Try a Li'tya Kodo Massage to relax and energise your body

With holiday budgets being what they are, the closest most of us are likely to get to Australia any time soon is courtesy of a new range of Aboriginal-inspired body and face treatments at Edinburgh's One Spa.

LI'TYA, pronounced "li-dee-ya" and meaning "of the earth" is an organic skincare range of products and spa treatments which blends native Australian botanicals, natural clays and essential oils. The range, which One Spa has added to its menu to celebrate its tenth birthday this year, features a facial, a hand and foot treatment and a massage.

From these options I selected the Kodo massage, which is described as a treatment consisting of rhythmic strokes combined with Australian aromatic oils to rejuvenate, reharmonise or detoxify.

First I was offered a choice of three oils - my therapist told me that my body would select the one that would be of most use to me. I went for the rejuvenating oil.

I then hopped up onto the heated bed, which you could almost market as a treatment in itself - just lying there looking at the pretty patterns made by the ever-changing coloured lights on the ceiling is relaxing.

Some Thai therapies involve gongs being chimed to signal the beginning or the end of a treatment, and in a similar fashion the LI'TYA treatments utilise a unique "smoking" ritual - a blend of O'yarrarng and lemon myrtle is burned, designed to clear room of negative energy and prepare you for the massage. I don't really know if any of that worked, but it certainly smelled lovely.

Kodo massage targets pressure points and uses spiralling movements with the aim of relaxing and energising your body. The spiritual aspect of the treatment is quite interesting as it has been designed to relieve emotional tension along with physical stresses.

As well as using plants recommended by members of the Aboriginal community for their healing powers, the range of treatments also invoke the living tradition of sacred knowledge known as Dreamtime, whose main tenet is to tread lightly on Earth, with the greatest of respect.

I would describe this massage as therapeutic, rather than deep-tissue. It was lovely and relaxing and the oils smelled wonderful, but I'm not sure how many of those knots in my upper back were ironed out. It would take a pretty intensive sports massage to see them off.

LI'TYA Kodo Massage, 80 for 55 mins, One Spa, 8 Conference Square, tel: [phone], www.onespa.com

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on 09/04/2011