Maestro's Media: WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF HAMMAM-THE BEAUTIFUL BATH EXPERIENCE

Saturday, December 3, 2011

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF HAMMAM-THE BEAUTIFUL BATH EXPERIENCE

My Hammam Experience. Dateline-Lagos

Heady perfume scented steam, total pampering, letting the cares of the world drift away---these are all images that the word Hammam conjures.

For someone who is not a spa buff, this was quite a new experience for me. I found it decadent, pampering and enjoyable.

The Hammam suites,(suites, that’s what they have at Bnatural Spa)was decked in cream marble and had beautiful green mosaic walls, a vaulted asymmetrical ceiling buckets over flowing with warm water and arable bench running the full length of the walls.

To start with, warm water was poured over the marble slab and the floor creating a sauna like atmosphere. I was then doused with warm water and asked to lie on the slab face down with arms outstretched, sticky Moroccan soap was rubbed into my skin and my muscles stretched and massaged. I then rolled over this was repeated on my front and I was asked to step into the steam for 10minutes before my body was rinsed off with copious amounts of warm water.

Lying back down, black soap was again rubbed vigorously with a "gome" gloves. The coarse mitt removes all the dead cells from my skin. I couldn't believe the amount of dirt coming off my skin; you had to see it to believe it. The Moroccan ladies doing the treatment said this was good for blood circulation and helps to reduce cellulite. The ebbing and scrubbing was repeated on my front but with less gusto. My feet was enthusiastically rubbed with a ceramic stone, a terracotta foot rub with coarse grooves cut Into the flat surface which is an incredibly effective remover of hard skin. I then sat up and was rinsed again with hot water and more water everywhere.

Rhassoul clay was then applied all over my body and my face, only my eyes were left uncovered. I then lay on the warm mosaic covered steam room and cooked gently for about 10 minutes, I was brought a glass of cooling water to sip. First the clay was rinsed off my body with a lot of water! Cold then warm and cold again, it was beautifully blissful a sprinkling of delicately scented rosewater and then Argan oil all over my body completed the experience.

Wrapped in a fluffy bath robe and slippers, I was served Moroccan mint tea in this beautiful blue room that transports me to Marrakesh in Morocco .A refreshing end to a pampering experience.