by “It’s called the Helen of the Caribbean,” says Keys, our guide on the inland Segway tour. “Just as the Greeks and Trojans went to war over the beautiful Helen, wife of the Spartan King Menelaus, the French and the English fought for years on this little island.”
From a tactical point of view, the reasons for this long issue are obvious: the position of Saint Lucia, surrounded by other islands on all sides, as well as the 75 peaks that it packs into its 238 square miles, was a military attacker’s dream. great location with multiple vantage points. But there is much more to “Helen” on this island – the only one in the Caribbean with a female name – than its strategic advantages: its green and blue lushness, warm waters make baths, and the solar sky crushed into a temptress of their own.
Would I climb into a wooden horse with a load of sweaty, smelly soldiers? Probably not. I would, however, gladly repeat the experience I had myself to the ministries of the staff at The Landings Resort and Spa.
My 17 year old daughter, Phoenix, was beside herself with joy when she found out that this was going to be a major part of our trip. “I feel like I need a weekly massage,” she said, cursing my own gut for the baby massage classes I attended as an infant (“poor wand making”, an older relative). said, shaking her head at me).
With a spa program designed with a focus on women’s health and wellness across all stages of life from menstruation to menopause, and from infertility to imbalances, I was curious to see if The Landings could bridge the gap between my glorious youth and my middle age, while creating a mother/daughter experience that we could share and enjoy together. Ever since I read – when I was not much older than my daughter now – Anita Diamant The Red TentI was once intrigued by the idea of menstruation when women, their cycles trained from living in small communities, would gather together to rest and celebrate, and pass on female wisdom. from generation to generation.
My daughter and I have a close relationship, which I like to attribute to my excellent mothering skills but which, according to a study recently published in. Journal of Neurology, probably more because of nature. It shows that mothers and daughters have the strongest bond; stronger, he said, “than mother-son, father-daughter, and father-son combinations”. We went to ballet, gigs, bars, afternoon tea and sushi restaurants together. We watched shoe sales, binge-watched Netflix, reviewed flashcards, and stayed up for hours talking. Somehow though, we never got together for a spa or beauty treatment other than getting our nails done.
At our initial consultation with Miss Majorie, the spa manager, we discussed our areas of concern, some of which her well-trained eye revealed before we even voiced them. In addition to a treatment program using high quality products from the local brand KaKo Organic, which combines ingredients such as cinnamon and nutmeg, both grown on the island, our body was scrubbed with oils such as sandalwood, which combats hot currents and mood stabilizers. , and clary sage, which is believed to balance estrogen levels and reduce cortisol. We were also recommended various herbal teas, to continue using after leaving St Lucia. Red Clover, for example, which is believed to balance hormones, and Chasteberry, which is thought to relieve pre-menstrual and pre-menopausal symptoms.
There wasn’t much tea drinking going on outside the spa. As guests on The Landing’s all-inclusive package, we’ve veered wildly between being in bloom, wrapped beacons of wellness, to larrikins on the cocktail, covered in SPF and sitting on floor chairs as we choke on memories of the past. Some days, our bodies were temples; to others, they were gin palaces.
However, it’s all about balance, which we soon learned we didn’t need much on the Segways, because they do all the work for you. However, Keys’ knowledge of the medicinal uses of the plants we encountered blended nicely with what we were learning at the spa. Carpenter’s grass is also renowned for its ability to soothe female-specific troubles, as is St. John’s wort – and we were both well taken by the trimmed, scalloped “leaf of life”, which is so rich in nutrient of. the uses are seemingly endless. (Though I was warned about my “slow” skin at the spa, I can’t deny that its beauty properties were the highlight for me.)
The next day, together with two other mothers and daughters we had befriended, we took part in a Caribbean dance class. The Segway may have taken the legwork out of jungle exploration, but our legs worked overtime here, and our dripping sweat was proof of it.
“You can wash the sweat, but you can’t wash the sexy!” encouraged our instructor, and my daughter and I laughed with embarrassment, feeling self-conscious as we mimicked moves that look just uninhibited and free when you see them at Carnival. Even worse, my daughter was asking the instructor to turn her back to us, so that we would be better able to follow her movements, a request, she quickly realized with horror, that her man “terminated” her bottom directly above her cooperation
Cocktails were definitely in order that evening.
However, it was a reminder – along with our jungle zipline adventure, during which we peered through the treetops at boxing height – that staying healthy as women can be as much about smiling as which could be about the cringe- that intensifies intensity that so often goes with women’s well-being.
“Irrelevant dolphin music and crystal shops,” my daughter once snorted earnestly and, remembering my disdain when Namaste started picking peppers on Instagram, hashtagged by curvy women while an expensive hobby, I would have to agree with her. There was early morning yoga, yes, but thanks to non-motorized water sports being part of The Landings’ all-inclusive package, our cores were also worked out via stand-up paddle boarding; on a shoulder, kayaking; and our feet, snorkeling through the corals looking for mermaid eggs with the hope of hatching our own in the bathtub at home.
In the spa, too, there was laughter, and the staff expressed feminine wisdom with gusto and humor, rather than the prudish, reverent tones I associate with many Western spaces and clinics. And this, I gather, is how it used to be: women would gather from men, not because they were less, ashamed, or impure, but so that they could sing, and tell stories, and probably some of them were quite handsome . They collected herbs, not because they were witches, but because they had an innate understanding of how flora could be used to promote health.
Women have created unique bonds with a generation of women, whether they have relatives or friends, which it seems that this Helen on an island, and this option in particular, is very capable of promoting.
Fundamentals
Sarah Rodrigues was a guest of The Landings Resort and Spa, and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority.
Blue Bay Travel offers seven nights at The Landings St Lucia on a B & B basis in a one-bedroom villa suite with a marina view and plunge pool. £1,849pp leaving Gatwick 30 May 2024 with British Airways; The price includes return transfers & luggage Included. A one-night stay at The Landings Resort and Spa is from £380 per night, based on four people (two adults and two children) sharing a two-bedroom marina view villa suite including breakfast, free non-motorized sports free and daily activities. Spa treatments cost around £52.
For more information, see stlucia.org
