"Sometime in the 16th century, the first hermit monks appeared in these lands.
One night, a terrible storm washed ashore the bodies of shipwrecked people. One of them, still alive, was carrying a miraculous icon of Saints Constantine and Helen, which he had taken from Constantinople to the Cave Cave Lavra in Kiev.
But the traveler handed the icon to the monks who came ashore with the command to build a temple and monastery. The new monastery was named after its patron saints - "St. Constantine and Helen".
Shortly after the monastery was built, the monks who lived there discovered the mineral water that we still use today for our treatments"said Nikolai, Spa Manager at Aquahouse Ensana.
I told you here about Aquahouse Ensana Resort in Bulgaria, and the first day we spent there.
Because it's a beachfront resort, I went to bed at night with the thought of watching the sunrise in the morning. I didn't set the alarm because I wake up somewhere between 4 and 5 in the morning anyway, no matter what day of the week it is, including vacations.
I couldn't believe how well I slept. It was already light, so I hurried to at least make breakfast, because at 10:00 I was scheduled for my first therapy: AquaGym in the therapeutic thermal pool.
At breakfast, as at dinner, a plethora of choices - from organic corner to honeycomb to honeycomb and all sorts of other goodies. It was another 2 hours or so before the treatments started so I sampled everything that caught my eye, even though my inner voice kept urging me not to leave the organic corner, especially as they had plenty of choices. Maybe next time I'll resist, it was beyond me now and the truth is I didn't regret it.
The only one that didn't convince me at a glance - but I haven't tasted it to tell you for sure - was the coffee in the restaurant. I preferred a short espresso straight from the bar:
Although I arrived early at the Spa reception, Hristiyana, the therapist who had been looking after me all morning, was already waiting for me.
Initially, I thought I was only going to do the aquagym session with her in the thermal water, but I was wrong.
Hristiyana is a Senior Therapist with a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy, a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Management and various other courses and certifications, including in the area of beauty, which she loves.
She has more than 10 years of experience, having worked in a hospital and in various spa centers on the Bulgarian coast.
I was also telling you in first article that all their pools contain either thermal or mineral water.
Here I also do hydrokinetotherapy exercises, and water gymnastics lessons - either individually, in 1 to 1 sessions - as I did, or in group sessions with up to 5 people.
Underwater exercise in thermal mineral water offers some unique advantages over exercising in ordinary water due to the therapeutic properties of mineral-rich thermal spring water.
The water from the thermal spring at Aquahouse Ensana contains elements such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and sulphur, which provide additional health benefits:
I have found that if mineral water is naturally warm, and so provides constant heat, which helps to relax muscles and mobility. What's more, the combination of exercise and minerals encourages the release of toxins through the skin, and lymphatic drainage is improved because the increased circulation helps the lymphatic system to eliminate waste more efficiently.
Before we started the exercises, Hristiyana gave me her own assessment so that she could give me the exercises that would have the strongest effect. It was a mix of somewhat demanding exercises - for the cardiovascular system and movements for the joints.
But most importantly: it was a very fun experience, although I wouldn't have expected that, as I'm not a big fan of movement exercises - except stretching which I love. But Hristiyana's style, made me love it and when I found out the session was over I couldn't believe it.
But the day had just started, so I was looking forward to the treatments.
It is a local sludge, rich in hydrogen sulfide, magnesium, calcium, calcium, potassium, iron, sodium and zinc. It has been used for centuries to treat locomotor and nervous disorders.
It originates from the Varna region, a region rich in lagoons, which naturally develops this silt silt over time.
The history of the use of liman mud in this region dates back to ancient times. It seems that the first to use it for treatments were the ancient Thracians.
Later, having been conquered by the Roman Empire, their know-how on the use of liman mud for treatments was passed on to the Romans, who already had advanced knowledge of balneotherapy, spa and medicine.
Then, the Ottomans who conquered the Balkan Peninsula learned about the use of liman mud for health-improving purposes from the local Bulgarians and began incorporating it into their traditional Turkish bath - hammam.
Knowledge about the properties of recover and health-enhancing properties of liman mud have been passed down through time and different ethnic groups over the centuries for the simple reason that liman mud is very effective in its therapeutic purpose.
The process of extracting silt sludge hasn't really changed over the years - it's still done by hand, for many different reasons:
In addition to Aquahouse, there's another spa in the area that uses the same mud liman as them - their neighbors at Aquahouse Thermal and Beach.
After the sludge is extracted and delivered, the sludge is delivered by an intermediary company, regulated and approved by the government, and the sludge preparation and "cooking" process is done entirely by them, in-house.
They heat and keep the sludge warm using equipment specially designed in Germany specifically for "cooking" the sludge. The German company that manufactures their equipment uses specially manufactured alloys that do not corrode and degrade over time due to the corrosive nature of the sludge.
Hristiyana had told me it might feel hot. The application temperature of liming mud is somewhere between 50°C - 53°C.
