As Thai therapist Pranee led me to the lockers of Sheraton Fitness, the hotel’s spa and gym facility, I felt a sense of calm and wellbeing. I was signed up for a 60-minute Swedish massage and was looking forward to the benefits of one of the most conventional, but tried and trusted, of all the massage types available.
Once changed into a billowy bathrobe, I entered the treatment room, that was aglow with soft lighting and soothing pipe music. While I lay face down and towel-clad, Pranee proceeded to strategically work her magic technique on the soles of my feet, going up along the calves and the back of the thighs. I think she might have stimulated some key pressure points, because I instantly loosened up, and remembered to breathe deeply. A spicy-sweet aroma filled the room when she started to massage me with the lavender oil, again starting with the feet and working her way up the lower limbs. Each motion had a different, relaxing result. I especially liked how she didn’t ignore the tips of the toes and the edge of the heels, her fingers relieving every ounce of tension.
Just as I was slipping into a semi-conscious state, Pranee turned her attention to my back, and heaven knows, it was in dire need. She was mindful of my request for gentle pressure, and intermittently checked if her strokes were light enough for me. I usually do not look forward to the well-meaning masseuse showing tough love to the stubborn tension knots in the shoulder area, kneading away until they give way. It’s effective, but it leaves the area sore for the next couple of days, and me not as energised and cheerful as I’d like to be. But it was different this time around. As soon as I braced myself for intense pain that would ensue in ridding my upper back of those pesky knots, Pranee’s oiled thumbs just gently cajoled the tight little shoulder knobs with her expert strokes and voila! There I was with a back as good as new, sans the agony.
I flipped over to have the frontal pampered, again starting with the feet. She rotated the joints of the ankle, knee and lower pelvis in a way that sedentary life does not give an opportunity for, and I was grateful for the comfort it gave me.
The feeling of tranquility heightened as Pranee went on to press and knead, taking away every ounce of stress from my body, down to my knuckles and fingertips. One of my favourite parts of the massage was when she dug her fingertips into the nape of my neck and base of my head, gently moving towards the crown of the skull. She may have taken off some of my mental load as well, even if only temporarily. Her fingers then worked gingerly over the temples, forehead and apples of the cheeks, taking care to wipe away the oil from her hands before she did.
And thus, came to an end my idyllic 60 minutes in the midst of a harried week. I got ready to face the world outside with its traffic snarls, deadlines, paperwork and household responsibilities with greater gusto, thanks to my inside feeling restored and rebooted.
The reputation for genuine hospitality that the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel upholds is also reflected in its spa services. Although the treatments offered do not cover a long list, they are effective and authentic, all without burning a gaping hole in one’s pocket.
Call: 17 524-570 or visit www.sheratonbahrain.com
