Australian spas are tapping into the country’s ancient roots, both literally and figuratively, to deliver uniquely sensory experiences.
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Australia may feel like a modern country, but it’s actually one of the world’s oldest continents. Located 7,000 miles south-west of North America, it’s home to 23 million people—and several extreme landscapes. With rainforests in the north, a fertile seaboard, arid interior deserts and the dusty central Outback, Australia holds 10% of the world’s biodiversity and contains an abundance of native plants not found anywhere else on earth. Highly resilient, the land’s flora comes naturally equipped with strong defense mechanisms and a vitamin-rich makeup for survival.
Archaeological evidence shows that the Aboriginal people settled the country more than 50,000 years ago, which makes them the custodians of one of the oldest continuously living cultures. Although their society was rich in spirituality, art and culture, of the 500,000 Aboriginal people who represent 2% of Australia’s population today, most speak only Aboriginal English or Creole, their 250-plus distinct languages having been lost. However, Dreamtime, the natural law by which Aboriginal communities live, is a culture that both Australians and Aboriginals are trying to preserve.
Aboriginal “dreaming” is based on the stories passed down through generations that describe how their part-human, part-animal ancestors created the landscape. By performing rituals near sacred sites where their spirits are believed to reside and practicing preventive medicine, especially touch therapy, Aboriginals attain balance in the mind, body, environment and spirit.
An increasing number of Australian spas are embracing the country’s beginnings by adapting indigenous traditions and incorporating Aboriginal-inspired healing modalities and spiritual practices into full-body treatments. The use of native Australian plants, fruits and flowers plays a huge part—the indigenous population has known of their effectiveness in treating skin conditions, physical ailments and illnesses for thousands of years.
Thanks to this reawakening, these treatments are reaching a wider, younger and more mobile clientele. Indeed, with today’s greater emphasis on experiential, luxury travel and an increased uptake in wellness services by the millennial set, the integration of indigenous practices and Australian botanicals in spa menu offerings is an excellent way to give clients from all over the world a sense of the nation’s history and culture. Just as Dreamtime keeps traditional spiritual practices alive, storytelling through spa treatments brings guests closer not only to their own spirit, but also to a country’s roots.
Read on in our August Digital Edition to discover how three Australian spas are capturing this renewed zeitgeist.
