How a last minute decision evolved into active rest of dreams.
I am originally from culture capital of Estonia – Viljandi, but lived abroad half of my life. Hence every minute on cherished homeland is sacred, time sensitive and carefully chosen.
I found out about the BioSpa on the evening of 1st of August 2023 from a dear friend and next day after some midnight internet research, without hesitation, I was booked onto a 7 day fasting/detox programme. Gulp! Having studied agriculture and also health sciences, I am acutely aware of impact our lifestyle choices: provenance of food, importance of what we eat/drink and how, what we put on our skin, what we think, what we consume, how we sleep, what we breathe and how, how we exercise and how often, what we watch/listen to and what environment we surround ourselves with etc – how it is in direct correlation with our health and well-being.
On my approach to the Spa I sensed straightaway that the energy of the place was right, I was overwhelmed by the quiet grace of the countryside that surrounds the facility – empty country road lined with various majestic trees, including beautiful linden trees, fields of golden rye interspersed with Estonian national flower- humble blue cornflower, sweetly scented white phloxes that reminded me of my childhood summers with dear late (great) grandmother and by silver birch trees that were humming harmoniously with the birds and crickets. During our many walks, with or without nordic poles, especially early in the morning and late in the evening – in the golden hour, when sun was low, the beauty of this magnificent landscape, was breathtakingly beautiful. Environment matters and it was so peaceful, tranquil and nurturing!
I was aware of the benefits of fasting and did not need much convincing, as I have been meaning to do it quite some time. Also I work in an exclusive holistic Body/Mind/Spirit Learning Centre & Spa on Isle of Man, therefore I was also professionally interested, what treatments were on offer etc. I must say I was not disappointed, on the contrary I was pleasantly surprised on the quality of the treatments and excellent customer service. Every team member I met switched easily and rather impressively between 3 languages- Estonian, Russian and English. Interior design was more clinical than I was used to, nevertheless I loved all the houseplants, which made it more homely. Thank you to the houseplant fairy!
One of other quests of this healing centre said to me at the end of the programme: “ You did not need to be in this place. Your face radiated joy from the very beginning .“ Little did he know that deep down I was human too- I had been feeling a little low recently, lethargic, bloated, perimenopausal, increasingly homesick for my roots, overweight, inflamed with water retention and uncharacteristically indecisive: needed a little help. Regardless of my extensive knowledge of ( mental) health, I had been making all the wrong food choices in my adrenaline fuelled professional life, like I was feeding ever increasing emotional bottomless hole. I had not been sleeping well either. Felt a little fake as I was preaching and trying to portray opposite way of life.
I easily lost 4.5 kg, as I result of the programme, however that was just a bonus. My main goal was to rest, that is to really REST in every aspect of the word- physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. I wanted to give our second brain, which is the gut, a break, a cleanse, so the microbiome, where our immune system and intuition lives, gets a new lease of life, in order to make better decisions and be healthier. British psychologist Kimberley Wilson said something important in one of her BBC Radio 4 “ Made of Stronger Stuff” podcasts about the vagus nerve that really stayed with me. She is fascinated by the vagus nerve, body’s superpower, the “ love nerve”, rightly so, so am I. She said if you can imagine a busy highway of this longest cranial nerve, between your gut and your brain, then there would be 2 lanes coming down from the brain to the gut, however there would be 4 lanes going back up to the brain from the gut- highlighting the importance of our gut and its’ role in many functions of our bodily systems. Healthy gut equals healthy mind! Similar to Estonians’s moto: “ Terves kehas terve vaim!” As a massage therapist I am so pleased to hear client’s tummy rumbling, that means vagus nerve is stimulated, client is in “ rest and digest” (as opposed to “ flight or fight” mode) parasympathetic nervous system, which means treatment is working. Client feels calmer, more compassionate, less brain foggy, and clearer. Healthy vagal tone means better emotional regulation, greater connection, and better physical health as well. You are more resilient and able to pull yourself through trauma and troubles. A healthy vagal tone means you are more likely to be successful in life.
