Where do I begin? I walked into the lit room and my view is one of a petitesalon. A young girl comes up to me and gingerlyinquires my thoughts. I present the coupon from Dealdey (did I ever tell you I’m a grandeur cheapskate, usually the best way to try something new, if you ask me) and I’m shown a waiting seat. At this point I figure it was a good idea to have a mini salon posited in the reception as one could do some prepping while waiting her turn. And there, my turn came. Seemed I was the only one at that time on that cool Sunday afternoon, so I go in behind the young woman who wore a white clinical robe/scrub on her regular outfit. I ask if I could take photos and then if I could be given some privacy to change out of my clothes, (it begs the question why are women comfortable being seen in their bikinis, but not in there panties? Lol), and then the massage began. She began with a full body massage to loosen up tight muscles. Don’t fret. It was nothing like The Client List. It was a respectful and proper massage. When it came time for the basalt lava hot stones, it was everything I imagined it would be…relaxing….soothing….pain-relieving and I mean that physically and emotionally. The black rectangular stones were water-heated and ran all over my body. I was afraid that ‘hot’ meant scalding, but it wasn’t. The hotness was comfortable, but not at all like a weak hand shake. When I was covered up with the stones resting along my back, arms and thighs and music playing in the background I really wished I had a bit more flesh to savor the rolling pin massage which came with the deal. But, as the masseuse told me it wouldn’t be appropriate for me I kept imagining if I could make it work. It wasn’t quite pleasant imagining wood hitting my skinny bones, so I took the masseuse’s advice and skipped that part. Oh, the things this skinny girl wants to experience.The hot stones allow blood vessels to expand and encourage blood flow through out the body. This has a calming effect which helps relieve chronic pain, alleviate symptoms of stress-related illness and promote deeper sleep.
There was the sauna, which wasn’t part of the deal and facials too. I’m looking at including one or both of those for a next visit. Why did I go for a massage?To de-stress. It was a final de-stress move before work begins again. There are different types of massage and different benefits to each type.
Source: Pinterest
What are the benefits of a hot stone massage?
Source: Pinterest
When I got back to the lovely quietness of my abode I pondered Chinese medical practices. It occurred to me that the ‘wonders’ they are known worldwide for simply emanated from a people who have maintained the good aspects of their cultural practices over time. For a minute there I wondered about our own Nigerian culture. I mean our great-grans used charcoal to brush their teeth and today it’s the latest thing. Yet, we despise these things when home-grown (I’m guilty too).Anyways, If you are interested in knowing the history of hot stone massage here it is.