A chronic fatigue diagnosis has provided a Barwon Heads-based spa owner with a renewed sense of business purpose.
After time off work with the condition and successful treatment of a myriad of its symptoms with practices such as mindfulness and use of services offered at Chi Sanctuary, formerly Lotus Spa, the path for Lyndal McKechnie’s business was clear.
“Lotus Spa always had a focus on offering treatments which provide relaxation and the benefit of increased wellbeing through a mindful practice,” she said.
“However, after my own successful use of mindfulness practice and our own infrared sauna to treat symptoms of an illness which was debilitating for me, I realised I wanted to increase that focus so much more.”
Since coming back to work, Lyndal has named the spa Chi Sanctuary, to emphasise services such as new massage ‘Cloud Hands’ which seek to correct client’s energy imbalances as well as provide relaxation.
She has also sought out practitioners such as Chinese medicine specialist Petra Joly, wellbeing coach and kinesiology specialist Jenny Hunt and children and adult art therapist Emily Cardell.
“I’m excited to offer our clients much more than they can get at many day spas in the region,” she said.
And while some things have changed at the popular Barwon Heads spa, others remain the same.
“I worked at the ‘The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental’ in the UK for a number of years,” she said.
“It’s a top spa there, and I think its standing largely comes from the fact that it has a huge focus on providing attention to individual client needs.
“I was attuned to every different element of the client experience such as whether they were warm enough, whether the room was too light or dark and how they were responding to the volume of any music playing.
“That was extremely formative, and that attention to client care is a huge focus at Chi Sanctuary which we will always have.”
