Did you know that two thirds of our immune system’s defence cells are located in the intestines? Did you know that most diseases originate in the gut? And did you know that you can boost your immunity and detox your mind and body at Park Igls Medical Spa Resort where a variety of programmes provide personal health resets. It’s not just about giving your digestive tract a spring clean, it’s about re-evaluating your health, nutrition and lifestyle habits to pave a new path to sustainable wellness.
Park Igls enjoys an enviable location perched on a plateau and framed in a picture postcard alpine setting in Austria, just 10 minutes from Innsbruck. It also has all the hallmarks of health; during Emperor Franz Joseph’s reign it was an officially designated health resort. Today, it’s run by a professional and friendly team, the resort is contemporary, overflowing in warm hospitality creating more of a family atmosphere than a hotel, comforting rather than clinical. The 51 single, double rooms and suites have that fresh airy feel decked with parquet flooring, oak furniture and a few lucky ones have their own infrared sauna. Lounge areas bring guests together either in the library, around the piano or by the fireside to exchange therapy experiences over the largest variety of herbal teas I’ve seen. A stunning spa with a good-sized indoor pool and multiple saunas is closeby with loungers looking out to the garden area.
Park Igls Medical Spa Resort is a pioneer of Modern Mayr cures, a concept which began as the FX Mayr cure a hundred years ago by Dr FX Mayr. He believed in natural and preventive medicine and introduced dietetics and therapeutic fasting to Western medicine. This philosophy remains true and has been renewed to incorporate conventional with complementary medicine plus a dose of psychology. Gut health is central to Modern Mayr Medicine. The gut provides the entire system with the nutrients we need for survival so poorly functioning digestive organs impairs every aspect of our health. To boost your immunity and detox your mind and body, the cure is modelled on nutrition, exercise and regeneration.
The Cuisine
We are all guilty of eating too quickly, too much, too often and consuming too many acidic foods. We are tempted by the convenience of a quick bite and food on the go, unaware of the toll such habits and food additives have on our digestive system. Few people have a healthy digestive tract and often food is decomposed by putrefication and fermentation. Such conditions can lead to irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut and intolerances. In accordance with the Modern Mayr cure, time should be dedicated to meals. Each bite deserves to be chewed at least 30 times At Park Igls, cuisine is light, diet-appropriate food with attention to its acid-base composition and all organic, of course. Herbs and spices replace salt while gentle cooking methods ensure the retention of vital nutrients. In plentiful supply to support the internal cleansing process are vegetable broths (in the morning), mineral water and fresh spring water. The hardest part is the first drink of the day – bitter water which flushes the intestines, making it an effective laxative, so beware! Bitter water promotes detoxification via the liver, gall bladder and gut. Following the initial doctor consultation on arrival, each guest is designated one of levels of Park Igls’ eight-stage nutrition programme. I followed stage four, the food combining menu. Food was colourful and attractively presented – art on a plate – especially the appetizing mille-feuille created with sweet potato, pistachios, green vegetables gino and shiso cress which I savoured over 30 minutes. At least two litres of water daily is recommended outside mealtimes. A weekly cookery class by head chef Markus Sorg chef demonstrates how to concoct nutritious dishes to cheat the eye, benefit the gut while delighting the taste buds – €45 per person for 2 hours’ tuition.
Programmes
Park Igls offers made-to-measure programmes to suit individual needs. The Immune Booster is designed to strengthen the system to makes us more resilient to illnesses for those who are more susceptible to infections. Special laboratory test determine the condition of the immune system. The package includes prescribed intravenous drip therapies of minerals and vitamins with activated oxygen as well as five body massages, medical examinations and inclusive services. The Detox Classic packages includes detoxing therapies and relaxing full-body massages making it an ideal introductory programme to Modern Mayr Medicine.. Other programmes include Neuro-Fit, De-Stress, Menopause Fit and Feldenkrais®(movement patterns). The initial consultation with a doctor (there are 7) devises the most suitable programme and specific treatments which is monitored throughout your stay.
Treatments and Therapies
The weird and wonderful terms such as Kneipp, cell training and curd cheese wraps are included in the extensive list of treatments on offer. But guided by the doctor’s recommendations and package type, I experienced intravenous drip therapy,(included in the Immune Booster), a relaxing treatment especially in the knowledge that my body was enjoying valuable doses of Vitamin C, Zinc and a combined ““pick-me-up”. This helps the body’s ability to self-heal with nutrients it needs.
