wellness

• In Germany, there is considerable emphasis on the term 'medical wellness', which aims to combine the idea of health (cure) and wellness.
• Elizabeth I popularized public bathing in 1571 in Britain to discourage the British from travelling to Spa in Belgium.
• In 1553, the first European Spa Directory was printed in Venice listing more than 200 spas.
• The Deutscher Wellness Verband defines 'medical wellness' as a form of 'behavioral medicine' where clients are guided by qualified practitioners to make specific changes to their lifestyle which can help lead to optimum wellness.
• The concept of 'medical wellness' aims to democratize health and wellness, making it available to everyone, not just the few privileged individuals who can afford to visit luxury spas, hotels, and clinics.
• Many visitors to modern day health and wellness centers are often unaware of the cultural origins of the treatments they enjoy.
• Indian Ayurvedic practices go back as far as 5000 bc , Egyptian women in 3000 bc used similar cosmetics to the ones that are sometimes used today, and the earliest known writings about Chinese medicine go back to 1000 bc.
• The earliest reference to magical healing waters according to the Spas Research Fellowship is about 1700 bc , and Hippocrates, the classic philosopher and physician of the Hellenistic age, and a prophet of natural healing methods, said: 'water is still, after all, the best'.
• The most ancient evidence of bathing culture was found in the valleys beside the river Indus where an ancient culture with water ducts, bathrooms and bath pools existed.
• Crebbin-Bailey et al (2005) provide a comprehensive timeline showing how ancient Greek civilizations from 700 bc introduced cold water bathing for warriors, Persians (600–300 bc ) already used steam and mud baths, Hebrews introduced ritual purification by water through immersion in the Dead Sea in 200 bc , and Thais (then Siamese) practised massage as far back as 100 bc .
• The Roman Empire left an incredible legacy of baths, one of the principle ones being in Bath in Britain in 76 ad , as well as the discovery of thermal springs in still-popular destinations like Spa in Belgium before 100 ad and Baden-Baden in Germany in 211 ad.
• Naked, mixed bathing was also deemed immoral by the Bishop of Bath and Wells (which may explain the tendency in Britain today to still bathe in spas partly clothed!).
• Saunas began appearing along the Baltic in Finland as early as 1000 ad.
• During the Roman Empire (44 bc to 69 ad ), Augustan Society travelled extensively for health reasons to relaxing landscapes, seaside resorts, and hot springs.
• Health and religion were combined in the case of visits to Asclepius' (the Greek god of medicine) sanctuaries, where visitors entered the sanctuary, took a bath to get purified, entered the god's temple, prayed, and laid down to sleep where the god would visit them and magically cure them or give advice about what treatment to take.
• The Renaissance in Europe (16th century) witnessed a boost to balneotherapy (water therapy treatments) as a medical practice, especially in Italy where there were famous sulphurous springs in Abano, mud baths in Padua, Lucca, and Caldiero.
• The Ottoman Empire built Turkish baths in 800 ad and knights from Britain experienced them during crusades in 1200 ad.
• Medicine was not very developed and the average lifespan was about 40 years, so wealthy citizens would travel in the hope of finding treatment or recovering in a healthier climate.
• The term 't herme' was used for elegant leisure facilities whereas the term 'b alnea' was used for simple and mainly healing oriented bathing establishments.
• The 14th century saw the development of the first shower in the baths of Bormie in Italy, as well as the discovery of warm springs in Central Europe (e.g Buda -now Budapest in Hungary and Carlsbad in Germany -now Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic).
• The baths could accommodate between 6,000 and 8,000 bathers.
• Augustans would also travel to consult oracles or 'fortune tellers' for example, in Delphi (Greece), Delos (Aegean Sea) or Claros (Asia Minor).
• The Baths of Caracalla near Rome were in use for three centuries before they lost their aqueduct water supply in the siege of Rome 537 ad.
• Typical trips would include sea voyages from Italy to Alexandria in Egypt or visits to mineral springs in what are now Vichy, Aix-en-Provence, Bath, and Wiesbaden.
• Unfortunately, in some parts of Europe (e.g Britain) by the 15th century there were concerns about public bathing in warm waters because of the spread of diseases like syphilis, leprosy, and plague.