It's sort of funny how kids and adolescents were kicking through August slush in a playground outside a slim door that allows adults in, across a cobbled path and up the stairs to a haven, where they can play. Play Health & Fitness Pvt.
Ltd. is Bandra's latest spa-cum-fitness studio housed in a quaint building that shuts you out from the suburb's mayhem. Charcoal, their day spa offers a range of massages and body treatments.
I tried: "It's not for the faint-hearted" I was warned about the Deep Tissue Massage (Rs 1,400). But my achy-breaky body didn't care too much for pampering, and yelped for some serious measures. After ten minutes spent on filling up my fairly young medical history, I surrendered myself to a frail-looking therapist called Chon.
After a quick foot-wash in lukewarm water incensed by mogras, I was taken to a room where even the depressing monsoon stopped to smile. Chon wasted no time in getting down to business. I have been to a five-star affiliated South Mumbai spa, and was superbly annoyed with the masseuse, who couldn't keep the lid on her motor mouth. This was a welcome change.
Chon had hands of steel, and was quick to figure out my sore areas. She used her fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows and forearms to knead my stiff neck, sore shoulders and taut lower back. I'd be fooling no one but myself if I declare that I didn't experience excruciating pain. But at the end of 1 hour, 30 minutes, there was a sudden sense of being relieved of stress. For once, in a really long time, my body felt alive!
Tips to keep in mind:
Make sure you breathe deeply while the therapist works on tense areas.
Drink plenty of water after the massage to flush metabolic waste from tissues.
Be vocal about how much pressure you can take.
What's a Deep Tissue Massage? It's aimed at the deeper tissue structures of the muscle and fascia, also called connective tissue. This focused procedure sees the therapist work towards releasing chronic muscle tension or knots.
They also offer: Its open-air studio offers classes morning and evening classes in kickboxing, Ashtanga Yoga, Brazilian-African martial art-cum-dance form Capoeira, and dance therapy. Their annual gym membership costs Rs 33,710.
Coming up: Play plans to introduce manicure-pedicure services, and expand its
fitness classes starting next month.
At: Play Health & Fitness Pvt. Ltd., Church Building, Sherlyn Rajan Road, off Carter Road, Bandra (W). Call: 30607688/26055586
Flexi bar:
Originally used as a physiotherapist's rehabilitaion tool, Flexi bar works for those who want to keep their strength and posture in top condition
One-stop shop to decorate kiddie rooms
With its tiny entrance and nondescript signboard, Vividha is easy to miss on a busy corner of Breach Candy.
And the lonely cash-counter that sits across rows of unimpressive, wooden danglers, on the first level, does little to entice you to walk down the dark, polished, granite stairs and see what else the store stocks. But there's a lot more to Vividha than catches the eye.
What lies beneath: Beautiful linen and sheer drapes in bright pink, purple and turquoise, decorate one side of the huge space (Rs 1,400 onwards for 4x7 ft panels). Chains of ribbon adorned with stunning stone-studded flowers (Rs 400 per chain), that hang between these, enhance their charm. A book-shelf, shaped like a house, seems like an interesting buy until we hear that it's priced at Rs 8,000.
The store also had a range of very pretty, bean-bags and bean-chairs (Rs 1,800 each), as well as baby-changing-stations with drawers to store pampers, clothes and creams.
We loved: Painted, wooden stationary including over-sized paper-clips shaped like lady-bugs, snails or butterflies (Rs 75 a piece) and wooden jewellery boxes for Rs 100, would make lovely return-presents.
A bunk-bed that was big on storage and style, was priced at Rs 18,000 (not inclusive of mattresses). A large drawer below the lower bed can be used for additional storage or as a pull-out bed.
Location: Parking is scant but occasionally available in the lane near Vividha. You could also park just ahead of St Stephen's church and walk across the road if you're not daunted by the idea of making it past scores of aggressive drivers trying to race up the hill before the traffic-light changes.
At: 7B, Chinoy Mansion, Warden Road.
Call: 66159784
