At Sacred Space in Palma, Jas Panesar combines more than two decades of therapeutic bodywork with specialist oncology massage and skincare, luxury wellbeing treatments and a quietly compassionate way of caring for others.
There are moments in life when being cared for becomes far more than a luxury. During illness, bereavement, prolonged stress or pregnancy, the simple experience of being touched with gentleness and without expectation can help someone feel like themself again.
This belief lies at the heart of Sacred Space, Jas’s peaceful treatment room in central Palma. It sits within MIKU Mallorca Clinic of Integrative Medicine, run by her friend and colleague Kimmy Dobak.
“The ‘space’ I am referring to is within us. It is an invitation to feel like you again during all of life’s moments.”Jas Panesar
For Jas, the word “sacred” also describes the body’s ability to settle and self-regulate when it feels safe. Her treatments are designed to create that opportunity: a private, peaceful environment in which the client does not need to perform, explain or achieve anything, but can simply rest.
From Family Tradition to Therapeutic Bodywork
Her understanding of touch began long before she trained professionally. Born in London to parents of Indian origin, Jas grew up in a Punjabi household filled with medicinal herbs, natural remedies and oils used to care for the hair, scalp, skin and wounds. Like her grandmother in Punjab, she became the person in her family who instinctively felt comfortable working with the body, and that early intuition eventually became a vocation.
In 2001, Jas began a three-year BSc Honours degree in Health Sciences and Therapeutic Bodywork at the University of Westminster’s School of Integrated Health. Her training spanned Eastern and Western soft-tissue therapies, including acupressure, hatha yoga and qi gong for physical rehabilitation, with clinical experience giving aromatherapy massage to outpatients at the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead.
The programme brought together leading voices in bodywork and soft-tissue therapy and gave Jas an unusually broad foundation. More than twenty years later, she still draws on that blend of disciplines, selecting elements from massage, acupressure, Ayurvedic traditions, osteopathic approaches and nervous-system-focused techniques according to the person in front of her.
After moving to Mallorca in 2018, establishing her career took time, not least because of the language barrier. Following her father’s death from lung cancer in 2021, she gave herself space to grieve by joining a luxury hotel spa in Can Pastilla as a part-time therapist.
Natura Bissé and Oncology Aesthetics
It was there that she discovered Natura Bissé, the Barcelona-founded luxury skincare company, recently awarded the World’s Best Spa Brand for 2026. Through the Ricardo Fisas Natura Bissé Foundation, the company has developed specialist oncological aesthetics education and skincare support for people during and after cancer treatment.
Its recently introduced PRO-REPAIR collection is a professionally guided skin-recovery range created for sensitised or compromised skin around medical and aesthetic procedures. Within specialist oncology protocols, selected products may be used, with appropriate medical guidance, to help support the skin barrier and address concerns such as dryness, tightness, irritation and discomfort.
When Jas approached the company in early 2026 about using its products in her independent Palma practice, she was invited to undertake its Diploma in Oncological Skin Care, a serendipitous opportunity that brought together her earlier hospice experience, bodywork training and support for people with cancer in her community.
“It has allowed me to bring a pioneering approach to cancer care to Palma,” she says.
The training goes considerably further than learning a gentler massage routine. It covers the ways chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies can affect the skin; the ingredients and products that may be appropriate; when a treatment must be adapted or postponed; and how to communicate with sensitivity after a difficult diagnosis. Active listening, empathy and the ability to recognise professional boundaries form an important part of that care.
What Is Oncology Massage?
Oncology massage is not a treatment for cancer, nor a replacement for medical care. It is a specialised, complementary form of wellbeing support, adapted to the person’s diagnosis, treatment, symptoms and changing physical condition.
Massage during cancer treatment was once commonly discouraged. Today, appropriately trained practitioners can often provide gentle, modified care, but communication with the patient’s oncology team remains essential, particularly following surgery, during active treatment, where lymph nodes have been removed or when wounds have not fully healed.
The National Cancer Institute classifies massage as a complementary, body-based practice. It advises people living with cancer to discuss any complementary therapy with their doctor or nurse, because the suitability of treatment depends on the individual’s medical circumstances.
“Sometimes we must avoid the treated or affected area completely until medical professionals give permission,” Jas explains. “But we may be able to provide a soothing head and neck massage, or massage tired legs and feet, while caring for dry skin or damaged nails. We are cautious and only treat areas that are safe.”
