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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

Indulgent spa experience

Making it a ritual of sorts, whenever Maria

visits one of her favourite holiday spots; Goa,

she makes it a point to drop in at Vivanta

by Taj for their fresh coconut scrub and

massage. “The therapy starts out with a

foot ritual, after which you are escorted into

your room and encouraged to do a steam to

prepare your body for the scrub. Soon after,

you have washed off the coconut scrub you

are given the most relaxing massage. The

blissful session doesn’t end there. After the

massage, you are put into this warm Jacuzzi

fi lled with rose petals. The aroma in the

water in so uplifting that it makes returning

home after a vacation in Goa, even harder,”

admits she.

Turkish delight

Although having been to some of the most

luxurious spas across the globe, Maria lists

her day at a local traditional Hamam at

Istanbul in Turkey as her most memorable

spa experience, ever. “There is nothing fancy

when you walk into the Hamam, and it

yet makes for a magical experience. It has

ample natural light streaming in from the

ceiling and natural steam from the geysers

which makes for the most beautiful setting;

almost like another world altogether. There

are these big burly women who scrub you.

They just turn and twist you, however they

feel like, and after that you have to go to this

bath which is really warm and rejuvenating.

When you come out and wipe yourself, you

observe that your body has a shine on it

without the application of any oil. You are

then served this soothing Turkish green

apple tea. It was by far the most surreal

experience,” she reveals.

Beauty is only skin deep

A fi rm believer of being good from within,

Maria cannot lay enough emphasis on being

beautiful inside out. “Real beauty to me is

a beautiful soul. If you are a good person

with a good heart, that is truly beautiful,”

she says. Highlighting the importance of

doing the things that one enjoys, albeit in

moderation she says, “Eat the food that

makes you happy without harming your

body by depriving yourself or binging.” She

divulges her love for a good run on the

beach, in spite of being told that it may be

harmful for one’s knees. She insists that

with the right care, running is just as healthy

as any other sport. A proponent of peace

of mind, Maria associates wellness with

waking up in the mornings with a smile and

discovering peace in one’s heart. “Although

life may not be exactly as what one had

imagined, if one can still spot the magic in

it and relish it for what it is, that truly is a

state of wellness,” she signs off.

“Eat the food that makes

you happy without harming

your body by depriving

yourself or binging”

56 asiaSpa India January-February 2015 asiaSpa India January-February 2015 57

Outfit: Skirt by Forever New

Blouse by Zara

Shoes by Aldo

Cover Story-26 Dec.indd 56-57 02/01/15 5:22 PM