Plano Spa Event
I just got around to adding photos that I took from our event last Thursday for those who are interested. Here is a link to the photos. Hope you like my amateur shots.
Best,
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Spa Owner
Deepak Chopra
I just finished reading Deepak Chopra’s book, Why is God Laughing?, and I like what he had to say about our path to spiritual enlightenment and to rid ourselves of the shackles of fear. He talked about not only letting your spirit and mind go through a process of purification but also your body. Anger, fear, and resentment can be literally stored in the body. We tend to focus on allowing our minds to be clear but oftentimes we hold a trembling and stiff fear in our body muscles and body tissues. As Chopra says, “The Issue is in the Tissue”. When you have a massage, a body wrap, a shirodhara treatment, Japanese foot detox, etc., your body can be released of the toxins that are stored there. I know that besides my reflexology treatment on Saturday, my hydrotherapy bath was unique and wonderful in terms of its relaxing properties. I slept better that night than I have in a long time. Come to our spa and remove the “issue in your tissue.”
Best wishes,
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Spa Owner
Our Relaxation Room
I have spent the past two weeks vigorously and tirelessly updating this spa site to the level that I wanted it to be but did not have the time to execute on given my time constraints over the summer. We still have a few more things that I want to do but the bulk of what I wanted done has been accomplished. I put together a single 18-minute video tour of the spa facility and services, which i then broke into 11 separate mini videos for those whose attention span may be a bit truncated or who desire to focus only on the services that interest them. Here is the direct link to the spa video tours for easy access.
As most of you know, I believe that the quality of a spa experience lies in as much as the services provided as the physical quality of the space. The Ritz Carlton is known for its premier services but if it did not look like the Ritz Carlton but instead the Holiday Inn, I am afraid that it would only qualify as the Holiday Inn. I have put together 21 separate Quicktime virtual tours (sorry you will have to download Quicktime to view them) in which you can pan 360 degrees around each and every room and hallway in our spa so that you can preview your experience or share your experience with your friend before your friend comes in. Because I have a lot of out-of-town patients who come in to use my spa, I think the virtual tours can be particularly helpful to get them to be better acquainted with what we have to offer. Here is a link to my virtual tours of our plano spa.
Also, I hired a photographer (several, actually) who could not convey the warmth and feeling that I wanted so, guess what, I shot the spa myself. I worked to convey some drama with my lighting and models as well as capture the ambience that our spa experience offers, which is nirvana (no, not the Seattle band) but the feeling of enlightenment, peace, relaxation, and revitalization. For a view of the photos that I shot, here is the link to my plano spa photographs. I hope you like them.
Lastly, but certainly not leastly, I would like to welcome to the helm of our wellness spa ship, Linda Youngblood, who has courageously and diligently taken over this new and exciting venture. Our team continues to expand and grow in many exciting ways. For new changes to our team, including an incredible aesthetician and permanent-makeup artist, visit back frequently to check out the updates to our plano spa team.
I have had the pleasure of knowing a bright and charming young man who has touched all of our lives. Unfortunately, our beloved Daigo is returning to his native Japan. He has been a tremendous addition to the staff at the Spa at Willow Bend, and I am certain that all of us will miss him dearly. Well educated and fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, and English, Daigo brought a joy to our little spa family for the short time he was with us. Today is Daigo’s last day so I would encourage everyone who reads this blog to please offer him our very best wishes to a successful life in the Land of the Rising Sun. Daigo, we hope you return to visit in the future and grace us with your presence again. You are always welcome back here!
The terms “med-spa”, “medi-spa”, and “medical spa” make me want to throw up. I used to be on the Medical Spa Professional Alliance’s teaching docket, but I have truly grown weary of the idea of a med-spa. Every corner you see a “med-spa”. Do we offer “med-spa” services like laser hair removal and other laser services? Yes. Then how are we not a med-spa? Okay, I want to lay out in no uncertain terms my vision for the spa.
Think of this. When you go into a spa for relaxation, do you want to hear the whirl of the laser hair removal machine next door or a lady yelping from some waxing or the beeping noise from a Pixel treatment? The answer should be no. Do you want to feel as if you have entered a “clinical” environment? I think not. Now, what if you want to have these services? Would you like to get dressed again and walk through to another office, then get undressed again? No. So how did I solve this riddle?
Basically, I divided the two sections of my spa into the “Spa at Willow Bend” which occupies the front end of the center and the “Luminaire Laser & Skin Care Center” at the back divided by a glass door. That way, you have to walk through the quiet of the spa before you get to the Laser and Skin Care Center where you can get all of the therapeutic treatments like waxing, laser hair removal, IPL, fractionated skin care, cellulite and skin tightening with Accent XL, oxygen facial therapies, microdermabrasion, dermaculture, and spray (or better used term application) tanning.
