Feeling the stress and fatigue of the mid-year slump? It may be time to treat your body to a de-stressing treatment using the Earth’s most precious resource – water.

Hydrotherapy has long been a method used to restore health and is a great option for relaxing on a weekend getaway, before your wedding day or perhaps whilst on honeymoon.

The process of hydrotherapy comes in the form of a sauna, steam bath, sitz bath or jacuzzi and is said to have originated from a 19th-century Bavarian monk, Sebastian Kneipp, who believed disease could be cured by water to eliminate waste from one’s body as the water is expelled in cold and hot compresses. The cold water causes blood vessels to constrict and the hot water causes blood vessels to dilate, thus removing waste from tissues in the body.

Granny Mouse Spa, managed by Camelot Spa, in the KZN Midlands offers Hydrotherapy, amongst other treatments. They offer a Hydrotherapy treatment which includes the CSpa Shimmer Milk Bath.

The CSpa Shimmer Milk Bath treatment is rich in vitamins and is offered for both individuals as a single treatment or alternatively for couples who want to relax and reap the healing benefits together. Each treatment is 30 minutes and uses powerful jets of water to target and relieve muscular tension, joint pain, and arthritic conditions as well as provide stress relief by energising and rejuvenating body tissue.

Not only does Granny Mouse Spa offer special treatments like the Hydrotherapy, they also offer a welcome treatment for one’s tired, achy feet. On arrival, indulge your feet in a warm footbath of salts to initiate one’s relaxation.

According to Iska Bharath, the Trainer & Operations Consultant for the KZN region, “If you are looking for a treatment to help relax you without too much personal touch, then this is the treatment for you. It is believed that the healing properties of hydrotherapy is based on the thermal effects; making use of your body’s reaction to the stimulation of hot and cold combined with the exertion of the water onto the body that in turn carry the message through to the nerves and thus throughout the body. An article by naturaltherapypages.com states that, “nerves carry what is felt by the skin deeper into the body, where it is then vital in stimulating the immune system, influencing the production of stress hormones, improving circulation and digestion, encouraging the flow of blood, and lessening the body’s sensitivity to pain,” and a number of these kinds of benefits have been experienced by a number of clients that have visited our spa.”

Book your treatment now and prepare for the rest of the year, at Granny Mouse Spa located at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa on 033 234 4071 or by emailing spa@grannymouse.co.za . All rates are available upon request.

Source: www.kneippus.com & www.naturaltherapypages.com

If you are the recycling type and embrace the orange plastic bags for plastic and paper, the transparent bags for tins and glass and are always looking at ways of reducing waste – there are out of the box waste recycling hacks you can use to do your bit to save the Earth, whilst reaping the benefits.

The team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is constantly looking for ways to reduce, reuse & recycle their litter. Culinary Artists, Kirstie Du Toit and Wayland Green noticed that there was a large amount of waste that was being removed to the local municipality dump. “We decided to find innovative ways to re-use some of this waste we as an establishment were creating, and found that items such as egg shells, raw food left overs, leaves and egg boxes could be recycled,” Kirstie Du Toit said.

Egg Shells: used for inclusion in a compost patch

Raw food left overs: raw carrots, cabbage, lettuce, onion layers, potato peels etc which are leftover from preparation of food in the kitchen and can be used in a compost patch.

Leaves: fallen leaves in the winter months can also be added to the compost patch.

All of these waste materials provide nutrient rich compost to add to new plants once they are imbedded into the soil.

Apart from the raw materials used for the compost patch, Robson also uses a variety of other items, which would usually be thrown away.

Egg trays, dried out used teabags and old wax from left over candles: can be used as fire lighters. Old egg cartons can be filled halfway with sawdust or the used, dried teabags and then filled to the brim with wax. Leave to cool and then cut and separate.

Old magazines: these can be soaked in water, pulped and turned into blocks to be utilized for the fireplaces instead of wood.

For avid recyclers who appreciate the Earth,  recycling is a must and can become a hobby for those who make the most of it.

Let’s face it, recycling starts with every individual, so take care of our Earth by adopting some recycling habits and make the most of the rest of the year.