Offered to all guests is Kneipp®hydrotherapy sessions. Established by Sebastian Kneipp, this therapy is one of the oldest forms of treatment traced back to ancient Rome The technique involves submerging part of the body in hot water followed by a shorter time in cold water. Modern Mayr Medicine prescribes arm, foot and seated contrast baths to ease headaches stimulate circulation and detoxify and even prevent cold feet. Kneipp therapy is available to all guests and encouraged as a daily treatment.
Without climbing a mountain, IHHT, (otherwise labelled as cell training) offers the benefit of altitude training while sitting or lying wearing a breathing mask to take in a prescribed oxygen mixture. This involves oxygen-poor air alternating with oxygen rich air. Regular cell training activates and regenerates the mitochondria (the “power plants” of our cells) and promotes healthy cell metabolism – a good formula for anti-ageing. (prices start from €526 for 4 sessions).
Edmund Jacobson Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique
Breathe in, breathe out. Based on the principle of tension and relaxation, this method focuses on the muscles. Whenever we experience stress or anxiety, we tense our muscles. In turn, relaxing the muscles creates a feeling of calm. Progressive Muscle Relaxation uses deep muscular relaxation to counteract stress reactions.
Moist heat packs
Swiss pine or hay flowers, a beeswax compress or a curd cheese wrap placed on the liver area help accelerate the detoxification process. Natural beeswax is rich in myricin and cerotic acid and, applied in a hot compress or a classic medical wrap stimulates long-term blood flow to the liver. Curd cheese wraps have been part of the home remedy repertoire for centuries –the lactic acid bacteria opens the pores and allow the heat of inflammation to be absorbed by the curd cheese.
Medical Massage Menu
Medical massages are the order of the day at Park Igls, some combined with other therapies such as reflexology as prescribed by intuitive therapists. They range from penzel acupressure, lymphatic drainage, structural integration and shiatsu. I found craniosacral massage to be the most effective. Feeling the rhythmic pulsation of the cerebrospinal fluid activates self-healing and resolves functional impairments and psychological trauma. After, I felt calmer, clearer and balanced.
Keep Active
Individual and group classes together with a state-of-the-art fitness area provided the incentive to keep active. You could choose from kybun® classes testing balance on wobbly kyBounder mats or sign up for foot exercises, therapeutic climbing, sling training or even golf swing instruction. Step outside for Nordic walks along neighbouring trails through fields of fresh alpine air. But it was the Aroha® and Kaha classes that grabbed my enthusiasm with aggressive poses that seemed the most powerful to unearth deep seated anger. Aroha combines the expressive movements of the war dance (Haka) of the Maori from New Zealand. The Haka expresses the strength within while Kung Fu gives the programme its body control with components of Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Combined they train mind body and soul to attain a feeling of well-being leading to inner peace.
Many guests arrive tired and jaded, laden with heavy baggage but depart lighter in body and mind with an inner glow. Beauty comes from within. By re-assessing our total health and the obstacles in our way, we can nurture ourselves with “tlc” to remove those embedded toxins to rediscover the glossy true self. I kicked and stomped my way to a fitter level, personalised medical massages rebalanced and reunited my body with my mind. Immunity has been topped up with those supplementary vitamins it yearned for but it was my digestive system that benefited the most. This was a conscious approach to self-healing. Boost your immunity and detox your mind and body at Park Igls Medical Wellness Spa is an investment in sustainable wellness and a memorable experience to take home equipped with tools to integrate into daily life.
Park Igls Medical Spa Resort, (www.park-igls.at/en, +43 512 377305). Doubles rooms from €202 per person per night, singles from €209 per room per night and suites from €373 per person per night.
The 7-day Immune Booster programme is priced at €3,561 per person includes examinations, blood tests, intravenous drip therapies, massages, a personalised Modern Mayr Cuisine diet plan and a range of optional on-and off-site activities. The 7-day Detox Classic programme is priced at €1,993 per person.
Accommodation prices include breakfast, parking and transfers to/from Innsbruck Airport or Station (20 minutes away). They are valid to mid-December 2024 and subject to availability.
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