You can help the Haiti earthquake survivors

Dear Abhilasha

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization, founded by volunteer doctors and nurses and dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through relief and development programs. Our emergency response team is in Haiti responding in force and I would like to ask for your help to get the word out to the readers of SPAlendor: Treatments Trends Reviews And Offers. There are still thousands of patients seeking treatment of which approximately 80% are in need of surgery and are running out of time - especially with the tremendous aftershocks still devastating this country. The team is treating crush injuries, trauma, substantial wound care, shock and other critical cases with the few available supplies - And they're in it for the long haul. I would love your help spreading the word by blogging or tweeting about IMC's rescue efforts. We've put up a blogger friendly widget here on our site:

http://www.imcworldwide.org/haiti

With the widget it's really easy to let your readers know that donating $10 to help the people of Haiti is as simple as sending a text message of the word "haiti" to 85944. If you have any questions just let me know and I will do my best to help you out. If you are able to post the widget or tweet, I would appreciate it if you could send me the link.

Thanks so much,

Ellie


--
Ellie Brown
International Medical Corps
ellie@imc-haiti.org

What a WOW holiday

Sumitra Senapaty brings her brand new package for 2010 for women who love travelling and are spa-holics. Read the details below and go on a "nirvana" holiday. Cheers to health, then.

WOW Wellness Week at
Om Beach, Gokarna
Celebrating 5 years of WOW!
June19th to June 26th ex Goa

Where
SwaSwara is situated beside the legendary Om Beach in the small town of Gokarna in Karnataka, 170kms from Goa’s Dabolim Airport. Pampering comes naturally here because there are 26 acres of private forests of banyan, casuarinas, acacia, kokum, fig, coconut and palm trees within a secluded sanctuary for the soul right next to the Arabian Sea.
Accommodation
The sense of space is to die for! Because it is like your own private home! You can laze and linger on for the entire day, reading your favourite book, enjoying precious time for your self! Your villa consists of the following:
• A very comfortable glass and curtain enclosed air conditioned bedroom.
• A covered walk-in-wardrobe for suitcase and clothes.
• An open centre courtyard with loads of greenery.
• A sitting room that looks out over a beautiful pond.
• A staircase that leads up to your individual meditation platform, which faces the forest canopy and ocean below.
Facilities
• 24 self contained villas built in traditional Konkan style.
• 22 meter lap swimming Pool
• Meditation Dome
• Ayurveda Centre
Cuisine
• Healthy vegetarian and fresh sea catch
• Interactive cooking at the Gallery Kitchen

Things to Do
• Yoga
• Pranayama
• Meditation
• Ayurveda (separate charges apply)
• Boat rides (weather permitting)
• Kayaking (weather permitting)
• Nature walks (weather permitting)
• Exploration of Gokarna town, market and temples
• Satsangs (discourses) on important aspects of Yoga and Ayurveda.
• Glass/sand painting with Artist in Residence.
• Clay modeling
• Jewellery designing with shells and beads.
• Movie evenings.

Your days at Gokarna
• 7:00am-8:00am Progressive Asanas Yoga Shala
• 8:15am-9:15am Wellness Asanas Yoga Shala
• 10:15am-11:00am Rejuvenation Asanas Blue Dome
• 11.15am-12pm Mantra studies Yoga Shala
• 12:15pm-12:45pm Art Yoga Art Gallery
• 3:30 pm-4:15pm Yoga Nidra Blue Dome
• 4:30 pm-5.30pm Chakra Meditation Blue Dome
• 7:00pm-7:45pm MSRT Blue Dome

What you get
Sanjivani Meditation - To strengthen biological as well as spiritual link between our inner vital force and cosmic force through simple hand movements. Application of these pranic sensations to all organs will enhance overall energy level.
Chakra Meditation: Activating 7 major energy centers (CHAKRAS) of body by focusing on their colour & location. Deep breathing & “OM” chanting accelerates the supply of vital energy from all chakras to related body organs.
Manthra Studies: To avoid mechanical chanting, here we teach you the pronunciation & meaning of various mantras, to get its real vibrations & all other benefits.
Stress Management: This session include theory and practical lessons on stress management, various techniques, motivating stories etc will reduce mental and emotional stresses.
Anahata Suddhi Meditation: This is to purify and enrich your personality by removing all emotional scars and wounds that you got in life. Positive values like universal love, compassion etc will become stronger in you with this practice.
Yoga Games: Various simple indoor games to increase quality of life to maintain inner happiness and to make interaction with others, smoother and enjoyable.
Satsanga: These include teachings of great personalities and this session will give you answers for questions relating to yoga spirituality etc.
Mind Sound Resonance Technique: This is a meditation technique to generate resonance throughout the body by repeating a mental sound (mantra). Thus makes us able to gain mastery over the mind and reach subtle layers of mind or super consciousness, enhances the power of mind and leads to bless.
Pranic Energisation Technique: This is a meditation technique in which we use our prana shakti (life energy) which is activated by hand gestures to energize our entire body. Each and every organ & system of the body can be revitalized by this meditation.
Om Tat Sat

