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WellnessMatters EUROPEAN SPA SHINES A LIGHT ON THE LATEST GLOBAL WELLNESS TRENDS AND MODALITIES Ed i te d by M a r k S m i t h
EDITOR’S PICK
It’s time for tea
As evidence of its health benefits grows, we look at how incorporating tea rituals into your spa offering can also enhance the guest experience
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ea rituals can play an important role in the guest journey in spa and wellness operations. From a welcoming beverage on arrival, to a calming post-treatment infusion with their inclusion on spa café menus, hydrating and health-giving teas can nourish the mind and infuse the spa experience with warmth. “Traditional tea and herbal teas contain active chemical compounds such as phenols, flavonoids and tannins, which are released into an infusion after brewing,” explains Ajit Madan, founder of UK brand Camellia’s Teahouse. “These provide the much researched health benefits of tea and herbal tea.” Drinking tea can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attacks and much more, as dietitian and Tea Advisory Panel member, Dr Carrie Ruxton, explains: “There’s emerging evidence that tea-drinking (black and green) could help to reduce stress, the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.”
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Tea ceremonies date back thousands of years in Japan and China, and as our understanding of the health and mindfulness benefits of tea increases, its role in the wellness experience is growing. “As spas position themselves as places to help support health and wellness, integrating and synchronising tea into rituals goes well beyond the idea of its being just a complimentary beverage after a treatment, which has been the historic approach,” says Sarah Strang, founder of Tea & Tonic. Blending tea into the spa experience Integrating tea therapy can holistically enhance the spa journey, especially when the choice of tea enhances the benefits of the treatments on offer. With this in mind, many spa brands have introduced spa teas into their wellness retail offering. ESPA has developed a collection of Vegan Society certified wellness teas to enhance the uplifting
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