Hear what counsellor Sara Niven had to say about our Mum's Spa Escape Spa Day...

If you’ve just waved your children off for a new school year (or they’ve just started for the very first time) you may be experiencing mixed emotions. Excitement for them but perhaps just a smidge of the same for yourself? And maybe, if we’re all being honest, a sigh of relief?

While the children look smart with their new school shoes and pristine pencil cases, parents could be forgiven for looking and feeling a tad jaded. Six weeks of juggling work, chores, unofficial taxi services and entertaining tends to take its toll.

SenSpa’s Mum’s Spa Escape Day is a chance to celebrate a little me time before the October half term is all too quickly upon us. Timings are geared around the school day so you can arrive to enjoy a leisurely, late breakfast, (served until 10.30am) and be on your way by 3pm.

One of the highlights has to be the hour-long Mum's Escape treatment. If, like me, your favourite part of a visit to the hairdresser is the scalp massage and you find yourself zoning out, wishing it lasted longer, this is the ultimate treat.

My SenSpa therapist, Onsri, began with a full body massage, starting at my feet and moving onto my back, before asking me to turn over. She then deftly applied a warmed conditioning treatment to my hair and scalp, explaining it contained a nourishing blend of four different oils, argan, baobab and coconut. This was chosen for my hair type (thick and dry). For those with thin or oily locks, a different variation containing coconut, olive oil and Vitamin E is used to strengthen and add body.

An utterly blissful head and scalp massage followed, before my head was wrapped in a hot towel to allow the treatment more time to work its magic. The body massage continued, with legs, arms and stomach all included before it was back to the scalp. I’m not quite sure what happened after that as I possibly drifted off.

The gentle ting of a bell symbolises the end of a SenSpa treatment. It was hard to wake up but the prospect of a two course Thai lunch in the Zen Garden restaurant was a definite incentive to get off the couch. The food is amazing, the atmosphere calm and the only thing to worry about is whether to opt for a starter and main or main and dessert… (The trio of tiger prawns followed by seabass and pak choi won out in the end).

This is precious time worth planning carefully. Ideally, I’d recommend making the most of the spa facilities before your treatment; even a few leisurely laps of the pool felt a bit too much effort afterwards.  There’s a relaxation area, where you can gently recover however; heaven if you haven’t had chance to read a magazine from start to finish all summer. Teas, coffees and other refreshments are included so unless you treat yourself to a product or two, (or glass of wine if you can organise someone to take care of the afternoon school run!) once your escape is booked, you can put your wallet away.

Parents often find it difficult to justify spending money on themselves, particularly after costly holiday periods. A Spa Escape Day works out at a little over £5 a day for a month, around the cost of the average latte and croissant; a small daily indulgence but one that quickly adds up. I can vouch for the fact that the treatment, the food, and sheer luxury of “escaping” is a worthwhile investment in restoring some sanity after summer madness.

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If you're a mum in need of some ME time, then our mum's spa escape is the perfect remedy now that the kids are back off to school.

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