Posted in News on Thursday, March 28, 2019 by The Beachcomber Tours Correspondent
Seven years ago, Roxane Cattacoopen and four other colleagues joined the new “The Art of Wellness” spa at Victoria Beachcomber. Seven years at the service of this 4-star spacious family resort on the north-west coast of Mauritius! It is in this resort that Roxane serves as Wellness Coach and brings, thanks to the art of touch, that feeling of wellbeing, both for the body and the soul.
Today’s world is a jungle where men and women engage in daily battles to earn a living and meet the needs of their families. The lifestyles and living conditions have significantly evolved these past five years. The daily challenges and the new trends impact heavily on the body – and very often, people are not necessarily aware of the negative consequences. To remedy to these tensions, nothing beats a deep whole body massage by expert hands to relieve the body from all muscle tension and pain.
Roxane used to be a hairdresser. One day, while designing a hairdressing project with her clients, she realized that her profession was actually a platform for her to provide guidance and advice to people.
“I liked it. And thereon, I discovered the universe of wellbeing and learnt to bring this feeling to others,” she recalls. One thing leading to another, she decided to become a spa therapist. She started by specializing herself in techniques for body and face treatments – both in theory and practice. Scrubbing, body masks, holistic face treatments, are all too familiar to her. She is also very knowledgeable when it comes to the anatomy and the physiology of the human body but also the most efficient ancient massage techniques and practices.
The belly or « hara » assessment
Anyone who walks into a spa expects to walk out feeling fully energized. “We can give you a massage for sure. However, our approach goes beyond. Our massages comprise of a subtle comprehensive approach and an interpretation of your inner state through an applied theory based on the five elements – water, earth, fire, wood and metal -, the basics human balance. This practice allows us to understand what you need to find a long-lasting state of inner wellbeing. Our treatments can be customized. Each of our massages is unique. Each program can be tailor-made based on your needs and your progression throughout your wellness journey. Our goal is to bring you serenity and long-term inner wellbeing,” she adds.
The ideal experience The Art of Wellness starts with a pre-wellbeing assessment through a manual technique applied on the belly after the signature Be Découverte treatment. Our expert Wellness Coach Roxanne looks for reflex or trigger points. “The organs are in the belly and they echo in our back. This belly assessment combines with progressive breathing for more precision and efficiency. We breathe in and out, as we do in yoga. When the person who is getting a massage exhales, we press firmly with our hands and look for tensed areas and/or areas that are weak. Once all the areas have been identified and analysed, we work on the meridians that are located on different parts of the body and we massage to release all tensions,” Roxane explains. The belly assessment is also known as the “Hara” assessment – the belly is considered as the heart of the human being, the second brain.
he tensions that have piled up and the congested points that prevent free flow of energy throughout the body can also start to wane. At the end of this first massage, Roxanne recommends that her clients pursue the experience with an à la carte program that she will advise based on the needs that she has identified. Regular massages yield amazing efficient and durable results. Thanks to her advanced training, Roxanne can also invite the clients to experience a personal coaching. What ensues, is an original massage experience: The Must to B(e) which caters for custom-made programs and treatments. They meet the technical objectives perfectly. The programs Mon Coach et Moi spread over three, five or eight days, depending on the length of the stay and the demands of the client.
In The Art of Wellness concept, the client is not only guided but he/she actively participates in his/her wellbeing at all times. The client participates in the massage(s) to experience first-hand the progressive release of all body tensions. “It is not just a massage. Both the client and the coach participate actively in the exercise. We work together, I accompany each client in his/her quest for wellbeing,” Roxane highlights. To achieve this first step, Roxanne knows all too well that it is crucial to listen to the needs of the clients. “But then, of course, in the first place, you have to listen to your own self, have a Zen and calm attitude, to be able to convey the feeling of wellbeing to others. There’s a lot to learn in this job based on the touch and human interaction,” she pursues.
Roxane wears many hats. She guides clients towards appropriate treatments, looks after them, accompanies and guides them. Victoria Beachcomber’s five spa treatment cabins include four standard rooms and one double cabin. It covers 250 m² and is reserved for relaxation in a peaceful and serene ambiance. These walls host body and face massages, manicures, pedicures and treatments for parents and children. The setup is an open invitation to positive Chi, vitality and wellbeing. The nearby kiosk on top of the basin where green plants and colourful fish cohabit in a Feng Shui-like environment, confirm that positive vibe.
Exercises and auto massages
The products, which are full of natural benefits, can be used on the face and the body. Their properties are universal and can alter depending on the needs of the body. Once the assessment is made after the signature treatments, which rest deeply on the universal pursuit of balance, the coach directs the client towards the appropriate treatments, which are classified in various categories: vitality, relief, purification, recharging, regeneration and performance. While the parents discover the benefits of letting loose, the children in the meantime, can follow Peter Pan or the Little Mermaid, in a universe of treatments specially designed for them. Unless, of course, they opt for the duo treatment.
The nine therapists at the spa of Victoria Beachcomber were trained by Santayarea Formation to master the necessary skills to serve as “coach, technician in traditional arts and wellbeing body techniques.” In addition to providing solace and wellbeing, our therapists advise and encourage the clients to practice massage and auto massage – a plethora of body workshops and affinity arts – and to use natural movements to relieve daily tensions.
“We teach our clients to do auto massages and we advise them to keep doing them at home. We teach them how to breathe properly. Inflating the tummy and holding one’s breath to oxygenate each cell of the body, then breathing out through the nose, helps to massage the organs. This technique induces relaxation and gradually the feeling will settle in,” Roxane describes. Air is free, Roxane rightly observes. You have to make the most of it and be aware that everything that Nature provides is a true blessing. “You have to breathe nature and always go back to Mother Earth,” she meditates.
Roxane also teaches her clients to exercise by using two tennis balls. “We teach them affinity arts like the five Tibetans. These exercises are absolutely rejuvenating for the body, the mind, and the soul. Do them for 10 to 20 minutes every day before going to work. In the afternoon, work out with the tennis balls for five minutes. Clients also discover the “Makko ho”, that is, the stretching of the meridians according to one’s needs for five to eight minutes,” she adds.
The wellness universe that Roxane Cattacoopen speaks of with so much passion still holds many secrets. To those who have not yet discovered the spa of Victoria Beachcomber, trust us: the best experiences are those that have not yet been experienced!