flynn002

I’ve had a few spa experiences, though I’m hardly a connoisseur. I've found  a spa is a good place to chill out and gossip with friends, and on the rare occasions when I stay at a fancy hotel, I’ve come to enjoy the process of whiling away the period between lunch and cocktails in a hot bubbly tub. At the same time, I’ve become fascinated by the language used to advertise the available activities. I suspect most people who go to a spa don’t have any specific ailments, but they want to come away feeling more relaxed and vibrant, and the talk of 'therapies' and 'treatments' manages to create the comforting illusion that health can be shifted from suboptimal to optimal by various potions and practices. Particularly intriguing is the focus on foodstuffs. In a spa, you don’t ingest food: you rub it on the skin, sniff it, or slather yourself with it. I’ve always suspected there is an element of sublimation in this: most women who wish to remain slender have to suppress th...