Last weekend, I was invited by StaySky Resort and Hotels to experience Reflections Spa-Salon at Lake Buena Vista Resort. Located near the heart of Orlando’s vacation zone, the spa states that its “treatments are inspired by the powers of the ocean and healing elements of the sea,” and includes 10 treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy tub, sauna room, private relaxation rooms, couples treatment rooms, as well as salon services.
The first stop during my time at the spa was a pedicure. My runners feet felt both pampered and beaten as my technician scrubbed away hard earned callouses and then made my toes look more gorgeous than they have in months with a bright red Opi polish! This pedicure included a short massage, sugar scrub and friendly chatter, making a small treatment feel far more relaxing.
After the pedicure, I was already starting to disconnect from that normal busy feeling, so I decided to spend a few moments sitting quietly in the sauna. But not before grabbing a homemade cookie as I padded through the locker room in my fluffy microfiber lined robe and slippers. Even a health lover enjoys a day of feeling fully “treated”.
Once my muscles were warm from the sauna, I emerged to relax in the lounge with a hot tea until it was time for my Tropic Isle Hot Stone Massage. Frequent massages are a fantastic way for athletes to enhance recovery and for everyone to help decrease stress levels.
While my normal massages focus on breaking up the adhesion’s from marathon training, this was meant to be fully restorative. In fact, the warmth of the stones and the smooth strokes had me fighting sleep for the entire 50 minutes.
For those who are concerned about the heat of the stones, the therapist here did not place them directly on my skin, but instead over a towel. I would have preferred the direct heat, but it appears I like my massages to be a combination of pain and relaxation.
The entire experience for me was about taking a moment to slow down my thoughts and disconnect.