of oak.
In Japan, you find Japanese Penny Baths (known as sentos) that uses hot and cold pools, in China, shiatsu massage offered great benefits since time immemorial. In India, Kerala Ayurvedic Spa is one of the most sought after relaxation-therapies that millions of tourists enjoy. There have been many methods (such as sweat lodges) that indigenous people across the world used to purifying the body and soul. In some parts of the world, it is also used to communicate with their ancestors.
The modern concept of spa has focused to calm down the body and mind from busy and hectic lifestyle. Spa therapies are now easily found at almost every corner of the world; from a simple chair massages performed in small health center to full-fledge pampering luxury spa therapies at five-star international standard hotels, there cannot be any excuse for you to not visit any of such outlets for relaxing yourself.
Ayurvedic spa focuses more on rejuvenating and revitalizing the body so that the health is maintained. Many people prefer to call Ayurvedic spa as Natural Medical Spa as the therapies performed here not only helps in getting an all new energy but also helps in alleviating signs and symptoms such as backache, knee pain, headache, general debility etc. Some ultra modern spas do offer color, hydro or mud therapy that has scientific value to restore body systems. However, nowadays, modern spa focuses more on beauty, glamour and reshaping your body.