Issue:
July
2008

By Barbara Penny Angelakis

Touch of Tranquility Spa
6884 East Sunrise
Tucson, Arizona 85750
520-615-9608
www.touchoftranquility.com

To quote myself, “As far as I am concerned Spas are the pleasure palaces of the modern world; where for a few hours, days, or more, you are pampered, indulged, cared for and the focus of healing, beautifying and relaxing attention. There are different types of spas but for most people, men and women alike, the day spa with its focus on a quick fix, will provide their primary experience…” and at Touch of Tranquility that experience is like no other.

Tucked away in a mall at the corner of Kolb Road and Sunrise Drive, in the newly developed north-east section of Tucson, is an unassuming building that houses a most extraordinary day spa called Touch of Tranquility. The visionary owner Tom Borin had a dream. He wanted to create an “institute of health” unlike any other and so he traveled to the world-renowned spas of Europe and Asia to locate the most healing and rejuvenating techniques and procedures around. He choose to bring his vision to Tucson, already a well known mecca for spa arts, but instead of resonating with the desert and it’s bounty as most of the other spas in the area had, he elected to create a unique fantasy based on California’s Big Sur with a focus on water related treatments. The water theme - bringing nourishment to the desert environment - is repeated throughout the spa, and from the moment you open the door and cross the threshold till you depart and return to the dry Arizona air, you are surrounded by misting, moisturizing and nourishing. Even the colors used in the dressing and waiting rooms are calculated to sooth and nourish; for the men cool greens and turquoise, and for the women warm peach.

After changing into a long cozy robe and non-skid slippers, both Manos and I entered the waiting area from our separate locker rooms. Here hot or cold hydrating and detoxifying teas were offered by an attendant who then wrapped and massaged our feet in hot scented towels before walking us across the flower covered bridge over a bubbling pool into the first treatment room: Alpine herbal steam therapy. The toning herbal steam therapy is recommended as a precursor to other procedures as it prepares the body to maximize the treatments to come. You relax into specially designed individual steam compartments to which the fragrance of cumarine (similar to camphor) has been added and allow the warm aroma to coat your entire body. I found the steam uncomfortably warm but once adjusted, I relaxed into the therapy. Manos loves Finnish sauna and so enjoyed it tremendously. At this point Manos and I went our separate ways but there are other opportunities at the spa for couples to enjoy treatments together. A complete list is available on their web site www.touchoftranquility.com or a customized package can be arranged.

After the Alpine herbal steam therapy, I was led to another treatment room for an Eminence Custom Facial. This product line is from Hungary, a country with a history of dedication towards preserving youth and beauty. My esthetician Linda explained that once the skin is prepped and analyzed under a magnifying mirror she will choose the particular products in the line that will provide the best results for my skin type and condition. She kept a record of the lotions she recommended so that if I choose to purchase them, the list would be available at the front desk. The facial was wonderful and I must say my skin glowed for days after.

Next I moved on to Greg, and Cleopatra’s Secret Milk and Honey Cocoon Float. Greg slathered me with a rich concoction of milk and honey and with towels strategically placed over me and discretely around the room, led me to a shower to rinse off the sticky goo before lowering me into the Haslauer float table. This heated wet table slowly sinks to immerse your body in warm water and has the ultimate effect of a full body massage. Greg remained in the darkened room with me just in case I became disoriented or uncomfortable during the 20 to 30 minute recommended immersion. I must have nodded off for a time, but after about 25 minutes I had had enough and he immediately raised me up. While we chatted, Greg informed me that he was certified in this procedure and had traveled to Europe for training… that many of the products and procedures used at the spa required special training and only very committed therapists were willing to undergo the rigorous certification programs required for operating the sophisticated equipment. Greg then led me to the final step on my program called the Brine Inhalation Therapy Room. It is a darkened room with a large screen on which a changing series of seascapes is programmed to music. At the base of the screen are blocks of specially treated salts and the room is continually moisturized with the briny mist. Greg seated me on a deck chair, covered me with a lint free blanket and handed me a bowl of fresh fruit and tea. The room is meant to normalize the salt content naturally occurring in our bodies, similar to what an ocean crossing once accomplished. Manos joined me and we spent some time just sitting and enjoying the refreshing nourishing respite.

We left Touch of Tranquility Spa and reentered into the dry, clear Arizona desert air relaxed and with a renewed feeling of well-being. 

© February 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.