In today's fast-paced world, it is easy to feel overloaded. Excess stress creates tension, which can lead to reduced productivity and even illness. Listening to our inner voice and taking the time to properly nourish and pamper ourselves every day will help to improve health and well-being of the mind, body and spirit. For total health we must eat well, exercise, sleep and maintain a positive, balanced frame of mind. And that's where spas come in.

What do you think of when you hear the word spa? A place to be pampered? A fat farm? A hot tub in the desert? A healthy club in the city? A yoga retreat in the mountains? A place where celebrities dry out?

All of these and many more places have been called spas.

A "spa" can be defined as a facility offering a life enhancing experience catering to toning the body and soul, offering pampering, reconditioning of the body, tuning the diet and cleansing the mind. It's the place to go when the daily pressures have reached the point where you want to scream — "I can't take it anymore."

Once thought of as a place women went to relax and be made over, today many spa guests are busy executives. They need a peaceful place—a quiet retreat where they can relax and unwind.

A spa is perhaps the purest form of vacation. Rather than rushing around exploring a country or continent in seven days and six nights, the combination of fun and exercise, a health and balanced diet, pampering relaxation and education on managing stress levels adds up to a remarkable chance for renewal. You truly feel like you've been on vacation when you return home rested and renewed.

Aerobics — a series of rhythmic exercises, set to music, used to stimulate the aerobic capacity of heart and lungs, and burn fat.

Aromatherapy — body massage with fragrant essential oils, in Shiatsu style; different oils used for different therapeutic benefits.

Aquaerobics — aerobic exercises in an exercise pool using the support and resistance of water.

Balneotherapy — the use of waters to restore and revitalize the body. Since antiquity, balneotherapy has been used to improve circulation, fortify the immune system, as an antalgic (pain reliever) and as an anti-stress treatment.

Body Composition Analysis — method of measuring the ratio of body fat against lean muscle mass. Used to determine a realistic weight loss goal and create a diet and exercise program suited to individual requirements.

Brush & Tone — dry brushing of the skin, intended to remove dead layers and impurities while stimulating circulation. This is one of many exfoliating techniques used as a pre-treatment for mud and seaweed body masks. A moisturizing lotion completes the treatment leaving your skin silky smooth, alive and glowing.

Circuit Weight Training — exercise using weight resistance equipment in an aerobic manner.

Fango — the Italian word for mud. Used in treatments, a highly mineralized mud may be mixed with oil or water and is applied over the body as a heat pack to detoxify, soothe the muscles and stimulate the circulation.

Herbal Wrap — body wrap, using strips of cloth that are soaked in a heated herbal solution and wrapped around the body, followed by a period of rest. Used to eliminate impurities and detoxify, as well as for relaxation.

Hydrotherapy — this therapy has long been a staple in European spas. This includes underwater jet massage, showers, jet sprays and mineral baths.

Reflexology — ancient Chinese technique using pressure point massage (usually on the feet, but also on hands and ears) to restore the flow of energy throughout the body.

Roman Bath — the Romans cherished bathing above all other luxuries. Roman baths consist of hot, warm and cold pools. Today the term usually refers to a hot whirlpool/jacuzzi, with benches to sit on.

Salt Glow — the body is rubbed with coarse salt, sometimes in combination with fragrant oils, to remove the outer layer of dead skin and stimulate circulation.

Sauna — dry heat in a wooden cabin, used to open the pores and eliminate toxins by sweating. In combination with refreshing cold showers saunatherapy may enhance the body's immune defenses while relieving stress.

Seaweed Wrap — wrap (or mask) of concentrated seawater and seaweed with a balance of the ocean's nutrients; minerals, rare trace elements, vitamins and proteins, which are soaked into the blood stream, to revitalize skin and body.

Shiatsu — acupressure massage technique, developed in Japan, applying pressure to specific points in the body, to stimulate and unblock the "meridians" (the pathways in the body through which life energy flows).

Sports Massage — deep-tissue massage, directed specifically at muscles used in athletic activities.

Swedish Massage — the classical European massage technique of gentle manipulation of the muscles with the use of massage oils. Used to improve the circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, improve flexibility and create relaxation.

- Madelyn Miller