Then, am I just “pampering” myself in your “spa”. No. Again, you need to read my blog from yesterday to get a better idea of my position on that thought. I think that all of my services in my spa are ultimately “therapeutic”. They serve a different end than what a “med-spa” does. They are meant for you to RELAX & REVITALIZE yourself using Asian techniques: chinese herbs, Shirodhara treatments, and modern techniques of manicure, pedicure, hydroinfusion, body sudatonic treatments, foot detox, great massage and reflexology, etc. Can I encapsulate all of these terms into a synthetic philosophical construct? Yes, my spa is a wellness spa. It encourages mind-body alignment. It is time for yourself. It is using ancient and modern therapies to bring the mind and body into better unity. You will feel the difference in a very short time. I have therefore partitioned out the “med-spa” from the “wellness spa” and created a ying and a yang if you will. You can have the best of both worlds.
I hope my vision is clear, and I hope you enjoy your time at my spa.
Best,
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
I was listening to David Fabricius about 3 months ago talk about his “Daily 7″, things that you need to do to maintain balance in your life. You can check out my blog on my lamfacialplastics site to read more about his philosophy and what are the ingredients to the “Daily 7″ formula. Because of it, I recently bought a Kaiser M3 exercise spinning bike so that every day I can engage in some fruitful exercise. I also have an Aloe Vera/Eggplant shake in the morning (thanks Waleska!).
Basically, one of the points that he talks about is daily meditation and reflection. I truly believe the spa offers an oasis for you to achieve that level of self “wellness”. I think even though we have “pamper” as one of the words on our home page, we have moved away from the indulgent aspect of a spa but look at it today as truly one of a restorative nature. I advocate anyone that can afford the time and energy to make spa visits not as an unnecessary indulgence but as an essential component to overall wellness and revitalization. I am also reading Haruki Murakami’s book What I talk about When I talk about Running in which he looks at the sport of running as a means to escape and try to enter a zone of no thinking. I think that is what the spa is offering you. The other thing I would advise along those lines is that if you come in for a massage for example, try not to do too much talking but feel the experience in a contemplative mode and just allow yourself not to be pensive, thoughtful, or talkative for a brief while. That will help you more than you might imagine. Here’s to self-actualization through our spa therapies.
Well, I am still commanding this blogging ship for the time being. I am trying to get my staff at the Spa to take this over so that they can become your bloggers. By blogging on this site, I think you will get to know a little about each of my staff members, their interests, their passions, and what spa services are available. Unlike on my site, lamfacialplastics.com, where I am the solitary voice, you will experience many voices all of whom have different specialties.
Today’s blog I want to focus on Danny Meyer’s book, Setting the Table. As a former New Yorker, I really loved Danny Meyer’s restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, Tabla, 11 Madison Park, The Modern, and so many more. He was a true force in the New York dining scene. Now, why the heck should I be talking about food on a website dedicated to spa services? In short, I want to reflect Danny Meyer’s notion of how he hires his staff. He hires 51% on care/emotion and 49% on technical skill. What he says is that he can almost always teach someone how to set a table but he cannot teach someone how to care about setting the table. He calls this type of person who loves serving others, a hospitalitarian.
I can say this much, ALL of my staff at the Spa at Willow Bend are hospitalitarians. They derive satisfaction and joy out of serving. They share the same culture that I have established in my office across the hall. They were born to serve. Their service mentality should be able to be felt the moment you walk through the doors. I was sitting last week getting a foot detox with one of my patients, and Waleska was making up an herbal recipe to help someone with her sinus problems. I had this grin from ear to ear because I knew that she takes service to the next level.
I am very proud of my fleet of Hospitalitarians and I look forward to your enjoying their rich services. They are truly better than any spa in Dallas if not beyond!
Best,
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Samuel Lam, Spa Owner
Welcome everyone to this exciting new venture of mine. The team at the Spa at Willow Bend has worked tirelessly for the past few months to put together the best spa in Plano, Texas if not the entire Dallas. We are constantly working on getting our services better.
I am very proud of not only the quality of services that we provide that include amazing manicures & pedicures, body wraps, wellness recipes and medicinal treatments, Japanese foot detox, incredible massage treatments, reflexology, facials, oxygen therapies, waxing, laser hair removal, cellulite reductions, a full laser center and skin care center, etc.
We have put together the premier spa experience where you will not only experience the luxury of a high-end center but also one-on-one customized treatments plans that are tailored to your needs. In addition, we never rush you through a service and offer a relaxation room with refreshments where you can quiet your soul and also full showers, lockers, robes, and sauna for you to refresh yourself before and/or after your therapies.
Our philosophy embraces the combination of both ancient Asian techniques with the most modern technologies culled from Europe and the U.S. You should truly experience the best you have ever had in a spa experience. If not, I want to hear about it. The quality of services that I offer at Lam Facial Plastics and in the entire Willow Bend Wellness Center will be reflected at the Spa at Willow Bend. We look forward to meeting you and serving you in the near future!
Sincerely,
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Spa Owner