Frankie Rozwadowska reviews Paola Bassanese’s renowned treatment: The Energya Slimming/Contouring Massage

Let me set the scene. It’s mid-winter, I have less than a week ‘til I go on holiday and my New Year’s ‘eat super healthy and exercise lots’ plan has yet to really start. Panic sets in. I’m about to be on a beach, wearing a bikini. A BIKINI. The most unforgiving of clothing items. As I start thinking of back-up plans (last minute juice fast, back-to-back pilates classes or even some all-in-one-suck-everything-in swimsuit), my computer pings. I have mail.  An invitation to try a slimming massage – if there’s such thing as a ‘sign’, this has to be it. Within minutes I am all booked in to meet Paola Bassanese, an award-winning massage therapist known to be the guru of slimming treatments. My holiday saviour.

After wanting more from life and to make a difference to other people’s, Paola quit her 9-5 job over 7 years ago so she could pursue her dreams of becoming a masseuse – starting her Energya Ltd company in 2006. Italian-blooded, she’s warm and welcoming – and within 5 minutes you’ll be telling her your life-story and asking her advice, like an old friend you haven’t seen for a while. She puts you totally at ease and tailors the massage around the parts of your body that you feel need work, not just the standard ‘problem areas’. Driven by the desire to make people look and feel better, she developed the Energya Slimming/Contouring Massage. It can instantly rid you of up to 2cm around your middle and it helps diminish the appearance of cellulite. Got your attention? Thought so.

Consisting of three key elements – lymphatic drainage, friction and pressure – fat deposits are broken down and are then absorbed into the blood stream and eliminated via our lymphatic system. The lymphatic drainage technique is the soft, gentle one – upward strokes that reach toward our lymphatic nodes. The friction and pressure then really work into problem areas to break down the deposits whilst also ridding you of any knots or tension. Paola starts off gently and increases the pressure ever so slowly, which means you are able to withstand more than you think. One of her key principles is that we all need to listen and really feel our bodies (there’s no music or incense/smelly things to distract you) and this technique of hers really allows for that. Using a combination of pressure and heat on outer thighs and on the backs of the legs causes even the most stubborn of areas to break down, so if you suffer from cellulite or dimpling – this really is for you. On the tummy it helps flatten the abdomen and improve digestion – really working into your intestines and stomach to help  get things moving (like a colonic minus the tubes. Enough said). This also helps to clear skin as the digestive tract is cleared and toxins can pass through, which not only cause bloating and digestive problems, but also break outs and skin conditions.

Aside from the fact my tummy was definitely flatter and my muscles had been given a serious kneading (Paola warned me I might wake up the next day and feel like I had a big workout – and it’s true, I did) it not only helped me look better, but it helped me feel better. It’s incredibly motivating and it makes you feel good and aware of your body – spurring you on to treat it right and really look after it. Even if you’re not about to go on holiday, I highly recommend you pay a visit to Paola and her magical hands. It’s a great way to kick-start a healthy lifestyle change, or to reward yourself for any changes you have made and are successfully keeping up. I packed my suitcase the following day and there wasn’t a one-piece in sight.

The Energya Slimming/Countor Massage – 1hr, £90.00

http://www.energya.co.uk | [email protected] | 07803961669

Image sourced from http://www.bakuaustralia.com.au