A Treatment That Changes with the Person
Every appointment begins with active listening. Pressure, positioning, duration, products and the area being treated are all personalised, and Jas continually assesses how the person feels rather than following a set routine.
She describes her approach as fully person-centred: listening to what the client wants that day, asking only the questions needed to work safely, reading physical signs and adapting throughout the session. A standard treatment lasts around an hour, but shorter appointments can be created when fatigue, discomfort or active treatment makes a full session unsuitable.
The specialist methodology she uses incorporates very light “dermoneurosedative” techniques developed by the Ricardo Fisas Foundation, intended to calm rather than stimulate the body through sensitive touch and nervous-system regulation.
Cancer therapies can bring extreme dryness, itching, irritation, inflammation, peeling and heightened skin sensitivity, and can affect hair follicles and nails. With appropriate medical guidance, Jas may use selected skincare alongside gentle cleansing, hydration and massage, choosing each treatment according to the person’s needs and medical circumstances.
Around radiotherapy, care of the treatment area must follow the medical team’s instructions. Where approval has been given, the skin may be gently prepared and supported before treatment, then reassessed afterwards before any product is applied. Jas may instead work on unaffected muscles made tense or sore by maintaining a fixed position during a procedure.
To be clear, skincare and massage do not treat cancer or alter its progression. What compassionate supportive care can offer is comfort, relaxation and a sense of connection at a time when the body may otherwise feel defined and depleted by examinations and medical procedures.
“It makes all the difference to someone experiencing a difficult time to receive this kind of touch and care. It gives comfort and allows moments of connection.”Jas Panesar
One client undergoing cancer treatment described feeling a sense of peace as soon as she entered Sacred Space. Her skin had become very dry and uncomfortable, and the nourishing oils and gentle massage offered welcome relief. With the music and Jas’s warm presence, she said, she could completely disconnect, transported to a place she didn’t want to leave.
Giving the Gift of Wellbeing
Perhaps the most touching aspect of Sacred Space is the “Giving the Gift of Wellbeing” initiative, inspired by an unexpected act of community kindness.
A colleague encountered a member of staff at her child’s school hiding in an office, distressed by the side effects of active cancer treatment. Jas offered to treat her without charge. When she later mentioned the woman to a friend whose wife had experienced a similar cancer, he immediately offered to pay for further massages. Another friend did the same, enabling the woman to receive four treatments.
“I began to realise that not everyone I meet will have the financial resources to pay for this support, or even think of going for a massage,” Jas says. “Illness does not give people time to put their finances in order, and wellbeing treatments are understandably often not a priority.”
Through Sacred Space’s online booking page, clients can buy a gift card from €75 or contribute towards a block of treatments, either for a particular person or to help someone who might otherwise be unable to access the service. Gift cards can be sent directly to the recipient or a family member, with a message for Jas added through Fresha. Contributions can extend to €500 for a block of seven treatments. Jas is also exploring the permissions required to offer care to people in hospital.
“For me, it means that somebody may not have to go through a healthcare process feeling alone,” she says. “By giving the gift of wellbeing, you can make a difference during one of the most delicate periods of a person’s life.”
Massage, Facials and Body Treatments in Palma for Everyone
Although specialist oncology care forms an important part of Jas’s work, Sacred Space is not solely for people living with illness. Her clients arrive with muscular tension, stress, poor sleep, bereavement, anxiety, sensitive skin, pregnancy-related discomfort, recovery needs, or simply the desire to stop and be cared for.
Her massage menu includes De-Stress, Detox, Energise and Muscle Release treatments using Natura Bissé signature oils. Natura Bissé facials are adapted for sensitive skin and hormonal changes such as menopause, while nervous-system reset treatments combine facial massage with calming techniques. Jas also offers sensorial body treatments and couples massage.
Pregnancy massage is adapted to support the body and provide muscular release as it changes. Every treatment remains responsive to how the client feels on the day rather than being delivered as a fixed formula.
Anyone accessing the service, Jas says, should expect to feel “welcome, listened to, respected and treated with care”. Inclusivity is central to Sacred Space. Treatments can be offered in English or Spanish, with Jas also understanding conversational Catalan and German.
Jas and her team also provide treatments in private homes, fincas and on boats for clients unable to attend the Palma clinic or seeking a more exclusive service. The income from her wider treatment work helps her provide some oncological wellbeing massages without charge.
