I could never say no to a pamper day. An afternoon of relaxation, relief of stress and time to let your mind simmer down. An hour and a half at a day spa is what helps me ease my mind and body.
Unfortunately, it can be quite costly, which is why I prefer to find a place that I feel will be worth of my time and money. I bought my mom a gift card as a Christmas present last year, for a 90-minute aromatherapy full body massage. It has only taken half a year for her to finally book a date and make use of it.
It was sweet that she wanted me to come with her and I am glad that I did go. I had booked it at a place called Mowana Spa in Johannesburg, near the Indaba hotel. Inside the place reflects a more peaceful presence than outside where the roads are with traffic and awful drivers. I did choose the place based on its appearance, and I am happy that I did.
We both had a full body massage booked and were very excited when the time came to enter. Inside was stunning. Everything was crisp and clean, but not in a clinical way, in a way that was more rustic and homely. There was a beautiful, well-kept garden, a small swimming pool so clean that you could see your reflection and my favourite part of the place was their resident peacock.
Walking by I thought he was fake by how still he was sitting and in the specific place he was. He was calmly perched on the small balcony rail, near a fake pink Japanese tree. I told my mom that it was a really amazing statue, until she told me it was real. I disagreed and said he’s not and she explained that she saw him move his head, and true as day, the peacock was alive and real.
We put our things in our designated locker that had our names on, undressed and exchanged words of excitement, before following my massage therapist to the room. It was also especially warm in the room, and we each had an electrical blanket, and I was already ready to drift off. I had marked on my form that I would like my pressure to be medium.
We were asked to remove our bracelets and they untied our hair and put it in a loose bun. Our massage began with our shoulders and back first. Initially it was more painful than relaxing but that was a clear indication that I have a lot of deep, tight and painful knots. She was using a bit of pressure but not so much that would cause pain. I was sure there were knots on my back at the top and my shoulders. I was torn between telling her to go softer or not saying anything at all.
I ended up going through the pain, reminding myself that it was better if she tried to undo them than to skip or put less pressure on. I almost cried at some point. I never expected to have knots so bad that my massage would hurt.
After what felt like twenty minutes of pure pain, she ventured down to my back which felt way better. I enjoyed the pressure and could feel the stress that was taut in my body being released.
It truly did feel so good, especially considering I haven’t had a massage appointment since last year sometime. I definitely want to make an effort to go more often, at least once a month.
Although the massage was great and relaxing with calming music on in the background, I for some reason struggled to shut my mind off. My thoughts were swirling around like normal and the more I tried to think of nothing, the more thoughts popped through. My body was in a sleepy state, but my mind was buzzing. My appointment also pointed out to me that I need to work on controlling my mind better. I need to make an effort to reserve time to meditate in the day and slowly work through my mindfulness.
My favourite part is my feet. I could feel them melting into the pressure of the lady’s hands and was so grateful for them to be massaged. I think our feet are one of the most important parts of our body and they are the parts that carry us every day. It makes sense that giving them a rest and pressure from hands is needed and wanted. If I could have a foot massage every day, I would!
When our time was up, my mother and I did not rush out. We slowly put our robes on and let our body settle into the state of relaxation. We were offered a complimentary drink, my mother ordered coffee and I ordered a hot chocolate.
When exiting the massage room, I noticed that the peacock was still perched near the pink tree. We sat on the couches where the peacock was, and I was just completely fascinated with him. I obviously wanted him to show us his beautiful feathers, but he never did.
The place was oozing with calmness, and I decided to take a little walk around. Beyond the small garden was a wooden pathway with a bunch of other rooms. There were two other rooms with glass windows that had other sessions going on and I tried not to look and be nosy. After those two rooms were just other rooms that were completely private. On either side were beautiful trees and bird feeders, a lovely water fountain and a pond beneath the path. I made a mental note to research what other types of appointments they offer.
Once we were done with our drinks, we went to get changed and, on the way out, I said goodbye to the peacock who was wandering around like he owned the place. I would definitely recommend Mowana Spa and vouch that it is worth it for the amount that you would pay. A beautiful experience, stunning scenery, quietness, calmness and a lovely resident peacock to keep you company while enjoying the peace.