Inclusions
• Airport transfers from Goa and back to Goa.
• All meals.
• Facilities & activities listed above.
Exclusions
• Ayurvedic treatments & massages.
• Wines & soft drinks & beverages.
• Excursions & transfers other than listed.
• Anything not included in the inclusions.
• Tips, telephone calls, laundry, room service.

*Please note that SwaSwara has no room service, no soft drinks and only Indian wines.

WOW Wellness Package cost per person on twin share is as follows:
• For 7 nights RS 22,000
• For 5 nights RS 18,000

To reserve your place on this exciting tour, please courier to the below address your full package amount in favour of WOW Club along with the filled in WRF that is attached. The last date for booking is 20th May 2010.
Below are the payment options:
• Courier an At Par Cheque in favour of WOW Club at the given address.
• Online transfer or deposit the money at any Axis Bank close to your area and send in the deposit details.

Bank Details
Current account no.296010200008051
AXIS BANK
Mayur Vihar, LSC, Phase 2, ND 91
IFS Code: UTIB0000296

Address for sending cheque and/or WRF
WOW Club
703/704 Som Dutt Chamber II
Bhikaji Cama Place
New Delhi-110066

Review: Blissful Lotus Facial at Aura, The Park, New Delhi

View of the spa room at Aura; Photo courtesy, AURA, New Delhi
What a stroke! No, I'm not watching any cricket match. This is in reaction to the fabulous facial treatment at Aura, The Park hotel’s very clean, chic and truly amazing spa. The luxurious therapy has been extra special because of the use of natural products and gets even more of a facelift with Vidhi, my therapist’s brilliant massage strokes.
While my treatment (I visit The Park in New Delhi) begins well on time, I’m told that the treatment can stretch by another 10-15 minutes (it does, eventually). For the record, I‘m experiencing one of Aura’s winter treatments for season 2010. Like I mentioned before, it’s a facial – even though Vidhi fabulously kneads sore muscles, pressing my shoulders and hands and massaging my fingers generously -- which makes use of freshly mashed lotus stem, fresh papaya and pineapple pulp and pure (yes, pure) saffron oil, which is bereft of any artificial perfume, scent or coloring.
Before the facial begins, I fill out a detailed document enquiring details on illnesses, whether I’m consuming any medicines, or, for that matter, whether I’m allergic to any natural products (a friend, for instance, is allergic to products that contain sesame) and if I have any skin allergies. That done – it helps to have a hot cup of herbal tea infused with honey on a winter afternoon – I am asked to move towards the locker area where I keep my belongings and later wait in a small lobby area. By the time Vidhi leads me to the spa therapy room, I’m already – thanks to the effect of the lilting music that Aura plays –brushing my day-to-day tensions aside.
And by the time the facial starts (it begins with a simple cleaning process) I know that with an expert masseuse like Vidhi, I’m – literally -- in gentle, safe and secure hands. Her cleanup act – of my face, silly – doesn’t involve just slapping, quickly massaging and subsequently cleaning of the face with moist cotton, it really is a trailer of what will follow. She massages the face gently for a couple of minutes and then deftly proceeds to remove the dirt and grime.
Once that’s done, she gently scrubs the face with freshly mashed lotus stem that doesn’t smell too great but then I haven’t opted for aroma facial exactly. Lotus stem, Vidhi tells me, is supposed to be good for sagging skin. Rich in fibre, when applied regularly on the face, mashed lotus stem also helps to control uneven toning and conditions and rehydrates dull skin. The scrub is wiped out later by a hot towel infused with eucalyptus oil. I like this part of the facial especially when I inhale and take a whiff of the soothing oil. It is also believed that this essential oil acts an antibacterial agent and is used to treat cuts and burns and insect bites too.
Since the strongest point of the facial is Vidhi’s expert massaging techniques, I love it when she finally applies pure saffron oil and starts a fabulous facial massage which lasts for good 20-25 minutes. “It’s pure,” Vidhi confirms while telling me that saffron is also known for its skin lighting properties. The massage is uplifting and very effective and definitely the highlight of the entire treatment. What follows is fresh pineapple-papaya pulp mask. I think it’s the pineapple that tingles just slightly on the skin but on the whole, it’s been a winning facial.

