Serendip Spa – Brussels
Posted in Body Conscious » Tips » by Alia Papageorgiou :: November 6, 2009
Sometimes everything can seem grey in Brussels; the sky, the buildings, the clothes and even the people! In the heart of the city’s luxury shopping district, Serendip Spa is a colourful and welcoming surprise. The brainchild of Claudia Zackariya-Dau, a yoga and shiatsu teacher, Serendip offers spa facilities, yoga classes and a boutique selling hand-picked beauty products from all over the world.
Walking into the spa, the wooden interior with its sweeping staircase sets the tone of relaxing, natural well-being. Whilst waiting for my therapist, I was offered a lovely herbal tea whilst I took in the open area full of luscious products. Service is immaculate and with a smile.
I was shown to a locker room that felt more like a spa in itself – a gorgeous pebbled shower for use after treatments where a sari and comfortable slippers awaited me. Having changed I seated myself on a chaise longue in a cosy nook of the waiting area and leafed through one of the stack of books about wellness on offer. Furnished in deep fuschia and warm orange with silk pillows and luxurious throws, the area had an woody-citrus aroma and I began to relax after weeks of stress. A huge buddha sculpture reminded me to start just focusing on my breathing and take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with myself. Having begun to relax and de-stress, my masseur arrived and led me down to a beautifully-scented dimmed room.
The spa offers a whole range of treatments to restore, energise and re-align; I tried out the Aryuvedic Harmony massage. A stressful week at work had left me full of tension so I asked my masseur to focus on my upper back and neck. The hands were delicate, the oils smelt heavenly, and I felt as though every single muscle and vertebrae was being taken care of – my masseur’s sensitive, intuitive touch worked on the knots of tension that had been waiting to find release. The massage was just magnificent. I felt as though it went on forever, nothing else existed, and moments releasing the stress were sometimes so intense I’d have to hold my breath, or consciously release it so that my muscles could relax.
Following this was the Rejuvenance Finger Tip Facial; a soothing and delicate facial pressure point massage designed to give instant and deep relaxation. After cleansing, the therapist placed warm towels around and upon my face then began a detailed finger-tipped journey across my face using sweeping and short movements. The facial uses the Dr Alkaitis range of products and works on all areas of the face from the cheeks to the jawline, leaving me with glowing skin that was anything but Brussels-grey!
The creative force behind Serendip, Claudia Zackariya-Dau, has always been involved in yoga and massage – her mother teaches yoga. Claudia is a trained Yoga and Shiatsu teacher herself and has also studied Herbalism. Her Sri-Lankan-British roots mean that she has grown up all over the world and drew on global influences when she opened Serendip four years ago. The wellness theme includes the therapists and teachers at Serendip too: “I wanted to make sure that my staff actually loved what they did and that came through in the service that they offered every single customer,” says Claudia. The vibrant deco is Eastern-inspired and very elegant, but the spa isn’t too exclusive; Claudia insists that Serendip has a warm, colourful welcome for both men and women who are looking to reconnect and spoil themselves a little.
Serendip’s recently opened yoga facilities are certainly worth discovering too and beauty junkies will love the range of organic and ethical products on offer. My session at the Serendip Spa was a relaxing and rejuvenating experience that added some much-needed colour and vitality to the grey Brussels cityscape!
www.serendipspa.com
Serendip Spa,
18 Place Stephanie,
1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 503 5504
