Hammam Ritual at RWS ESPA

Recently renewed my RWS invites card just to get the welcome package for ESPA at RWS! Renewal fee cost $120.

The welcome package I took!

I chose to do the 60 minutes Indulgence Hamman Ritual! Seems more different than massage?  From ESPA's treatment description, an Indulgence Hamman Ritual is "a total body experience that caresses your skin, revitalises your body and calms your mind. This traditional experience starts by deeply cleansing the skin with a revitalising body scrub, followed by a full body foam massage, a nourishing marine mud body mask with aromatic oils of Sweet Orange and Rose Geranium and finishes with a refreshing hair cleanse and hydrating conditioning hair treatment. 

Includes: Scrub – foam massage – hair wash and conditioning treatment – mud body mask – steam – body cleanse" Sounds good? :D

Also, if you book for a minimum 60-minute treatment, you will get to enjoy complimentary use of Crystal Steam Rooms, Rock Saunas, Ice Fountains, Experience Showers, Outdoor Vitality Pools, Sleep Zone and Social Relaxation Lounge. 

Other things to note: 

• All spa treatments are required to be guaranteed with a credit card.
• ESPA provides towels, robes and slippers, as well as other amenities (showering gels, comb, deodorant, hair spray, shaving kit, cotton pad & Listerine) required for use during spa visits. Guests are advised to bring swimwear to enjoy ESPA’s extensive heat experiences and pools.
• Guests are advised to allow sufficient time before treatment to complete a Spa Consultation Form and/or Health Questionnaire. Recommend guests to arrive up to one hour before treatment time to allow time to change, relax and enjoy the spa facilities.
• A 100% charge is incurred for any treatment cancelled less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment. Late arrivals will result in a reduction of treatment time

I called ESPA to book an appointment. They require the voucher details, but I have not collected mine from RWS Invites counter... Will only be collecting before the treatment.. They also took my credit card details as there is a cancellation policy. Anyways, this will be my second spa! My first spa was years back when I had to visit a spa for my poly assignment >.<

We arrived at ESPA much earlier to fully utilise their facilities! Our Hamman treatment is at 1pm but we reached ESPA at around 11am! Showed the staff our vouchers & we were served some drinks (lemon grass with aloe vera) as well as wet towels. 

After filling in their form, the staff brought us around their facilities and told us to be at the lounge at least 5mins before our treatment time so that the staff can bring us to the treatment room. We were also given a locker each to put our things. Towels & bath robe were placed in the locker. Anyways, all the facilities are gender segregated except for the lounge & forest onsen!

Vanity desk

Water to hydrate yourself

We went to rock sauna first! SUPER HOT!!

Timer to indicate how long we have been inside

Close to 100!!

We went to the steam room next! Too dark and misty inside! No photo taken! >.< Felt quite difficult to breathe with all that water vapor in the air! Then we tried the vitality shower.

There's a shower head on top as well as water sprays from the side!

To the outside next! The POOLS!

36 degree pool. Just warm and nice for us! There are neck massage, body massage and Jacuzzi-like area to use! You just press a button to activate that function!

SO COLD! We only walked down a bit & off we go~

Forest onsen pool! Shared area! With our awesome onsen experience in Japan, this feels artifical & not hot enough! Oh, people sitting in the lounge can see the people here but the people outside can't see inside the lounge. Feels a bit weird since we don't know if there are people inside looking at us like some zoo exhibit >.<

Shower with showering gel & towels provided

Drinks to take in the relaxation lounge

Relaxation lounge; as you can see the onsen is outside.

Private seats within the lounge

After that, it's time for our hamman treatment! Once inside, the staff briefly runs through what they will be doing. We were served a cup of lemon grass. Before entering the hamman room, we were asked to remove our robes & wrap ourselves with their towel. We then sit down while they pour the hot water on our legs; most likely to adjust our body to the water temperature. After which, we are asked to lie down on the heated platform with our towels now covering our back. They splashed more water and started with the exfoliation. They exfoliate your whole body; front & back! >.< Then they started putting the foam on your body after washing away the scrub and massage slightly. Wash away the foam again & do the hair conditioning. They put some lotion on my face too! Then wash off before putting the body mask on our bodies. 

We were then brought to a steam room within the treatment room to sit there for a while. They gave us a bottle of cold water to hydrate & a towel. Finally, we wash off the mask & we are done with our treatment! A cup of lemon grass was served again. We were also given the scrub that was used to exfoliate our bodies to use at home. 

Image from ESPA's website

Time for lunch next! Decided to eat at Tangerine; a restaurant located within ESPA. We ordered the set menu!

After lunch, it's time to relax at the sleep zone!

We went to use the outdoor pool again before we left ESPA. This is life! :D

Trial BJJ class at Evolve MMA

Since young, I have always wanted to join/learn some self-defense techniques, but I never did anything to make sure I learn:/ Random research led me to know of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) where it "promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique & leverage". Sounds interesting.. Since I am not big size to begin with >.<

I signed up for a trial BJJ class with Evolve MMA and see how it goes. I heard the Evolve MMA is quite expensive; will only know the price after attending the trial..

An overall view of Evolve MMA below:

Price: Best for you to go down for the trial to find out. Do expect approx $300 per month which lasts for a year.

Location: They have 3 locations, Far East Square (near Raffles Place MRT), PoMo Hall (near Dhoby Ghaut MRT) & Orchard Central (near Orchard MRT)

Click >>here<< for full address

Class Schedule: Since they have 3 locations, they have 3 schedules. Evolve has more trainers, so at each timing, there are 2 classes running at each location.

Click >>here<< for their class schedule

Trial review:
Registering for trial: Email them or call them to sign up for their complimentary 30 minutes trial class. It is 1-on-1 with their trainer. I was contacted by their staff through email as well as whatsapp. You then arrange a time slot with the staff for your trial.

Space & facilities: It is very spacious. A lot of punching bags as well, but not used for BJJ of course. Towels & hairdryers are provided in the toilet.

Class: My trial starts at 7pm but I was there at around 6.30pm. Was given a card to fill in my details. Given a Gi and brought to the changing room to change. The staff brought me to the room where the BJJ class will be conducted at 7pm. The class currently going on was WarriorFit. Looks tiring! >.< I think more on conditioning and cardio exercises.
Anyways, they say the trial is 30 mins, but my trial went on to a full 1 hr session. Not sure if the instructor was supposed to send me off? But the lesson just continued and it seems weird for me to say I should only be there for 30 mins.. :/

My instructor for that day is Herbert. The class was quite small that day, around 9 or 10? 1 other female was in the class. We did some warm ups that includes running, crunches, push ups, rolling (which I didn't really manage to do x.x) & some BJJ-related move.
Then we moved on to practicing BJJ technique. Herbert and a blue-belt student showed us the moves and after we practiced the moves out with a partner. I partnered with the only other female in class of course >.< Definitely felt a bit lost. Herbert helped us with the technique when we first tried them out. Then it's up to my partner to continue guiding me along. My partner kept telling me to use my strength :/ hahaha, not used to making others feel pain! She told me that I should just use my strength as sometimes when there are no other females in class, you need to partner with a male and they can't control their strength x.x And I was already finding difficulties with her :O
I believe the last part of the class is to sort of spar with your partner, but because I have no idea how to spar, I practiced the technique again before my partner tells me to just hold and stop her from doing the technique not me. Annnd, I obviously suck at it >.<

Anyways, after the class ended and I have showered, I'm back at the reception counter to return the Gi and for the staff to brief me through the rates. Wow, knew Evolve is expensive.. but wow.. just wow.. but they do give you a Gi when you sign up and from what I can see, a Gi is not cheap either. And you are not limited to just attending BJJ classes, you can attend any of their classes available; which is good, since you will need to attend a LOT of lessons to cover the cost.

Overall

BJJ involves full body contact with your partner in order to practice the technique. I think you need to keep on going for the classes to get better with the various techniques. 

Anyways, if not for the price, I would have been quite keen to sign up with them! But I know that the first 2 months, if I sign up, will be very costly for me since I don't think my body can handle going for a lot of classes yet.. I aching from an hour lesson! >.< Additionally, my sis cannot go with me as well. Since I'm looking for a place where we can both workout together. Evolve is too costly for her and she can't commit a lot of hours either.

I might consider Evolve in the future, I guess! Since I am interested to try out Muay Thai as well; so I can punch some stuffs!! I can go for both classes! Let's hope for some pay increment or bonus! ;P If only I have an unlimited amount of money~~ Confirm signed up with Evolve already!
In the meantime, I need to train my body to be fitter first! Signing up for a trial with Fitness First and see how it goes!

DAY 7 IN OSAKA: Osaka Castle & Purikura!

It's the seventh day in Japan! Since it is a rather light itinerary, it should be a rather short post!

Day 7:

• Picnic & view cherry blossoms at Osaka Castle

• Shop at HEP FIVE

1.     SEGA Umeda Joypolis 

2.     Purikura

• Go to Umeda Sky Building

• Dinner at Alice Fantasy Restaurant

Finally, we get to sleep in! Our much-awaited sleep! >.< Our itinerary is rather light today because we needed rest! First, to Osaka Castle!

Alighted from the train station to this massive crowd!

Street stores!

Bought hot dog

& sweet potatoes

Soda flavoured ice

People everywhere!~

Osaka Castle!

We bought takoyaki here

Unfortunately, it is not nice.. too much flour and it is mushy!

Our picnic spot!

Bird watching, anyone?

We bought some bread the night before from a bakery near our apartment!

Bakery name

Our bread

Not nice takoyaki that we bought :X

Matcha snack we bought while shopping somewhere :/

The view~~

After eating, we walked around the premise. There were A LOT of people queuing up to enter Osaka Castle, so we decided against going in. Instead, we camwhore with the cherry blossoms around the castle.

Osaka Castle designed drain cover!

We went to HEP FIVE to spam purikura next! We bought the passport to rent their costumes for unlimited times to take purikura in them! Read >>here<< on my post on purikura! Can't really remember which purikura I took on which day.. So just put some here :/

 

Yeah! We had dipping'dots ice cream again!

We spent so much time that we have no time to go to Umeda Sky building >.< Since we have a reservation to catch at Alice Fantasy restaurant as well! Read my review & directions of Alice>>here<< Showing some picture of the restaurant here~

And... that's the end of Day 7!

*Continue to Day 8!~