by Donna Cosmato

Created on: April 19, 2009

Tired of battling with the work day routine? A spa day is the perfect remedy, and creating an in-home spa is easy and economical.
Why settle for paying hundreds of dollars when you can do-it-yourself? Here are a few do-it-yourself spa treatment tips, to help you relieve stress, pamper yourself, and revitalize your mind.

Follow these simple steps for a relaxing, refreshing spa experience. Head on over to the local Bath & Body Works store (or your favorite aromatherapy retailer) and buy a facial mask, bubble bath, body scrub, candle, and body lotion. The top five stress relieving aromatics are: lavender, jasmine, chamomile, bergamot, and rose, so pick your favorite. Click here for store locator: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp.

When you return home, turn the cell phone off, lock the door and draw the blinds. This is your time don't let anyone intrude!

Run the tub full of hot water and bubbles while you gently massage the lavender scented mask over your face. Light the candles, put on your favorite relaxing music, and slip into the hot, bubbly water and put your brain on pause. Breathe deeply and slowly, while listening to the best music for relaxing stress, songs by artists like Yanni or Enya. For something different to help you mediate as you soak try Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Pachelbel's Canon with Ocean Surf.
The gentle rhythmic sound of rolling waves and the warmth of the water melt tension and anxiety.

Relax for about ten minutes, and then rub skin with body scrub and a bath scrubby or loofah sponge to gently exfoliate and stimulate circulation. Use the warm water to splash off the facial mask. Using a pumice stone, use more body scrub on heels and elbows to get rid of dead skin.

Get out of the tub carefully and dry off, leaving skin slightly moist. Massage scented body lotion into the warm, moist skin and wrap in a warm terry robe. Lotion applied to wet skin helps seal in moisture and soften skin.

Now is the perfect time to for a manicure and pedicure. Take some time to massage feet thoroughly it feels so good! While nails are drying, put on some smooth jazz from artists like Kenny G, Najee, or David Sanborn, shut your eyes and take a trip in your mind. Imagine a place you've always want to see and travel in your imagination.

The best time to perform this do-it-yourself spa treatment is right before bedtime. The warm bath will raise your core body temperature and promote deeper, healthier sleep.

This sounds too simple, but research shows that reducing stress helps lower blood pressure, reduces depression, improves performance and increases concentration. A trip to a professional spa is on most women's wish list, but it can be fun and exciting to do-it-yourself.

Source: http://stress-and-anxiety-help.com/awesome-benefits- of-stress-relief-massage/

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