Do you find the feeling of a loved one running their fingers through your hair relaxing? Doesn’t it put you in a Zen-like state? It’s a confirmed fact that the touch of a loved one reduces stress since humans are social beings and are wired to feel “pleasure through physical intimacy with one another. Now let’s replace the central characters in this plot. Replace the loved ones with pythons (most aren’t that different in real life) and change the body part from hair to back. That’s exactly what’s taking place in a spa in Cairo, Egypt in the name of relaxation, albeit a thrilling, almost terrifying kind. This Cairo-based spa is offering a unique snake massage to customers in which various species of snakes crawl over your body. Funnily the idea seems like an antithesis of relaxation and rejuvenation and it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. The 30-minute snake spa session begins with an oil rub on the back of the daredevil customers by ‘human hands’. This is followed by a slithering ceremony of sorts by a blend of pythons or 28 types of non-venomous snakes that are left to slide on the bare bodies of people. Live snakes slither on the backs and faces of people resulting in ‘probable relaxation’ and ‘apparent pain relief’ and a huge dose of self-confidence once it’s over! A customer who gave the snake massage a shot said,“After the snakes were placed on my back, I felt a sense of relief and rejuvenation. I was nervous at first. Scared of snakes being on my body. But the fear, anxiety, and tension were reduced, and the session gave a sense of relaxation when the snakes went over my back and having them there boosted my self-confidence (sic).”
This massage at a Cairo spa is not for the faint-hearted pic.twitter.com/YWAsHrHn1e
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 29, 2020
The video went viral too leaving netizens horrified at not just the fearlessness of customers but also the sheer stupidity as the snakes wouldn’t really add much to the spa procedure. Some called it gimmicky while Twitter user @DrAbdulWaheedK7 said, ‘Humans never run out of ideas on how to exploit Mother Nature in yet new ways’. The spa owner on the other hand claims that snake massages are proven to reduce muscle and joint pain while also improving blood circulation and releasing endorphins. Would you dare to bare your back or body to a snake?
[Via – Reuters]
