A spa, as we know it today, is a center for treatments through various alternative medicines, and has grown to include relaxation, relaxation, and pampering. But what makes it an interesting read is the origin of this culture and the genesis of the word spa. So, when did the concept of a spa come about: relaxing and receiving treatment for ailments through water? Where did you get your current name from? There are countless answers to these questions, but all intertwined in the same theory.
spa genesis
Popular belief has it that the origin of the spa dates back to Roman times, when the soldiers of their legions, fatigued by war, dedicated themselves to rejuvenation, relaxation and treatment of painful wounds through water. Hot natural spring water was considered the best cure for wounds and tired muscles. The legionnaires therefore began to build baths around naturally occurring hot springs or hot water wells. These baths were popularly known as ‘aquae’, while the treatments carried out in these aquae were called ‘Sanus Per Aquam’ -of which SPA is considered an acronym- meaning health by or through water. Others believe that spa is an ellipsis of the Latin phrase ‘Sanitas Per Aquas’, which means the same thing. The Belgian city of Spa, which rose to fame in the 14th century in this context, thus received its name, since a thermal spring with healing and thermal properties was discovered there.
Another accepted belief is that the word spa is derived from the Walloon word (the dialect of the Walloon people in southern Belgium) espa, which means fountain. Alternatively, the origin of the word can also be traced to the Latin word ‘spagere’, which means to spread, sprinkle or moisten.
spa history
Social baths were religiously adhered to as a culture in the ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan, Greek and Roman civilizations. Among the first to use a variety of baths, the Greeks pioneered the concept of laconics (hot tubs and hot air baths). The Romans adopted it and gradually modified it to balneum and then to thermae (Greek for heat). Although the first baths date back to the year 25 a. C., the balneum existed in Roman society almost 200 years before the arrival of the baths. Each subsequent emperor to the Roman throne surpassed his predecessor in building more spacious and luxurious baths. Some baths were large enough to hold around 6,000 bathers at a time.
Growth of spa culture
Later years saw the baths become healthy entertainment complexes where bathers could enjoy sports, entertainment and restaurants, in addition to the various baths available. A characteristic bath made up of visits to different chambers for a complete relaxation routine. The bathing ritual began with exercises in the arena, followed by an hour-long session in three increasingly warm rooms that began with a tepidarium, where the bather’s body was smeared with oils and other herbal extracts. Private baths called caldariums that offered a choice of hot or cold water would be next in line. The bather then moved to the laconicum, the hottest chamber in the baths, where a vigorous massage and scraping of dead skin was performed with the aid of an object called a strigil. The bath would end with a dip in a pool of cool water known as a frigidarium. After this ritual, the bather could relax in the other spaces of the baths, enjoying a sumptuous meal, or retiring to the library. Since baths were located in close proximity to natural hot or mineral springs, the Renaissance saw cities abundant with natural springs graduating into spa destinations. Some examples are Spa, Belgium; Paeffers, Switzerland; Baden-Baden Germany; and Bath, England. These natural waters were often considered to have medicinal properties and healing value.
The fall and the rediscovery of the spa
The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in a decline in the popularity of the thrmae concept throughout the world. All existing spas fell prey to the cyclical order of being discovered, forgotten, and then rediscovered. But while spas and hot water treatments have been out of fashion since man first stumbled upon the concept, water as a healing fluid has never lost its shine. With innovations in medical science, allopathy took over nearly every other branch of medicine and wellness in the early 20th century. Public clinics and hospitals began to be seen as an alternative to natural healing processes. This put existing spas out of business as they were transformed into resorts, losing their original purpose and catering only to the wealthy. Other spas responded by concentrating on the beauty business by offering an amalgamation of fitness and beauty in glorified salons called day spas.
But, thanks to an indulgent, health-conscious population that sees relaxation more as a way of life than a leisure activity, spa culture has come back to life in most parts of the world. Modern spas, although they have undergone a paradigm shift in their ways of treatment, still retain water therapy at their core and follow a routine of cleaning, heating, treating and resting, similar to their older counterparts.
today’s spa
Call it hot springs or spas, the concept of healing through water is also known by many other terms such as taking the waters, spa therapy, balenotherapy or hydrotherapy. The meaning of spa has constantly evolved over the centuries to accommodate other types of treatments. Now spa treatments can range from wet and dry treatments to wellness therapies and beauty treatments. Spa treatments include Thalassotherapy, Meditation, Yoga, Ayurvedic Flotation Therapy, Watsu, Wassertanzen, Water Dance, Liquid Sound, Swedish Massage, Japanese Shiatsu, Thai Massage, European Facials, Acupuncture, Dead Sea Salt Scrubs, Moorish mud wraps, aromatherapy, reflexology. , microdermabrasion, endermology, reiki, aura imaging, rasul, hypnotherapy, Tai Chi, sleep therapy and much more. Mechanical devices such as Jacuzzis, hydrotherapy tubs, Swiss showers, Scottish hoses and Vichy showers have been developed to assist these therapies efficiently and collectively have made the spa experience better. Today’s spa has successfully adhered to its core traditions while innovating, interpreting and expressing them in its own way.