He spread the slime all over my body, first on my back, then he turned me over and then on my face. When he finished, he wrapped me up, aiming to create as tight an airless space as possible, where the skin is prone to absorb the slime's ingredients.
Over the foil he put towels and a soft, light blanket so as to maintain body heat and the slime slime itself, because he had just told me that it works best at high temperatures (around 50 degrees).
He left me for about 30 minutes, telling me that I might feel the peaks because the slime is very strong, but not to worry because they won't last long. I felt them vaguely, anyway it was nothing annoying.
Help with:
- Joint and muscle pain relief: it provides anti-inflammatory effects and is often used in arthritis treatments and muscle recovery. The treatment of locomotor disorders has been the most popular use of their liman mud.
- Amelioration, improvement and support of the nervous system: this mud has a powerful effect on the peripheral nervous system - suitable for treating conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, sciatica, cervical and lumbar radiculopathy, post-surgical nerve recovery, fibromyalgia, chronic pain conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve compression syndromes. This is the second most popular way of use.
- Skin health: improves skin texture, reduces inflammation and helps treat conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and acne. But liman mud has a very drying and draining effect on the skin, and for this reason it is not suitable for facial applications.
- Detoxifying: removes impurities and toxins from the skin and body.
- Boost circulation: improves blood flow and promotes tissue oxygenation.
- Relaxation: the heat and minerals in the mud soothe the nervous system and relieve stress.
After the 30 minutes, a warm shower followed. With difficulty I managed to remove all the sludge. It's very dense, and as it had been generously layered, a lot of water had to run over it to remove it. Even with my hand, there were still gray spots. Eventually I got it and was ready for the next treatment, the Bulgarian brandy.
But before I tell you about the experience with their traditional drink - brandy - I can't end the topic of mud wrapping without telling you that after the treatment is over, the recycling process is made by Aquahouse therapists themselves, who collect the used foil with silt sludge in it, then squeeze the contents of the silt sludge into large specially designated baskets.
The baskets are covered and kept in a dark, dry and damp area, then handed over to the intermediate company - approved by the Bulgarian authorities - which delivers the baskets back to the silt lagoons and empties their contents so that the lagoon soil is enriched and stimulated to continue the process of silt production.
It all sounds great, but it's good to know that this sludge also has a few contraindications: Acute inflammatory conditions, certain skin conditions (severe eczema, active-phase psoriasis, skin cancer or malignant tumors), severe hypertension (chronic values above 150 - 100), heart disease (heart failure or heart arrhythmias), pregnancy in the first trimester, acute kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), severe varicose veins, multiple sclerosis, acute neuropathy, allergy to sulfur or sodium, post-surgical wounds that are not completely healed.
It is not suitable for mud baths, as mud baths usually use large quantities of mud, which they cannot get from local lagoons. It is produced in small quantities (1 cm of sludge layer per year) and they have to be very cautious about consumption.
Another option would be to mix the sludge with water, but this means diluting it, which would limit its healing properties, and is against their healing principles.
Their mud has a rather rough and abrasive structure, and rubbing it on the client's skin would be uncomfortable. And in this case, as with baths, mixing it with massage oil would limit its powerful healing properties.
Moreover, I also do not use it for cold sludge applications, because the healing properties of liman sludge are activated by the high temperature (around 50°C), which accelerates and aids the absorption process of the sludge ingredients and activates the properties of the chemical components.
The national alcoholic beverage of Bulgaria, known for its taste and health benefits since its invention during the Ottoman rule of the Balkan Peninsula.
Originally, brandy was developed and created as a substitute for wine, as wine had been banned as haram (sin) - because of its alcoholic content - by the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV in the 17th century.
The ethnic Bulgarians were (and still are) practicing Christians and, unable to grow and consume grapes and wine during their religious holidays in those dark times, they came up with the idea of developing a substitute. This substitute was brandy - known to be stronger than wine and also produced much faster, lighter, less conspicuous and from a wider range of fruits than wine.
After the consumption of brandy began to spread among ethnic Bulgarians in the late 17th century, they noticed that they fell ill less often and felt comfortable and warm for quite a long time after drinking it.
Not long after, parents and grandparents started massaging their young children to prevent them from getting sick. At that time, infant mortality was quite high and parents tried to prevent it as much as possible.
Being proud of their roots and history, at Aquahouse, they came up with the idea to combine the traditional with the modern, and thus developed the immunostimulating massage with local brandy.
The massage uses both the local brandy, professionally prepared according to the Bulgarian purity law, and the basic massage oil. The basic oil ingredients are soy, olive oil and castor oil.
Combined, their physical and physiological qualities and effects complement each other - the base oil smoothes and moisturizes the skin, adds the necessary lubrication to allow various massage techniques to be performed and also helps to absorb the cooling properties.
On the other hand, brandy, with its high alcohol content, provides antiseptic and antimicrobial properties to the massage, killing any harmful microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi) located on the skin or just under the epidermis, the first layer of skin.
The brandy also helps to relax both the central nervous system and the soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system, thanks to its alcohol content and fruity aromatic qualities. Last but not least, this massage feels warm and even a little warming.