Blissful Lotus Facial
Duration: 60 mins
Price: Rs. 1,750 plus taxes
The treatment is available at The Park in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam

L'Occitane's Limited Edition range for X'mas 2010

Gorgeous creams and lotions; perfect gift for your loved ones this season

L'Occitane, a leading brand in natural beauty care offers a Limited Edition range of delicious scents for the festive season 2010. The products are especially formulated with natural essentials oils that aren't harsh on sensitive skin types.
The Christmas Limited Edition collections include Candied Rose, Sweet Cherry and Shea Vanilla, all bursting with fabulous fragrances.
The products are available at leading L'Occitane stores in India

CANDIED ROSE COLLECTION:

Candied fruit, in Provence, has been, for many years, the ultimate delicacy at festive celebrations. Some of the most desirable flowers can also tempt the taste buds and are prepared using traditional methods. Roses are coated in a syrup that crystallizes over time and turns every petal into a mouth-watering delicate delight. No wonder, the products by L'Occitane aren't harsh on the skin.

Candied Rose Body Cream (Rs 2,300 for 200 ml)
Enriched with the goodness of naturally perfumed roses and almond oil, this body cream moisturizes and perfumes the skin. The light texture is rapidly absorbed and leaves behind an iridescent sheen to subtly illuminate the skin.

Candied Rose Bath Powder (Rs 1,380 for 250 gms)
This non-foaming bath powder colors and perfumes the bath water to delight the senses. The floral scent of sugar-coated rose petals, on the other hand, are gentle on the skin. You just need to pour a spoonful of this incredible bath powder (approximately 20gm for 200 litre) into your bath water, stir and enjoy a luxurious bath.

Candied Rose Scented candle (Rs 1,800 for 200 gms)
This scented candle diffuses a subtle scent of sugar-coated rose petals, to fill the home with a delicious and delicate aroma. Approximately 30 hours of fragrance. It's what you need on the bathroom shelf while you enjoy that gorgeous, gorgeous bath.

Candied Rose Hand Cream (Rs495 for 30 ml)
Enriched with shea butter, this hand cream nourishes and perfumes hands. Thanks to their small, portable size, these products can be slipped into a bag and make the perfect travel companions!

SHEA VANILLA COLLECTION

L’OCCITANE invites you to discover a truly delectable combination: the soft and subtle scent of shea nuts coated with smooth vanilla. This mouth-watering temptation is so deliciously appealing that even men will find it hard to resist.

Shea Vanilla Body Cream (Rs 2,300 200 ml)
Formulated with a high concentration of shea butter (15 per cent, to be precise) and enriched with vanilla from Madagascar, this body cream nourishes, protects and perfumes the skin with a delicious scent. Its smooth, silky, non-greasy texture is rapidly absorbed, for supple and moisturized skin.

SWEET CHERRY COLLECTION

Imagine a handful of juicy cherries coated with candied sugar. Imagine fruity, zesty scents of sweet cherries. That's what you'll get if you pick up L'Occtane's new festive range of this Limited Edition collection

Sweet Cherry Scented Candle (Rs 1,800 for 200 gms)
The Sweet Cherry candle diffuses the soft, zesty scent of a juicy fruit to create a warm atmosphere to fill your home/bathroom.

Sweet Cherry Shower Gel (Rs 450 for 750 ml)
Enriched with special cherry extracts, the shower gel gently cleanses and delicately perfumes skin.

Winter packages at Aura

Aura, the spa at The Park, is offering special winter spa packages for the festive season. Here are the details:

Aloe-Spice Scrub Aloe Vera, also called Ghritakumari is considered a "magical" ingredient in Ayurveda. At Aura, the therapists gently massage you with a blend of exotic spices and aloe vera to increase blood circulation and relieve you from body aches and fatigue. Duration: 45 minutes; Price: Rs 2,000

Vanilla and Cream Massage It's time to rehydrate your skin this festive season with a vanilla-cream massage. A variety of techniques like skin rolling, kneading, acupressure and long soothing stokes are performed in a rhythmic manner to effectively distribute the nutrients. The treatment promises to enhance energy flow, freshness and add a healthy glow on your face. Duration: 90 minutes; Price: Rs 3,500

Grapevine facial Grapes are rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and linoleic acid; all of these boast of anti-ageing properties. The grapevine facial at Aura nourishes, revives and rejuvenates the skin and is especially recommended in the season when the harsh winter breeze tends to dry the skin. What I find particularly cute is that the facial is followed by a glass of -- what else -- a glass of fresh grape juice! The magical spell of the facial, not surprisingly, continues to linger. Duration: 60 minutes; Price: Rs 1,800