Health and wellness bathing comes in many shapes and forms and whilst most spa bathers, at home or otherwise, lean heavily towards either the sauna or the steam room, the benefits of bathing alternatives are often overlooked or underrated.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, as many of Klafs clients know.  Klafs Sanarium for example offers a highly beneficial alternative to having to choose between either sauna or steam simply by creating a cabin delivering the benefits of both.

Sanarium creates a bathing environment where humidity and temperature are fully controllable to enable wide variations on bathing experience. The heat range sits slightly lower than that of a traditional sauna whilst the humidity levels are perfectly balanced to induce the benefits of steam bathing without necessitating the usually high levels of humidity. This flexibility works perfectly in the home and commercial environment allowing bather experiences to be tailored to need, thereby optimising the range of  health and wellness benefits available.

Another hugely beneficial but little discussed bathing experience is infrared and though usually regarded as the sauna of choice for athletes, there is a great wealth of benefits for any spa user. The shift to a health and wellness over health and beauty philosophy is bringing Infrared bathing back into focus and for good reason.

The gentle yet effective bathing experience induces deep physical and physiological relaxation, reduces heart rate, blood pressure, elongates muscles, eases tension, and stimulates healthy circulation. In fact Infrared does all a sauna can in a much subtler, gentler way which offers a safe and comfortable bathing environment particularly for those unable to withstand the rigours of a traditional sauna.

Klafs Infrared cabins combine the very latest in Infrared technology coupled with design flexibility and a choice of integrated technology.  Unlike many infrared cabins, Klafs Infrared uses gently radiating Infrared C panels, cleverly hidden within the walls to create a beautiful, practical and functional cabin.  The internal cabin walls are aspen, chosen for their knot free, resin free structure enabling even heating and heat distribution across the entire cabin.

Designing a cabin with the infrared panels integrated into the structure has enabled Klafs to combine sauna heating technology as well as Infrared capabilities within a single cabin, creating a choice of bathing options highly suited to a wide variety of home and commercial bathing environments.

Choosing an alternative to the traditional sauna or steam room options for your home or commercial spa needn’t be a headache or technically complex. Klafs offer a wealth of expertise and knowledge which can support the decision-making process within existing design and space constraints. If you are planning wellness spaces, call or email the office and we will happily talk you through the options and alternatives to help you really get the most out of your investment.

The last day of the year is finally upon us and what a year it has been for the team here at Klafs Technical. We have travelled and talked and planned and finalised to deliver a diverse and creative number of projects this year and are excited to return in 2012 to build on this years exceptional experiences.

We would like to thank all of you who made 2011 a successful and interesting year and we wish you all well for 2012 and beyond.

Here’s to 2012… a year of innovation, creativity and possibility.

2011 has been a pivotal year economically, socially and politically and whilst the business landscape has changed beyond recognition across all sectors, the new space it creates offers an opportunity for innovative and creative working practices to develop, thrive and survive.

Spa businesses here in the UK have already begun to change and adapt to a new marketplace, tapping in to resources and technology which help deepen and improve connectivity with their clients. The urge to cut back on marketing activities has, in the main, been quelled, aided in particular by increasingly accessible marketing tools which utilise a varied number of technologies, apps and social networking tools.  Marketing has become less about selling ‘to’ and more about service provision and experience enhancement, enabling a multi faceted and responsive business approach.

The historic client and business separation is finally evolving into a more free flowing communicative process creating a collaborate approach to service delivery.  Technology has enabled information exchange leading to products and services which actually meet client needs.

The spa and wellness sector has changed rapidly in 2011 and the coming year will bring additional changes and challenges requiring ahead of the game thinking to respond and adapt to the shifting needs of the spa and wellness user.

2012 may prove to be the tipping point signalling a different and smarter method of working.  The ability to adapt, innovate and create closer more meaningful connections will be key in maintaining stability and steady growth.

For us here at Klafs this is an exciting and challenging time to operate within the wellness sphere.  Our activities will continue through the coming year and where many be tempted to cut back, tighten the belt and rein in activities, we will continue to develop, create and innovate to meet the ever changing needs of our clients, collaborators and partners.  2012 will also see the continuation in our charitable endeavours and will be a year of giving in new and evolving ways. We look forward to the journey into 2012, with it’s inevitable bumps, potholes and all!

The Finnish approach to Sauna bathing traditions and rituals during the festive season has a long and culturally significant importance, as the researcher Juha Nirkko from the Finnish Literature Society has documented.

Traditionally, time was set aside on Christmas Eve for family and friends to gather and spend time indulging in sauna bathing rituals. Nirkko writes that historically, the preferred bathing time was the afternoon to allow time during the evening for the spirit world to take their place in the cabin.

