Relaxing more than a luxury when it comes to health
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern
Relaxing through methods such as massages and skin care treatments is not just a luxury. Rather, it is part of taking care of the body and pursuing wellness.
At Fusions Spa and Wellness in Sylva, the owners espouse the concept of all over wellness,” which encompasses mind, body and spirit, said manager Jessica Perri.
Therapists speak with their clients about what needs they want the session to meet. The rooms are quiet. The spa uses organic products. Clients receive hot towels and can enjoy aromatherapy during their treatments.
All of this is done to help foster a relaxing environment beginning as soon as a client walks in, Perri said. The goal is to be the “calm in the crazy storm.”
Perri said Fusions often focuses more on massages than skin care. The Swedish and deep-tissue massages are the most commonly requested, but Fusions also offers specialty massages including sports massages that can treat or prevent injuries and pregnancy massages that help alleviate some of the issues associated with pregnancy such as lower back pain.
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She said there has been a shift in how people view massages — now seeing them as a preventative measure rather than just a luxury. Some of the benefits of massage include increasing circulation, relieving muscle tension from stress or injury and helping people wind down.
“It’s just a timeout from everything,” Perri said.
She said this simple timeout is crucial for maintaining wellness. Many people carry their stress in the base of their neck and shoulders. Along with the pain that comes from that tightness, people may suffer from headaches and more widespread discomfort.
“Without taking the time to unwind your body is never letting it go,” she said. “So it’s just building up.”
But people do not have to schedule a massage to maintain wellness. Perri said there are simple practices people can incorporate into their daily routines to help relieve their bodies of stress and tension. Drinking water regularly and taking time to stretch can help — simple things that can sometimes be hard to remember, she said. Epsom salt baths have many healing properties as well and can help a wide range of ailments from sunburn to sore muscles.
It all comes down to setting aside moments for quiet time, something Perri said is in short supply. She said social media often exacerbates this condition. With the constant pull to connect and see what others are doing, people feel they must also share where they are going, what they are doing and how it went.
“There isn’t a quiet moment that people generally have,” she said. “They usually have a very busy life whether they’re at home with the kids and constantly going, whether they’re in their job and they’re constantly going.”
Perri said it is important to take a break from this noise and find even a small amount of time to help release tension.
“I think breathing is also taken for granted,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of people think too much about taking some deep breaths and just letting things go.”
Fusions will soon be expanding its services. Although it does not offer in-house yoga, there there are yoga retreats. It will transition to a new building in the fall. The added space will allow for yoga classes as well as a full-day spa that will include steam rooms and saunas.
For more information visit fusionsspa.com or call 828.631.0232.