I strongly believe that we can change our blood and brain chemistry by right thinking, by tender loving care of our nervous system, lymphatic system, cardiovascular, endocrine system, digestive system to name just a few systems affected. Everything is interconnected. What we feed our body/mind/spirit as “fuel” and the quality of this “fuel” and the environment/people that we expose us to, is so important to our overall well-being. I felt this tender loving care emitting from every member of the team at the BioSpa, and I am so deeply grateful. Plus I had the best roommate ever, fabulous creative inspirational person, salt of the earth, full of life and wisdom that I resonated with immediately! Together we enjoyed the breathwork exercises early in the morning, barefoot grounding on soft dew covered green grass, followed by cold water immersion and foot reflex stimulation. Thank you, Denis! We enjoyed identifying plants and trees during our morning sensory Nordic pole walk. Even found wild strawberries, wild hops, lots of various wild flowers and creatures.
What a diverse delight! We swam with the fishes in refreshing outdoors ponds surrounded by reeds rustling in the winds and bright blue dragon flies. And we put world to rights in sauna, which is like a serious religious movement to the Estonians and alike, place to purify in every sense of the word.
I would like to mention physiotherapist Elge Kivi – her excellent vitality, sense of humour and knowledge – second to none. She managed to make aqua aerobics fun and her abdominal massage was excellent. One of the moments I really cherished was right after her “ Therapy Master” back stretching. She explained the benefits really well and provided space to lie on the floor mats, on the left hand side afterwards for 20 minutes. As I lie there quietly on my own, I watched mindfully and listened to the silver birches outside move hypnotically in the wind and I could hear the leaves rustling in comforting whisper: “ Everything is going to be alright. You are safe, you are protected and you are enough. “ What a beautiful life! There were so many special moments like this, I could write a book. I enjoyed Kristi’s classical massage too, healing hands in action. The absolute highlight of my time at the BioSpa was treatments delivered by Armenian Vigen – a gem, a true master of his trade. I am a big fan of Thai massage. Thai massage is sacrosanct in my consciousness, it was the inspiration behind my own career in massage therapy. No pressure, right! Oh my goodness, it exceeded my high expectations and standards, it touched every bit of my being, I felt at ease, surrended to it and drifted away into another dimension. It was like a most comforting healing velvety embrace that left me 5 cm taller, more mobile and wanting for more. I can still feel it! Secondly Vigen’s amazing gentle lymphatic drainage massage inspired me to study it myself and it definitely increased the rate of my rather reluctant and viscous lymph, I imagined how toxins were flushing via the blood to the kidneys and liver to be eliminated. Vigen’s triumphant trio of treatments culminated by awesome Aromatherapy massage, which was tailored to my needs and was out of this world- extraordinary, divine and utterly unforgettable! Thank you to him from the bottom of my heart! I salute and take a deep bow! He is a keeper! Like global business magnate Richard Branson says : “ Your team is your biggest asset! “
What else!? Dr Tromifova’ s diagnostics was very helpful, she went out of her way to squeeze me in for same day further consultation with her colleague. Even offered to personally drive me to the nearby clinic. Much appreciated!
Doctor’s assistant Anry was helpful too and we could have talked for hours if we could! I was also impressed with Olesja and her customer service skills. Thank you. In fact I was grateful for the whole team, who keep the place going- from inspirational managing director Kairi Ustav, to the gardeners, who lovingly keep the grounds immaculate, to housekeepers for cleanliness, to administrators for logistical mastery, to the lovely lady in the kitchen, who produces culinary delights, specifically tailored to detox and recover from fasting. Of course biggest gratitude goes to Dr Tromifova – the brains, heart and soul behind this magical place. Thank you all! I met some amazing people and kindred spirits. I can honestly say that I have my spark re-ignited, a new spring in the step, full of motivation and tips how to live more healthier life. I feel more balanced, rejuvenated, invigorated and lighter. After all, everyone knows- you can’t pour from an empty cup. I will be back, that’s for sure! I recommend BioSpa healing centre to everyone- you won’t regret it!