The Relaxation Factor of Spas Essay -- Descriptive Spa Spas Relaxing E

The Relaxation Factor of Spas Most people get a look of relaxation on their face when someone says the word, spa. The imagery of mud baths, facials, manicures, pedicures, and massages triggers a feeling of complete relaxation. Many different types of people visit spas. A writer for About.com, Julie Register, explains the different types of people who visit spas. She says, â€Å"people like a traveler that has jet lag, a mother who would like to break away from her children for awhile, or even a person who is experiencing acne, visit spas† (Register). While looking for the origin of the word â€Å"spa,† I found on the internet that there are many possible origins. Julie Register from About.com says a possible origin is from the Latin word â€Å"Espa,† meaning to bubble up, or â€Å"Sanus Per Aquam† meaning health by or through water (Register). I was curious as to how spas had originally begun. While engulfing my mind into information I found on the internet, I found two distinct ways that spas had begun. Register also explains this to me. She says that as early as five hundred BC, Homer and other Greek writers say that Greeks favored a variety of baths. This included water baths and air baths (Register). Almost all of us are familiar with water baths. Water baths are the same thing as what we call the average â€Å"baths.† During one of these â€Å"water baths,† the person receiving the treatment has their body submerged in water with a temperature of their liking. However, I was not familiar with what an air bath was. While continuing to research, on the internet, I found that air baths are what we call saunas, today. Air baths are somewhat related to a water bath, except there is no water. In air baths, the receiver of the bath is ... ...ated in different countries and cultures, but past societies all had the same idea – relaxation by water. Today the spa business has boomed, but all spas focus on one thing – water. I have gone to many different spas and have experienced this first hand. Spas provide something for everyone. Works Cited Brown, Anita. â€Å"What Does a Spa Do?† About.com. 18 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"What is a Spa, Anyway?† About.com. 18 Oct.2004 . Foley, Jo. â€Å"Spas: A Brief History Two Centuries of Relaxation.† Hilary Spa & Beauty. 18 Oct. 2004 . Personal Survey. 18 Oct. 2004. Register, Julie. â€Å"Spa Evolution, A Brief History of Spas.† About.com. 18 Oct. 2004 .