THE HEART OF THE EARTH SPA
His books, translating the practice of Vietnamese style Buddhism into everyday life, are wildly popular with spiritual seekers of all creeds and nationalities. Now Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh’s can claim to have inspired a Spa as well. It is the Heart of the Earth Spa of the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Perched on a one-kilometer portion of a white sandy beach described as “one of the best in the world”, the idyllic resort is the ideal destination for culture buffs: the atmospheric Old Town of Hoi An, an Unesco World Heritage Site, with its eclectic mix of pagodas, wooden Chinese shop houses, Japanese merchant houses, Vietnamese tube-shaped houses, and French colonial buildings (as well as its famous tailors) is just a 15 drive away. The Imperial City of Hue and My Son Sanctuary, the Angkor Wat of Vietnam, are also within reach. With its bars and restaurants offering contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, Asian fusion dishes, creative mixology drinks, champagne breakfast and beach barbeques (there is also a Cooking Academy), never leaving the resort is an option as well. But it is the Spa that seals the deal. Featuring 8 treatment suites overlooking a serene lotus pond, it promotes, following Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, awareness and reconnecting with nature as a tool to peace, wellness and harmony within ourselves, and in the planet. An alignment to mother earth’s rhythms is to be attained with Sound & Breath experiences such as the Nam Hai Earth Song, where a sound immersion in the hypnotic sound of crystal alchemy bowls, a breathing session with the cleansing effluviums of agarwood, a bath with herbs from the resort’s farm and a deep tissue massage (with gem-tipped tuning forks), will make you feel in consonance with the whole universe (2 and a half hours, USD 330). Core Connection Rituals such as the Deep Peace, consisting of a jasmine salt crystal scrub, amethyst gel body wrap, healing crystal sound and Inner Peace massage wipes away all signs of stress and anxiety (120 min, USD 280). The practice of Grounding, Restorative, Yin, Nada and Heart Awakening Yoga, as well as Pranayama and Meditation complete the healing journey. Omm…
VITA by ROSSANO FERRETTI
His client list reads like the Who’s Who of Hollywood (and not only): Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendez, Charlize Theron, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga and Kate Duchess of Cambridge (and her sister Pippa) have all submitted their mane to the scissors of Rossano Ferretti, the Italian celebrity hair stylist, whose 20 eponymous Hair Salons are dotted around the world in location that range from his native Parma to Beverly Hills, Shanghai, Mumbai, Dubai, New York, Madrid, Miami, Paris, London, and even the Maldives. The secret of his success? The “Method”: a hair cutting technique or “invisible haircut”, that rather than impose a specific style or shape, creates the cut according to the natural movement and consistency of the hair, in order to enhance its natural appeal and the personality of the bearer. To complete his method, the hair guru has created a complete hair product range, the Rossano Ferretti Parma, addressing every typology and need. The latest addition? The VITA anti-aging line, a capsule collection addressing an issue often overseen: hair aging due to biological age, but also to the excessive use of hair straigtheners and aggressive coloring. To revive opaque, dull, and lifeless hair, Ferretti has created a Rejuvenating Shampoo, Hair Mask and Serum that are 100% made in Italy, and formulated with botanical extracts from plants and roots such as ginseng, guarana’, camellia, coconut and aloe vera; as well as with an antioxidant cocktail of active ingredients from the latest biotechnology that oxygenates the bulb and strengthens the hair, preventing breakage and hair loss. When used in synergy, these innovative products promise to reverse time the same way a good cleanser/serum/mask combo does for aging skin. As we often focus on what time does to our complexion, but we tend to forget that the clock ticks for our mane too. Thank you, Rossano!