This massage is the perfect choice for people prone to colds, those with respiratory problems or those with a weakened immune system.
The massage techniques used during the massage are from the Swedish school of massage, the pressure is firm and the pace is a little above average. I even asked her to do it even deeper than standard, and she gave me a super massage!
The brandy massage is not recommended for pregnant women because of its alcohol content. The massage lasts 55 minutes.
After the Bulgarian brandy massage I had reached the 4th and last Spa experience at Aquahouse Ensana:
I must confess that I had never heard of lye before, but I found out that it has unique healing properties due to its rich composition of minerals and organic substances, and in terms of biologically active substances, it is significantly superior to seawater.
Its composition is similar to the sludge solution, which is why it has a similar effect to healing sludge.
Black Sea lavender significantly improves the regenerative properties of the body, especially the skin and soft tissues - nerves, muscles, tendons.
It has a powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, has a toning and relaxing effect on the whole body, eliminates fatigue and heaviness in the limbs, nourishes, rejuvenates the skin and slows down its aging, mineralizes the body and stimulates the natural protective reactions of the immune system.
The lye is stored in wooden containers. Before application, it is heated to about 50°C, then poured out of the container and applied to a special hyper-absorbent paper. In this way, it is used as a compress for application to painful or injured areas of the body.
The therapy is as simple as can be. You choose the area you want to have it applied to, and he simply puts the compress there on your skin. In my case, because I didn't have a particular area that was giving me problems, we settled on my back.
After she applied the compress, she wrapped my body with a nylon sheet, warm towels and that soft blanket that I liked the most. As with the mud wrap, the goal is to force the skin and body to absorb the Black Sea lye in a tight, airless space.
We sat like that for 25 minutes.
This time too, Hristiyana told me that at the beginning of lye application, the skin often feels itchy, irritated, scratchy and abrasive. This is a completely normal effect and is felt because the salt concentrations are extremely high. Even without open sores, large amounts of salts create this irritating effect on healthy, receptive skin. It is a healthy phenomenon and nothing to worry about.
And I can confirm that's exactly how I felt, but I think the stinging sensation didn't last more than 1-2 minutes.
Perhaps precisely because the effects are so powerful due to the high concentration of minerals, there are quite a few contraindications to Black Sea lye: iAcute infections and inflammatory conditions, Skin conditions - from open wounds, severe eczema or psoriasis, Allergic reactions, Cardiovascular and circulatory problems, Severe hypertension, Heart disease, Varicose veins, Deep vein thrombosis, Neurological conditions.
Compress with lye is forbidden during pregnancy and breastfeeding, during post-surgical recovery and acute trauma, in case of chronic respiratory diseases, kidney and liver diseases, cancer or malignant tumors, but also if you have heat sensitivity and hyperthyroidism, and even ulcers.
With this last wrapping up, the 2 and a half hours of Spa & Spa experiences at Aquahouse Ensana ended.
Honestly, if I had been alone, I think I would have gone to my room so I could quietly think about everything I had experienced. But as I was with my husband and Edi, the youngest of the family, we went for lunch.
We told you about the first one and how impressed we were in this article.
For lunch we decided to go to the Italian Lounge, Salvia, where, apart from the melt-in-your-mouth desserts, I was most impressed by the pizza topping. I always order thin crust pizza, but this thin I've never gotten, not even in Italy....
Honestly, I wouldn't have thought it could be so thin and still not break. You can't tell from the picture, but if you go there, you'll remember this article 🙂
And in the early evening, we chose to have dinner at the Japanese restaurant #Kampai, a real culinary experience that I don't think we will ever forget.
This time I was determined to get to the beach to see the sunrise. I had set the alarm and in the morning, although it looked quite cloudy, we went to the beach.
It's a 5-minute walk to the beach. It's their private beach. Although in the pictures I tried to catch the rocks - because those are the shots I like - the beach doesn't have too many rocky areas, it's fine sand.
I left Aquahouse delighted. With everything I saw and experienced, and perhaps most importantly, the impact the treatments had on me.
I'm not just talking about the benefits which are obvious, but the fact that through each Spa experience I felt the area and the culture. I don't think I could have gotten closer to the spirit of the place in any other way in just 2-3 days.
It's amazing how varied the spa treatments on the Black Sea are, both in Bulgaria and Romania. While there are many commonalities, each spa manages to offer a unique interpretation and a piece of history through the experiences offered.
My heartfelt thanks to Hristiyana for all the treatments offered and personalized to the maximum, to Nikolai for his captivating information and stories, as well as for his help in choosing the treatments, and to Anastasia for the photos and videos, as well as for all the answers to my questions - while I was in Spa.
I left with the conviction that no other type of tourism can make me discover and assimilate the traditions of the place at such a sensory and deep level as Spa tourism does.
And if the Spa experience is complemented by impeccable service, as it was at Ensana Aquahouse, I really don't know what more I could wish for from a stay designed to restore my energy in just a few days.
Founder despreSpa.ro
