And Then He Started Beating Me With A Bundle of Oak Leaves
If you follow me on social media, you already know I recently returned from London and the World Spa and Wellness Convention – you’ll know because I’ve been blabbing and photo dumping for weeks – you’re welcome. 
You’ll also know because I made the trip the focus of our coaching session this week – and guess what – your absence at the coaching session did not go unnoticed. 
Lucky for you I’m a forgiving friend and although I don’t typically reward no-shows, I’m going to make an exception. Why? Well, because I can – plus I know you’ll enjoy hearing about my adventures .
So, here’s a quick recap of the trip and a few notes on the subsequent feedback session I shared via Zoom this week (I’m kinda glad you didn’t attend because you would have seen all the compromising video clips of me being beaten with bushels of leaves and having buckets of ice-cold water dumped on me – but more on that later…)
First up – the annual spa conventions always seem similar right? The usual exhibitors and the same technology with a few advancements here and there – always valuable to attend and great for networking…
Well, let me tell you – this year my head was spinning! I saw a MASSIVE technology jump (which I’ve been predicting) so I was secretly relieved to be justified that my crystal ball still works – ha!
Besides trawling the exhibition I also tried as many services as possible (all in the name of education of course. 
) My hope is that sharing my experiences with you will inspire you to audit your business to include some of the new trends to take your offering to the next level – AMPLIFY!
At the Professional Beauty Show in Excel the following stood out to me as highlights, but I can’t go in detail on all of these otherwise you might evict me from your inbox. If you want more info on any of the below reach out to me by replying to this email and I’ll share what I know.
1. Skin Scanners
2. LED light therapy
3. Sound therapy
4. Experience treatment beds
5. Equipment, equipment, equipment – clearly the future of the industry
(This is the low-cal version of the treatments I experienced – the full story will be available on the coaching replay for those who registered)
Float Pod / Float Therapy / Float Spa
I’ve done floatation treatments before – never liked them much. Salty water in my eyes and ears creating discomfort, not what I want from a spa treatment.
Not this time.
I legit fell asleep so deeply that I was momentarily disoriented when I woke up – you know the feeling…
Here’s why:
This pod was enclosed and suitable for one person only. Private and cocoon-like. It’s almost like a wet and salty bath (1000lbs of Epson Salts per pod!). My head was secured on a floatation ring, my eyes and ears were plugged and the music was customizable. One of the most incredible treatments I’ve ever had. Results were pain relief, travel brain fog lifted and an instant body reset. The float was accompanied by Infrared Sauna and sound therapy on a vibration lounger with eyes securely covered.
Here’s the kicker; it doesn’t need a huge footprint because one pod is housed in a standard size treatment room plus in-room shower. Doable! The unit is fully automated, it’s basically plug and play and so easy to maintain. The center we attended had 2 float pods, 1 IR sauna and 1 sound therapy lounger and guess what? Operated by one single person. What a great model!
Russian Banya
Very different experience and I guess what makes them so successful is how they stick to their formula and stick to their core concept. For the purpose of not getting too technical a Russian Banya is a type of Sauna/Steam Room. In terms of technical differences, a Russian steam room is much more humid (around 40–70%) than a sauna (3–15%). This level of humidity means that the conditions in a Russian banya feel more natural. In turn, the heating is less aggressive but it has a deeper effect.
The ritual of a massage inside the steam room followed by a dip in an ice-water pool is generally repeated many times in a session.
It starts with a bunch of eucalyptus leaves being dipped into ice cold water and placed over your head. You are also wearing a hat by the way to prevent hair burn and overheating. The therapist then uses bundles of oak leaves, that are shaken to move the hot steam to your body. They will then be brushed and tapped (lightly beaten) along the body to deliver more heat, furthering detoxification and relaxation. The harder the leaf tapping the more intense the sensation.
I was then asked to go outside the Banya and stand under a bucket suspended over my head where the therapist pulled a chord and ice water came down. What a crazy sensation. Then they rushed me to get inside an ice water barrel and submerge my head, this was so intense I can hardly describe the feeling. The final bit was alternating hot and cold water being poured over me with buckets. Round 1 DONE!!!! they then let you go rest and eat special salty snacks to replenish and when you are ready you can go for round 2, 3, 4 as many as you wish in the time package you booked. I braved only 1 round as this new sensation was so intense I felt like I needed to sleep for a week straight after it. I also felt an intense blood rush and my skin was beyond soft and silky.
Here’s an idea. Instead of building traditional saunas why not invest in something like this, so different, so unique and tons of health benefits. Finally a sauna session you charge for and also run memberships with this type of treatment. The more you have the more you want, it’s that simple.
