We'd like to introduce our Co-founder of The Spa by AB Living, Dr Anita Herdeiro. With several years experience as a GP and a passion for helping people to support a healthy lifestyle and positive wellbeing, Dr Herdeiro aims to develop The Spa into a purposeful health and wellness destination where people can come to truly focus on their wellbeing and seamlessly integrate wellness into their everyday lives.
Before they began their development of The Spa, Dr Herdeiro and her husband (and Co-founder of the project), Bruno, first developed the concept for a unique over 55s community on the Scalesceugh Hall estate, creating a collection of award-winning Scandinavian-inspired villas. They have since lovingly restored Scalesceugh Hall itself, creating 15 unique one and two bedroom luxury apartments within the impressive Edwardian mansion. Throughout it all, their focus has always been on lifestyle, as Dr Herdeiro explains:
"When we first developed the concept for Scalesceugh Hall & Villas a few years ago, I was keen to create a different offering for retirement living in the area - focusing not only on producing a unique collection of luxury homes for over 55s, but creating a place that really puts quality of life and wellbeing at the centre. A place where you can seamlessly integrate healthy living and wellness into your everyday."
"Being situated in a wonderful countryside location, on a 500+ year old estate, and with innovatively designed properties, our development has grown to be an iconic location to live in within Cumbria. However, I always wanted to take it further. I wanted to add more to our offering here - not only for our residents, but something that would benefit locals and the wider public."
"'Wellbeing' has become an easily adopted word, used commonly by many brands and organisations, however I still think many lack the true understanding of it. It is a way of life; something that affects our everyday living and being. Something, where when we take time to focus on it, we can feel inwardly and outwardly better. This in turn can contribute positively to many other aspects of our life."
"I remember the first time I danced the tango, it was with a 90 year old in Vietnam on a warm Monday morning in the local park. His balance and coordination was remarkable. This park, like many there, hosted several local classes that were there for the whole community from badminton to dance to Tai Chi. Age did not matter, you just had to participate - it was then that I understood wellbeing as a way of life and integrating it making it accessible with knowledge and facilities is what exactly we are doing here at The Spa: to seamlessly integrate wellbeing into everyone's way of life."
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Herdeiro believes taking time for our physical and mental wellbeing has really come into focus:
"We all have experienced the challenges of the Covd-19 pandemic and have saw how it affects the way we live. Many of us have taken this time to reflect on how we live and everything we do, some questioning the balance in our lives - what we eat, how we exercise, are we at peace with our inner self, do we live in a supportive community? This social awakening has led to a wellbeing movement and a strong desire to find out what this word really means - and to act on it."
"During my many years as a doctor, I have worked in several areas of the world including across the UK, the USA and Asia; in hospital and in primary care. One of the things I have always noticed is our under appreciation of how our mental wellbeing has external manifestations."
"I have a specialist interest in dermatology and have seen extensive presentations of psoriasis, joint pains and hypertension in otherwise well individuals - all due to inner health issues and not leading balanced lives. Many of us know if we are not feeling well, our skin soon let’s us know and you can start to suffer from breakouts, a change in skin conditions, and in some cases, dermatitis. This is our body communicating with us, telling us something is wrong."
"Within The Spa, we will be able to offer various different experiences from bespoke treatments in the Skin Studio, to delicious nutritious food in our bistro, a glorious indoor pool, as well as some fitness classes. There will be something for everyone at all different abilities to be able to incorporate a wellbeing-enhancing experience effortlessly into their lives."
"The Spa will integrate an international approach to wellbeing through education, skills, facilities, knowledge, treatments and natural surroundings. I can't wait for it to open and invite visitors to enjoy everything we will soon have to offer here."
To find out more about our team at The Spa, read our introduction to our Spa Director, Anne Craig here.
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