"Spa resorts may offer a once-in-a-while retreat from the madness, but ultimately, creating a sanctuary within our own space is the key to long-term stress survival...Indeed, it's perfectly possible to recreate the ambience that you might find at renowned spas such as Canyon Ranch or Chiva-Som in your own bathroom by bring in essential spa elements - aromas, accessories, indulgent pampering recipes for face and body, cozy, plump towels, and sumptuous dressing gowns. They don't have to cost an arm and a leg." With this idea, Karena Callen set out to create Spa. She has gathered tips, hints, recipes, and inspiration from spas around the world and presented them in the following chapters to allow the reader to sample spa food, treatments, and programs at home.     

• Creating Your Own Sanctuary: The bathroom is the focus here. Small touches that appeal to all the senses can help create a state of deep relaxation - lighting, music, aromas. Callen discusses the use of color and aromas to calm or invigorate, minimalist fixtures, lighting options, textures, music, and accessories such as loofahs and sea salts.

• The Art of Tranquility: Tips to de-stress and relax as well as calming herbs and flower remedies are discussed. Meditation, t'ai chi, yoga, and aikido are introduced with simple illustrated exercises.

• Eat the Spa Way to Health: "Spa food... is designed to feed your body on all levels with color and textures that are visually appealing and tastes and aromas that satisfy, stimulate, and cleanse." Callen presents tips for eating healthfully from Canyon Ranch and recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and smoothies from Nusa Dua Spa in Bali, Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, Champneys in Hertfordshire, UK, the Golden Door in California, Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat and Health Spa in Canada, the Hyatt Regency-Coolum in Australia among others.

• Shape Up Spa-Style: The author gives tips for creating your own exercise program, shares motivational tips to "get you off the couch once and for all", and discusses goal setting. The benefits of various activities are presented as well as illustrated stretching and hand-weight exercises and a walking program.

• Spa Face and Body Blitz: Callen provides recipes for various spa home treatments such as:

• exfoliation ( Native Body Glow, Bali Kopi Scrub, among others), 

• spa bath (Desert Journey Bath Tea, Thallasotherapy Treat, among others),

• body wraps (Essential Rose Body Wrap, Papaya Body Mask, among others), 

• detox (Deep Cleansing Body Rub), 

• deluxe body treats (using essential oils, honey, grapes and more), 

• spa treats for your face (facial massage using essential oil recipes, facials, cleansing and toning) 

• hands and feet (Pampering Pedicure, Hand and Wrist massage, Floral Mask for Hands and Feet, and more)

• all-over body (Deep Heat Boreh Scrub, Mandi Kimiri Dry Skin Booster, and more)

• Day Spa Specials: The author combines exercise, home-made spa treatments, and recipes to show you how to make a day spa experience such as The Chill-Out Day, The Wake-Up Call Day, The Yogic-Style Day, The Aqua-Therapy Day, and The Detox Day.

• Spa Directory: Contact information for 170 international spas as well as the author's favorite spas in categories of fitness, tranquility, alternative treatments, pampering, and food.

• Home-Spa Suppliers: One page of contacts to find suppliers of various spa products.