July 23, 2007

Fabulous Finds: "Soleful" PurposeGetting Deep

by Laurel House

I consider myself to be somewhat of a massage aficionado. Having reviewed resort and day spas for the last several years for a slew of magazines, I have been fortunate to test out some of the best and some of the absolute worst massages in the world (like the time my therapist attempted to get on the slightly rocky table, causing it and us to topple over). Thanks to my experience, I have served as a sort of Zagat guide to spas for my friends, relatives and anyone else who I met in passing and to whom I accidentally opened my big mouth about how fabulous my job is. Since I now have you, an ardent audience eager to hear my hard-earned insight, I am going to let you in on my personal massage preference…hard and deep!

Why the intensity? Let me walk you through a scenario. You are stressed out of your mind. The knots in your shoulders are so tightly wound, you wonder if even an electric drill could penetrate them. You decide to treat yourself to a well-deserved massage, easily justifying the $120 an hour with the fact that you will finally be relieved of the debilitating tension. You strip off your clothes, tuck your naked body under the warm sheets at the spa and await reprieve. Your therapist rubs his supple hands along your spine. You think, “Okay, he is just warming up my skin and pretty soon, he will really get in there.” Thirty minutes later, he is still “warming up your skin.” You fall asleep. An hour later, you are awakened to the sound of your therapist leaving the room. The treatment is done. Your muscles are still stiff. You are slimy and now cold without the protection of the sheets. And, you essentially coughed up a cool $200 (including the requisite, but undeserved tip) for a cat nap…yes, an incredibly relaxing cat nap, but a cat nap nonetheless.

But seriously folks, if I am going to shell out a couple hundred, I want to feel it! I want to walk out of that spa healed, my knots broken up. A bruise or two is okay as long as I still feel at ease the next morning. Too painful? What do you call paying an arm and a leg for a nap? I can sleep at home for free! If your therapist hits a sore spot and starts digging his thumb right in the root of the tension that is taxing your entire body, BREATHE into it. Take slow deep breaths and imagine all of that healthy oxygen going into the sore muscle, dissolving the knots. As you exhale, imagine the toxins and stress leaving your body. With each breath you should feel a little less stressed as your knots begin to give, soon losing their firm grasp.

Of course, once in a while, and I mean ONCE in a while, the therapy that your mind and body is most in need of is a good deep sleep, the type that is best brought on with a relaxing, also known as Swedish, massage. In that case, enjoy your therapist’s tender touch. But if you opt for the mild mannered massage, while you are laying there naked on the table attempting to relax, just know that in my oh-so humble opinion, a Swedish massage doesn’t hold a candle…or an incense stick…to a deep massage. Enjoy!

You need to try a few of my favorite places to get your muscles deeply kneaded:

Kinara Day Spa, Los Angeles, CA www.kinaraspa.com
Lake Austin Resort, Austin, Texas www.lakeaustin.com
St Regis Aspen, Aspen, Colorado www.stregis.com
Exhale Spa Manhattan, New York, New York www.exhalespa.com
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Hong Kong www.grandhyatt.com

Any comments?