My very dear friend Susan, who owns the fabulous Eco Day Lux Spa in Yardley, PA, The Skin Studio @ www.theskinstudio.org, was kind enough to grant me a complimentary massage for mentioning her in one of my blogs a while back.  So … I went, for my very first massage!   Yes, it’s true, it was my first time!  I know that’s hard to believe, for as much as I indulge myself in other ways, NOT to have ever had a massage … is well, just unenlightened!  So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity.  Then of course, immediately worried … will I have to get … naked?

I’m sure more people have that worry than care to admit!  But I was lucky to immediately be put at ease by Linda Crocker, the very skilled and equally friendly spa therapist at the Skin Studio.  She’s been practicing 7 years and teaching 4 of them, so I’m sure she’s seen it all.  Anyway, Linda was also kind enough to explain some of the mystery of what she was doing to me.  This also helped.  The essential oil massage is what I opted for, but you can also get a warm stone massage, sports massage or swedish massage, their signature, with or without deep tissue work. 

I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert on Aromatherapy, because it’s a very involved and intriguing science.  If you want to learn about it, a good place to start is @ http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/wharoma.asp.  But in simple terms it’s pretty much the way a synergistic blend of essential oils work together, to address a specific problem.   The problem could be  inflammation, respiratory, emotional, or stress, and the blend of oils is customized for each individual client.  90% of the people who come to a spa, request relief from emotional or physical (or both) stress and desire a “calming” blend of oils.  Linda says she likes to use chamomile, geranium and lavender to relax and that generally 98% of men and 75% of women fall asleep during her sessions. (not me though LOL).   Someone may also come in desiring relief from a cough, and in this case she may mix together a tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic antibiotic) wintergreen and eucalyptus.   Now that’s kind of cool, and in my opinion a way better way of dealing with a cold than prescription medicine or over the counter drugs. 

Essential oils are extracts from trees, plants or flowers and work in many different ways to achieve the desired results.  The oils are absorbed through the skin, and believe it or not, the feet absorb the fastest.   They are also inhaled through the olfactory senses and work with the limbic system in the brain to calm the hormones and emotions.   The oils can last in your body for up to one month after the treatment.  Different people can react differently to each oil treatment.  Some can walk away completely relaxed and ready for bed, while others may be completely renewed, energized and ready to dance!  The Skin Studio only works with organic oils because Linda tells me “they offer a stronger energy.”

Massage has become somewhat trendy these days, along with the yoga craze.  Definitely, not a bad thing.  One of my best friends is addicted to them, right along with her husband.  They go regularly, together.  I think that’s really cool.  Sometimes they treat themselves and make a weekend out of it by checking into a luxury hotel for the night.  They do the spa, then dinner, then drinks, then … well … you figure it out!  And sometimes, she says, they just do a no frills, inexpensive franchise massage.  You can find one near you @ http://www.massageenvy.com/locations.aspx.  Point is … they do it … and so should you.  At least TRY it!  I did … and I liked it!  Next time maybe I’ll even … get naked!