Today, Christmas Eve bathing traditions are a continued practice with the focus remaining firmly on the living, taking time for reflection and contemplation, enjoyment and cleansing before the festivities begin with renewed abandon. The process is slow, beginning with preparations for the heating of the sauna, through to the final cabin cooling stage. It is very much a social affair with the cold Finnish winter providing the perfect natural landscape for icy dips and snowy cooling in between hot sauna sessions.

Whist here in the UK the likelihood of a white Christmas might prevent us from fully experiencing a traditional Finnish style sauna, the idea of taking time out on Christmas Eve to be with friends and family inside a warm and inviting sauna cabin is very much top of list this year. Here are some top tips for creating the perfect Christmas sauna experience:

• Make it social and make it an event, taking the afternoon through to evening to spend time relaxing, talking and enjoying time with invited friends and family.
• Have plenty of large thick towels, fluffy robes and spare flip flops for additional eager guests.
• Heat the sauna well in advance and ensure the there is plenty of water on hand for raponsing regularly.
• Herbs such as Rosemary, Sage and Thyme and essential oils of Frankincense, Cedarwood and Sandalwood can be used to fragrance the cabin with seasonal and uplifting scents.
• Prepare light and delicious snacks accompanied by non alcoholic drinks to keep everyone fed and happy during the afternoon. Try hot pear or apple juice warmed with cinnamon, lemon, ginger and clove for a festive but non tipsy tipple or hot chocolate and marshmallows for the younger family members.
• Relaxation space is a must, make sure there are plenty of seats, benches and cushions for everyone to rest and relax on.
• Finally, stock up with plenty of candles and pick out a suitably laid back festive playlist.

A Christmas Eve Sauna is the perfect way to unwind and take stock before the festivities commence. Personally, I’m secretly hoping for an icy if not white Christmas for that authentic hint of the Finnish cool!

With December quickly slipping by in a haze of work, last minute planning and a little festive merry making, this week signals not only the final weeks of 2011 but also brings the release of the much anticipated annual SpaFinders Global Spa Trend Report for the coming year.  Now in its ninth year the report serves as an industry thermometer taking the temperature of the international spa market to deliver predictions on just where the Spa Industry will find itself heading next year. The verdict on global spa trends for next year?

First up is feet first with the prediction that we will see an increase in healthy feet treatments developed and offered across all spa sectors. Wellness comes to the fore with professional podiatrists consulting alongside foot therapists to deliver treatments combining foot beauty with foot health.

Next is the predicted rise in a more mainstream use of cooling treatments and experiences with the development of new and innovative technologies delivering icy blasts through cold water, ice and snow experiences. As many of you already know, Klafs has long understood the importance of cooling effectively so we are rather happy to hear that our Snow Cabins, Ice Fountains and Experience Showers are already ahead of next years trend towards the cool.

Third on the list is a shift towards lasting and effective health and wellness regimes with wellness coaches now looking set to become key in helping spa goers develop a health and fitness regime which is effective, manageable, achievable and delivers the desired results.

Wellness Gaming is next with online interactive games allowing the integration of fun activities with brand loyalty schemes with additional health and wellness monitoring capabilities. Fun combined with health and knowledge seems to be the key message.

As with 2011, the next prediction for 2012 is for the continuation in development of more tailored and unique packages incorporating Spa activities with fine wines and fine dining.  Consistency and curated will be buzz words ensuring that the spa goers receive a truly complete experience fit for their culinary as well as their bodily needs.

A focus on sensory stimulation through light, sound, music, vibration and colour are number six on the list with spas developing a range of therapies incorporating each element individually or in combination for a multi sensory experience. Good news for Klafs again given our long history of technological developments which deliver a whole range of sensory stimulation.

Number seven on the SpaFinders top 10 Global spa trends is the return to glamour where predictions see an increase in pop up (and pop in) spa salons and bars specialising in specific services such as blow drys, manicures, waxing and brow shaping.  Regular and short weekly treatments look set to become the norm.

2012 will also see an increasing thirst for knowledge and reassurance for the would-be spa goer with an ever increasing demand for the development of evidence based treatment programmes. The ‘science of spa’ will be key in delivering health and wellness treatments through a continued growth in the development of medi-spa facilities.

Ninth on the list is the predicted swing towards family friendly spa facilities where adult time can be combined with child-friendly spaces to enable time together and time apart as a family unit. Klafs latest development demonstrates how exceptional spa design is already challenging the ‘no children allowed’ rules.

Finally on the list of predictions for next year is the need for a bigger WOW factor with seasoned spa goers expecting to be astonished, delighted and surprised by the spa experience. Bigger, brighter and more unique experiences will come together through design and technology innovations. ‘Delivering beyond expectation’ will take notice of the little things, with closer attention paid to the small but greatly significant details which combine to create a unique user experience.

Our personal feelings on next year is that 2012 will become a year of immense global change creating an environment where innovation, technology and service delivery will be the key in adapting, surviving and thriving to create a sustainable spa business of the future. Our focus remains firmly on our clients.