Holistic wellness

Body, mind, and spirit translates into savvy business for the spa community

In today’s hustle and bustle world, spas are becoming a valuable, necessary part of a person’s complete health and care regimen. As important as a trip to the hair dresser, the dentist or the gym, from the day spa to the glamorous destination spa, the services, products, and support offered are vital contributors to overall wellness.

More and more spas are taking a holistic approach to wellness, moving away from a “menu” of individual treatments, to a more complete packaging of treatments, products, activities, and food and beverage. It’s a win-win for the spa and its clientele. These more complete packages mean larger individual sales, while for the client, the experience leaves them feeling better, with new ideas and approaches to follow. Done right, it also means more repeat customers.

But what, exactly, does it mean for a spa to take a holistic approach to wellness? How can this extra focus on the health and care of clients also translate into business success?

Ask The Expert

Holistic wellness can mean a variety of things to different people. On holistic-wellness-basics.com it is described as a blend of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being—the result of consciously choosing to live a quality life. For greater detail, nutritional therapist, yoga instructor, and wellness coach Peggy Hall has a lifetime of promoting and guiding wellness programs to share.

California-native Hall was dubbed “America’s Ultimate Wellness Expert” by Woman’s World Magazine, and is a wellness expert for ABC Radio Network, “America Now” by ITV Studios, Clean Eating Magazine, and Oxygen Women’s Fitness.

Hall focuses on helping others who are “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” She said there are many opportunities for spas to focus on holistic wellness and reap the benefits with their clients.

Healthy Combos

Include a variety of expertise in the services offered. Along with the massages and body treatments, offer yoga classes, meditation, nutrition—there are a whole host of topics that contribute to overall well-being. Naturopaths, life coaches, and dieticians services and consulting can be paired with spa treatments to create wellness packages that really have impact. Yoga classes have quickly become popular elements in the spa ritual. If it is not economically viable to keep such a variety of expertise on staff, “there are loads of ‘free agents’ out there to work on referral, or offer a class on-site,” Hall suggests. “Make these resources available to your clients, and your spa becomes of greater value to them.”

Wellness Value-Adds

Seek out wellness ‘extras’ that are of virtually no cost to the spa, but added to a treatment or package, increase the overall benefits and experience for the clients. “Look at the offerings where you can have an add-on service to what you’re doing,” Hall advises. “It could be as simple as playing certain music to harmonize the vibration of your energy centres—whatever it is, market it. It’s not just ‘generic spa music’ but something special. And it doesn’t cost you a lot of money to offer this value-add to clients.”

Another bright idea is colour therapy—as simple as replacing the standard neutral colours of sheets and towels used during treatments, to tailor to clients’ needs. “Red promotes security and comfort, green is for healing and opening the heart, while blue is for communications and truth—and so on,” Hall adds. “Just bring in a consultant to create the program, and offer it at a premium.”

Give Them Homework

Including a take-home—be it an actual object or guidelines to follow—enables the clients to continue to focus on their overall well-being long after the spa date. It will also remind them about their wonderful experience at your spa, enticing them to return.

“Provide clients with a take-away, to bring home as a follow-up, such as breathing, a recipe for energizing tea, or exercises,” Hall says. “You could develop a meditation CD for guided visualization which is inexpensive to produce or purchase one and just add your spa brand on the label. Whatever you decide on, it will be a reminder of your spa for your clients to keep in their homes.”

The Power Of Tea Leaves

The food and drink offered at the spa is an integral element of holistic wellness. Tea is a wonderful tool, with no calories and a true multitude of flavours. Include tea in treatment packages to further promote wellness. Or offer branded teas to take home, to savour and recall the spa experience.

“Tea can play such an important role in your holistic offerings,” Hall agrees. “Teas have many benefits, including anti-oxidants, mood-enhancers, calming properties, etc. They are wonderful, yet inexpensive, additions to the spa treatment. Make up your own spa blend of herbal teas, or offer a make-your-own tea bar. Anything getting the client interacting is beneficial. Make it fun—tap into their experimental side.