SOUL SPA Check out a new wellbeing centre in the city

GOOD FOR THE SOUL A new wellbeing centre called The Soul Spa has opened in the centre of Bath. Is this the future?

By Harriet Noble Images by Beata Cosgrove

This content was taken from Bath Life issue 404. This information was correct at the time

OPPOSITE: Deep in meditation in the zen den; THIS IMAGE: Life and soul of the party, owner Madeline Blackburn

Iwas very much brought up to expect the least and then you won’t be disappointed – but I railed against that notion and always believed that a positive outlook and mindset was much more likely to lead somewhere better than if you expect the worst,” says Madeline Blackburn owner of The Soul Spa, Bath’s latest wellbeing off ering. Madeline talks about the importance of creating places where people can do things rather than buy things. She is not alone here. We’ve seen a huge increase of businesses arriving in Bath – whether it’s high-end gyms or healthy foodie restaurants – that are all about experiences and have the common goal of improving our health and happiness. In short, the wellbeing industry has gone mainstream and is here to stay.

In keeping with this, and perhaps taking it to a new level, is The Soul Spa; a centre off ering a range of classes that aim to make us feel balanced and happy. The centre is located on Hetling Court, a stone’s throw from the Thermae Bath Spa, and there are diff erent sections: a mind, body, and spirit zone, a quantum fi eld and the zen den. But don’t be fooled by the word spa; it’s not a place of luxury strictly for the elite. Though it does off er massages, the main focus is very much on the mindbody connection, with “I believe we should all spend a few minutes with a quiet mind every day, just like we take a shower”

“Ooh, that’s where you hold all your tension,” says Bruni as she makes her way up to my shoulders during my holistic massage. This makes sense – like so many of us, I spend my days tap-tap-tapping away at the computer. My muscles are very knotted, she tells me, and she spends the next twenty minutes gently but firmly kneading the keyboard-inflicted hunch out of my upper body. Bruni’s chosen warm blend of lavender, bergamot and geranium oil soothes the stress out of my muscles as she pulls each of my arms behind my back in turn to perform this separating my head from my shoulders-type move that leaves me feeling somehow lighter than I have in a long while – and very reluctant to hang my bag back over my freshly released shoulders.

Post-massage, Bruni and I discuss the possible reasons behind the build up of knotted muscles in my body – my aforementioned computerbased profession – and she gives me exercises to do at my desk to release the tension from my neck and upper back, as well as call attention to those moments when my shoulders start creeping up towards my ears in a position known universally as: the stressed journalist.

Later I saw Andrew for a chakra balancing guided meditation in the zen den – a sort of cosy tent filled with cushions and softly lit with fairy lights that feels like a world away from the bustle of the streets below. I close my eyes, and Andrew leads me through a highly visual meditation, where I am encouraged to focus individually on each of the seven spinning chakras, their colours, and resolving any blockages I might have therein so I emerge from the zen den a lot more, well, zen, than I entered it. As Andrew guides me through an imaginary forest to lie down amongst the leaves, breathe and come back to myself, I am given a valuable moment of quiet contemplation at the end of a hectic work day I find myself very keen to repeat in the near future. LYDIA TEWKESBURY WENT TO TRY IT OUT…

SO WHAT ELSE IS ON OFFER? Apart from the daily meditations and treatments, Madeline plans to offer classes for chronic pain, grief, children, stressed out or anxious teenagers, couples trying to conceive, sports motivation, weight loss groups.

“Whether it’s high-end gyms or healthy foodie restaurants – that are all about experiences and have the common goal of improving our health and happiness”

meditation being at the forefront of that.

Madeline has deliberately set up her classes and timetable to work around people’s busy lives, enabling people to pop-in and out for short mediations at different times of the day that works for them and framing classes so that they fulfil a purpose which may be relevant to the time of day. The mediations can be as short as 20 or 30 minutes and can be paid for either by a membership or on a pay-as-you-go system.

“Morning classes are for raising your energy, lunch time classes may be to find the creative part of your mind, re-focus or even take an iRest power nap to set you up for the afternoon,” says Madeline.

“The evenings are about de-stressing and setting yourself up for a good night’s sleep. I truly believe we should all spend a few minutes with a quiet mind every day, just like we take a shower and clean our teeth.

It’s much easier to create a habit if you start as part of a group, which why I came up with the idea of The Soul Spa. I hope it will be my way to add to the sum happiness of the planet.”

The Soul Spa, Hetling Court, Bath: www.thesoulspa.co.uk