REVIEW | The Spa at the Midland helps restore some work/life balance

It’s not often in our busy and hectic day to day lives that we actually slow down and take time out for ourselves. Work, family, friends, social media, current economic worries, and a never ending to do list all take priority. A healthy body and a healthy mind are essential to our wellbeing. Holistic therapy considers the whole person – body, mind and spirit  – to help achieve a happy and healthy life.

With this in mind, the award-winning Spa at The Midland Hotel are launching their first holistic therapy menu alongside their current treatments of facials, massages, hands and feet.

The Midland  has to be one of Manchester’s most glorious buildings. Designed by Charles Trubshaw and opened in 1903, this Grade II listed building is an iconic piece of Edwardian Baroque architecture and impressive to say the least.

You enter the spa on the lower ground floor. Here you find relaxation pods, gently lit hanging tents that fit one or two curled up bodies to snooze or just be; sleep chambers with beds and warm blankets; time out zones where groups can quietly close off the outside world; and a relaxation pool with alder wood sauna and aromatherapy steam bath – all designed to help you relax, unwind and forget absolutely everything else!

The three new holistic treatments on offer are reflexology, Indian head massage, and Hopi ear candle therapy. All cost £65 for 50 minutes. My friend Nicky and I opted for the first two treatments but neither of us was brave enough to try the ear candle therapy. This involves lighting a hollow candle and placing the other end in the ear canal to draw out any toxicants and wax and improve general health and well-being. Although I have no doubt that the treatment at The Spa would be completely safe, we were just too squeamish to give this one a go!

Reflexology is a system of massage used to relieve tension and treat ailments based on the theory that there are reflex points on the feet linked to every part of the body. It involves the application of pressure, generally via the thumbs, to zones on the feet to effect physical change and restore inner balance.

This was my choice of treatment. I may have been a sceptic walking in but Bianca magically massaged away the crystals, or areas of tension, that she had picked up on around my knee (caused by a pulled muscle three weeks previously which I hadn’t told her about) and I skipped out a firm believer!

Nicky had an Indian head massage as his work as a stylist involves lots of lifting rails of clothes on film sets and he suffers from constant back and shoulder niggles. The treatment aims to release stress that has accumulated in the tissues, muscles, and joints of the head, face, neck, and shoulders. He definitely benefited from the massage and felt rejuvenated afterwards.

We relaxed for a while in the pods contemplating life, although I have to admit we found this bit quite hard as we are both so used to ‘doing’ rather than just ‘being’. Afterwards, we enjoyed the superfood and vegetarian platters in the spa café which were a really good portion size of nutritious, colourful and vitamin packed elements to help us continue on our healthy journey.

The day definitely helped us restore some of our work/life balance and it was revitalising to take time out of our busy schedules and something we agreed we should do more often. My body is a temple, after all. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that cheeky glass of fizz an hour later.

By the way, The Spa recently introduced a menu of Express Treatments which take just 25 minutes, giving you enough time to get to and from work plus a quick bite to eat before anyone has even noticed you’ve left your desk!

www.thespaatthemidland.co.uk