The holidays are officially upon us so there is no better time than now to prepare for them than with a few hours of downtime on your own. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston has thought of just that and has introduced a special treatment to get you in the holiday spirit.

Introducing theFrankincense Massage Ritual.

This fragrant one hour and 20 minute treatment starts the moment you arrive in the treatment room with a relaxing cup of herbal tea made with orange, ginger and frankincense. My therapist began with a welcoming warming foot ritual where signature scents like calendula flower are applied to help reduce inflammation while soothing the skin and chamomile, frankincense and petitgrain oils are used to de-stress. I was then led to the adjacent massage table where I was requested to lie face down while a hot paraffin wax was applied to my feet and then wrapped – pure heaven.

My therapist said the goal of this treatment is to take stress and tension out of the body (which it certainly did) while grounding the mind. The relaxing massage with deep inhalations of frankincense essential oils that follows focuses on the back, neck and shoulders. Be sure to take advantage of the women’s vitality tub and steam shower after for the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation.

The frankincense massage ritual is being offered now through the end of the year. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Boston is located at 776 Boylston Street in Boston. For more information, call (617) 535-8820 or visit http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston.