VIP pamper session a real treat

Monique Heke was part of a group of wāhine given the chance to pamper themselves. Photo / Supplied

Sometimes an afternoon out of your busy schedule is all you need, just to relax and unwind and perhaps have a facial or a back rub or a foot spa, or just chill out with friends, having a good old chin wag with a nice cup of hot chocolate and some nice treats to nibble on.

We all know that "some time" never comes along because like many busy people, we hardly make time for ourselves, even if it's for something you really need, to de-stress, to re-energise, to help you re-align and re-focus and gain a better perspective of things on your mind.

A few weekends ago, a friend and I were invited by a special lady to a VIP pamper session.

We were given the date, time and venue and a message to wear something comfortable. I was a little apprehensive at first wondering what this would involve.

I'm glad, however, that the message didn't say to wear comfortable walking shoes, because that would have put me right off.

Very grateful nonetheless for the invitation, both my friend and I agreed to go along.

As the date approached I started to feel insecure about fitting in with others who might attend. You see, although I seem to be outgoing and friendly, I actually like my own space and I don't have close friends and honestly I'd rather be home with my family and our dogs.

So yes, I was starting to feel quite anxious about going along to this VIP Pamper Session. To help ease my anxiety, I decided I would get an early diabetes foot check to get my claws chiselled before the pamper day in case someone might freak out when massaging my size 12 feet.

The day arrived and I made my way to the destination right on time. I was one of the first ones there.

I walked in and immediately felt special as the entrance was dressed up and had the aroma of healing liniment oil among other soothing fragrances waffling through the high-ceilinged rooms.

I wondered where I was. The decor of the entrance was like walking into an antique place with vintage furniture and ornaments, then one glance forward, there was healthy treats and drinks to the left and further in front was a long colonial style dining table and chairs dressed for high tea that would be served later in the day.

There was a space carefully arranged for all of the different pamper treats like facials, hand massage, essential oils, foot spa and massage, back massage and even a dedicated space on the massage tables for hot ear waxing. All of these treats were on the menu for the afternoon. I actually forgot where I was and I wondered why I hadn't seen this place before.

Others started to arrive and I saw familiar faces. My friend arrived dressed in her comfortable clothes.

Usually she's dressed up for the office. It was nice to see everyone wearing comfy clothing.

I saw the faces of women who not only work hard in their places of employment, but mothers, aunties, sisters, daughters, friends, aquaintances, who had come together to share time with each other, to bask in the treats that were planned for us, and to relax and enjoy the moment. It was fantastic and very soothing and gratefully received.

I learned many special things from this experience. Everyone needs time out from their busy schedules. We all need to make the time to look after ourselves and to feel good about ourselves.

Many of us work without stopping for ourselves. We all need to be more mindful of each other and remember to stop and take time out, even if it's just a few moments.

The biggest lesson I learned was that special people pay it forward. This is how blessings go. The challenge to us as recipients of this blessing is to pay it forward.

There is one woman in particular who organised this VIP pamper afternoon who I must mention.

She, along with her dear friends and family, worked crazy hours to prepare and arrange everything, to ensure we felt super special and it worked.

We all came away from that special afternoon feeling refreshed and energised. My friend felt so good she went home to write a report while her mind was clear.

Others took on the challenge to go back and do some yoga classes. I came home and slept like a baby that night, something I hadn't done for a while.

I am working on my "pay it forward" challenge. Whānau Ora is making "some time" for you. Thank you Brenda!