A spa where education rules

Crossover training among the staff at Mountain Waters Spa & Wellness means holistic care for its clients

1 of 2 — Photo courtesy Mountain Waters Spa & Wellness

2 of 2 — Photo courtesy Mountain Waters Spa & Wellness

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Each staff member at Mountain Waters Spa & Wellness in Nelson, B.C., is trained in more than one discipline. A registered massage therapist may, for example, also teach yoga, and an acupuncturist may also be qualified in bodywork or warm water therapy.

The spa’s owner and manager, Marni Beninger, said that her staff are interested in continued education and have a holistic attitude to their practice. To support and encourage them, Beninger gives the staff financial incentives for ongoing skills training.

Sticking to her strengths

Beninger herself doesn’t do any of the hands-on work with clients—she strictly manages the spa, and does plenty of continued education herself. This works well, she said, because business is much more her strength and her passion than are the spa practices.

Mountain Waters Spa opened in 2005; Beninger came on as manager in 2008 and bought the business in 2010. Her BA in leisure and tourism and her diploma in event management are being put to good use.

“Once you’ve run a wedding, everything else is easy,” Beninger said. “I can think on the spot and react to situations while maintaining a calm, organized atmosphere.”

Validation from the community

Beninger’s management style and her philosophy of continuing education seem to be working. Earlier this year, Mountain Waters Spa received the annual Professional Service Excellence Award from the Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce. The spa was lauded for its professionalism, scope of products and services, quality of staff, community support and continued growth.

Extending support

With regard to community support, Beninger said that her staff demonstrate great generosity. Three times a year the spa does a Karma Week, when all of the yoga classes are paid for by donation and the proceeds are donated to charitable organizations.

“On December 24, 25 and 26 we do Karma Christmas, when all of our yoga instructors teach for free,” she said. “Other practitioners from the area are invited to participate, and last Christmas The Moving Centre—a yoga and dance studio in Nelson—donated its space because the event was too big for our little studio.”

The $1,500 raised during the three days was divided among three charities: the West Kootenay Eco Society, the local women’s shelter and Pura Vida Foundation.

“I like challenge and change,” Beninger said. “This business is evolving so much that there are always new developments and things to learn, which means we can offer more and better service to our clients.”

Beninger said that the emphasis at the spa is on wellness, with the intention of having it develop into a holistic wellness centre.

“My biggest personal reward is in working with my team and seeing them grow, even if it means they move on to other things, and leave us,” Beninger said. “It’s also great when our guests come in and tell us about their results after having a series of treatments. It’s so good to see our clients recovering from conditions that troubled them.”