“Presence is at the centre of it,” she tells me. “Conscious, compassionate, professional presence. We create an environment where the individual, with any issue, can rest and reset.” I experienced this for myself with Jas’s Rebalance Facial and Massage. I left feeling lighter, calmer and, for the rest of the afternoon, quietly floating.
In a world that often encourages us to push through exhaustion, pain and emotional upheaval, perhaps that is what makes this space feel sacred: permission to stop, be held with care and, for a little while, feel like ourselves again.
How to Find Sacred Space Palma
Sacred Space is located just off La Rambla in central Palma at Carrer dels Àngels 9, within MIKU Mallorca Clinic of Integrative Medicine. Treatments can be booked through the Sacred Space Palma page on Fresha, or you can connect through Instagram at @SacredSpacePalma. Anyone undergoing active cancer treatment, recovering from surgery, living with lymph-node removal or managing an unhealed scar should consult their medical team and contact Jas before treatment.
Scan or tap to book with Sacred Space on Fresha
Amanda’s Mallorca-focused features are based on personal experience, trusted recommendations and the people she discovers across the island.
Key Takeaways
- Oncology massage is a complementary wellbeing treatment adapted to each person’s diagnosis, treatment and symptoms. It does not treat cancer or replace medical care.
- Always speak to your oncology team first, particularly during active treatment, after surgery or lymph-node removal, or when wounds have not fully healed.
- Jas Panesar brings more than two decades of therapeutic bodywork and Natura Bissé’s Diploma in Oncological Skin Care to her Palma practice.
- Sacred Space is for everyone: massage, Natura Bissé facials, body, pregnancy and couples treatments, in English or Spanish.
- Through Giving the Gift of Wellbeing, you can buy a gift card from €75 for someone going through cancer treatment.
If you’ve supported someone through cancer, what small gesture made the biggest difference? Your answer could help someone else, so do share it in the comments below.
Read & add your comment ↓Further Inspiration:
The best spas in Mallorca · Healing after cancer · Calming the nervous system · Breathing through grief
As featured in the Mallorca Bulletin
This interview first appeared in Amanda’s Wellness Column in the Mallorca Bulletin. Read the original as a PDF →
Sources and Further Reading
- Professional Courses in Oncology Skin Care. Ricardo Fisas Natura Bissé Foundation.
- Natura Bissé Partners with the Ricardo Fisas Natura Bissé Foundation and Susan G. Komen to Provide Skincare Support During Cancer Treatment. Susan G. Komen, 2020.
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Care. National Cancer Institute.
- PRO-REPAIR Collection. Natura Bissé.
- World’s Best Spa Brand 2026. World Spa Awards, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is oncology massage?
Oncology massage is a complementary wellbeing treatment adapted for someone living with cancer or its treatment effects. Pressure, positioning, duration and the areas treated are adjusted to the person’s current health and medical circumstances. It does not treat cancer or replace oncology care.
Is massage safe during chemotherapy or radiotherapy?
Specially adapted massage can be appropriate for some people, but it depends on factors including treatment timing, blood counts, surgery, skin condition, lymph-node removal and other medical risks. Always speak to your oncology team first, and use a practitioner with relevant specialist training.
How is an oncology facial different from a conventional facial?
An oncology facial uses carefully selected products and gentle techniques for skin that may be dry, fragile, reactive or uncomfortable. Exfoliation, heat, pressure and active ingredients may need to be modified or avoided entirely.
Do I need medical consent before booking?
Jas advises checking with your doctor during active treatment, after lymph-node removal or when surgical wounds have not completely healed. Even where one area cannot be treated, a safe treatment may sometimes be designed for an unaffected part of the body.
Does Sacred Space only treat people affected by cancer?
No. Sacred Space offers personalised massage, Natura Bissé facials, body treatments and pregnancy care for clients experiencing stress, muscular tension, skin concerns or simply seeking deeply restorative care.
How can I donate an oncology wellbeing treatment?
Gift cards begin at €75 and can be purchased through the Sacred Space Palma booking page on Fresha. They may be sent to a particular person or used to help someone who would otherwise be unable to afford treatment.
How does Sacred Space give back to the community?
Through its Giving the Gift of Wellbeing initiative, anyone can buy a gift card or contribute towards a block of treatments for someone going through cancer treatment who might otherwise be unable to afford it. Income from Jas’s wider treatment work also helps her offer some oncological wellbeing massages without charge.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Where research is referenced, the sources are linked for you to explore. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation before making any changes, as individual needs vary.
0 Comments