Designing for Personal Wellness

According to a recent Work Stress Survey by Harris Interactive, 83% of Americans are stressed at work.  And considering we spend at least one third of our day at work - if not more - it might be time to reevaluate our daily routines.

Stress is linked to headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. But what if we dedicated just 15 minutes of our day to a wellness routine that could energize or relax us, make us more prepared to handle stress and enhance our well-being?  For more information, we turned to wellness expert, Lucien “Pete” Perrodin, National Wellness Training Consultant at BainUltra.

Q:   What are the benefits of creating a spa-like bathroom?

A:    At BainUltra, we use the phrase "Insperience Bathroom" to embody our concept of a place where relaxation, health and well-being are nurtured: empowerment to energize at the beginning of the working day or to relax and sleep deeply at the end of the day.  These changes occur at the molecular level through the entertainment of natural energies of massage therapy (kinetic energy), thermotherapy, chromatherapy, aromatherapy (essential oils only), sound therapy and phototherapy (bright light therapy).

Q:  How does a color palette affect a person’s mood? Lighting?

A:   Visible light is a form of energy that we happen to be able to see, but this energy is not limited to entering the body only through the eyes.  Light energy is absorbed by the whole body and causes changes at the molecular level, either raising our energy levels or calming us, depending on the wavelength of light energy we are exposed to.  White light is made up of the seven colors of the rainbow.  Each of these seven colors has measurable wavelengths of energy with red being the highest at 700 nanometers wavelength and violet being the lowest at 400 nanometers    wavelength.  Correspondingly, exposure of the body to red is the most energizing and violet is the most calming.

BainUltra delivers chromatherapy by way of LED emitters built into to our baths and care units. Chromatherapy can also be experienced through clothing and interior color choices.  This is how it works. We will use red as an example, but it is true of all colors....  White light strikes a red wall or a red dress or shirt and the red pigment serves as a filter which absorbs every other color of the rainbow, except red.  Thus, the light bouncing off the red wall or passing through the red clothing has only the energy of red.  Most people could not sleep in a red bedroom, even with their eyes closed, because the energy coming off the walls would stimulate their bodies too much to rest.  Conversely, fast food eateries very often feature red in their decor to stimulate the appetite and to cause quick turnover of customers.

Q:   Why is design and placement important and how does it impact your mood?

A:   There many age old theories about how design and placement affect one's mood.  We discussed color earlier and that is a big part of design driving mood.  Placement is all about flow (of energy) through a space and how that flow affects our peace of mind and our appreciation of our own space within the context of our lives.  Obstructions and clutter cause the flow to be too turbulent and therefore disturbing to the occupant.

Q:  What is a good routine or ritual to improve personal wellness?

A:   We should all personalize our rituals to match our needs.  Remember that all of the natural therapies are abundant in nature, our natural environment.  But today we live in one box, work in another box and commute between those two boxes in yet another box - with wheels on it.  The "ritual" aspect is necessary to intelligently bring the natural therapeutic energies inside the sealed environments in which we live and work.

My own personal rituals are vastly different in the morning versus the evening.  I raise my level of energy with vigorous air jet massage, very hot water, red chromatherapy, inhalation of energizing essential oils and the vibrational uplift of deep toned rhythmic music.  Then, with that boost, I exercise a different body part (5 day cycle) each day.  After that, I am ready to "conquer the world" but feel very relaxed.  In the evening I do the opposite of my morning ritual:  Gentle air jet massage, warm, but not hot, water, Chromatherapy in the range of violet, aromatherapy with inhalation of a calming essential oil, like lavender and very soft calming music.  It has become a way of like for me.  I began building my own ritual after a serious illness at age 59.  I am now 67 and have to say that I have never felt better. I find that I can accomplish far more in a day than I ever could before and generally, with a smile on my face all day.

Q:  What are some ways to stimulate your senses for a relaxing experience?

A:   All of the natural therapies work on the same principle of energy entertainment.  AND, interestingly, when the therapies are layered onto one another, the effect is synergistic, as long as all of the therapies are targeted at the same goal.  In other words, it would be counterproductive to utilize therapies at cross purposes.

Q:   From what therapies or combination of therapies do consumers benefit most?

A:   I have to say that most people cannot believe the improvement in their mood and attitude that comes with regular massage.  I always ask at the beginning of my presentations how many attendees have ever received a massage and if so, how regularly.  The responses are all over the board, but one woman was very proud to tell the group that she religiously got a massage once a month and that it was a standing appointment.   I asked her if she could pick out two days of any given month that were the best for her in terms of being everything she could be for those who depended upon her...  Two days out of any given month that she was able to accomplish more, endure adversity and difficult situations with a smile on her face...  She said "That's easy!  The two best days of any month are the two days after I receive my monthly massage!"   And I said, “Why would you not want to feel that way all month?”  An acupressure massage in a BainUltra tub is the very next best thing to a good professional massage AND it’s available every day!  And the more you layer on additional therapies, the more effective they all become and in incrementally less time.

For the first half of his career, Pete Perrodin worked in medical device sales, marketing and product development for a global company focused on anesthesia, critical care and emergency hospital departments. The second half of his career was spent managing design center showrooms that cater to designers and architects. Pete combines his experience in medical product development and his knowledge of plumbing as the Wellness and Training Consultant for BainUltra. BainUltra is a leader in the plumbing industry, most known for inventing the “air bath” and other innovative therapies for the home spa.