Finding the perfect massage in Boulder County - Boulder Daily Camera

[massage - Google News]

Rachel Scott massages Robert Pettis at Colorado Body Wisdom in Boulder. Colorado Body offers couples massages and a variety of other styles, and sees a surge in business around Valentine's Day. (Vessi Vlasseva / Courtesy photo)


Other kinds of massage in Boulder County

Here is a sampling of other kinds of massage in the area, with an example of where you can get it. This list is by no means intended to be exhaustive, and you can find many of these treatments at multiple facilities:

Watsu (and couples Watsu): Somewhat like passive shiatsu and Thai massage performed in the water, available at Essential Element Wellness in Longmont, facebook.com/Essential ElementWellness

Four-handed: Two practitioners massage you at the same time, at Marianna's L'Esthetique Medi Spa in Boulder, mariannaskin care.com

Pressotherapy: A treatment done on the legs to improve circulation, pain, soreness, water retention and lymphatic drainage, at Marianna's L'Esthetique Medi Spa in Boulder, mariannaskincare.com.

Thai herbal: Massage with an herbal ball, which is steam-heated so the herbs produce an ointment, at Siam Sensation in Longmont, siamsensationmassage.com.

Body Mobilization Technique: Movement of the fully clothed body done on a massage table, using no massage oil or lotion, at Deserving Body Massage in Boulder, deservingbody massage.com.

TMJ massage: Targets jaw disorders, headaches, grinding and muscles in the area of the jaw, neck, face and possibly inside the mouth (with gloves), Colorado Body Wisdom in Boulder, coloradobodywisdom.com.

Postpartum massage: New mothers might try Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy to correct the position the organs shifted to during pregnancy, at the Joy Collective in Boulder, pregnancyparentingboulder.com. Also find baby massage here.

LaStone Therapy: The transferring of one stone to the other, from one body part to another, in a special rhythm, Tracy's Facial, Stones and Massage in Boulder, tracysfacialandstones .com.


How to pick the right massage

According to Sita Thomas, owner of Pharos Clinical Massage and Bodywork:

• Define your wants and needs: Find a therapist who specializes in what fits your needs. If you prefer to stay clothed, try Thai massage. If you are fragile or sensitive, try craniosacral.

• Do some research: Interview potential massage therapists, check their websites and ask questions.

• Ask for referrals: If the therapist you talk with does not seem like a match, explain why and ask for referrals.

• Communicate throughout your massage: Therapists want you to. The more you communicate, the better your massage will be.

• Let it sink in: Take a few days before deciding whether the therapist was the right match for you.

• When looking for a Valentine's Day massage: Consider getting simultaneous massages in two separate rooms if you think it could be distracting or difficult to relax with extra people in the room. Also consider taking a massage workshop or studying a massage DVD to learn how to massage your partner.


It's the busy season for massage therapists.

Most local therapists say they see a spike in gift cards and appointments around Valentine's Day, whether for couples treatments, as a way to pamper your loved one or even just as an act of self-love.

"Massage is a wonderful, thoughtful gift that some people consider a luxury and would never dream of giving to themselves," says Courtney Smith, massage therapist at Whole Body Balance.

But massage isn't just a luxury; it also can be an integral part of whole-body health, therapists say.

And a massage treatment in Boulder County goes far beyond the common, relaxing Swedish massage. The list of massage styles is lengthy, so it can be challenging to pick the right type — especially if you're choosing a gift.

Like many therapists, Smith says she talks with each client to first determine their needs and wants, then matches them with the right therapist and style of massage. That's why a gift card can be better than booking a specific treatment.

"We are always adding to our menu of service," she says, "as the beautiful thing about massage is there is always something more to learn and therefore something more to give to help our clients find healing and balance within the mind-body connection."

Right now, she says, Whole Body Balance in Boulder offers prenatal, deep tissue, trigger point, hot stone, Swedish, sports, myofascial (soft tissue therapy), table Thai yoga (which combines assisted yoga poses and acupressue), reflexology (performed on the feet, hands and head) and craniosacral treatments.

Craniosacral therapy is designed to address nervous system imbalances, says Rachel Scott, a therapist at Boulder's Colorado Body Wisdom, which also offers the treatment. A therapist often holds pressure on points of the head, shoulders and sacrum, she says.

Colorado Body Wisdom also offers couples massages, which are especially popular on and around Valentine's Day.

"It's a touchy-feely gift for a touchy-feely kind of holiday," Scott says.

Her office also performs customized therapeutic massages that blend a variety of styles; medical massage to address a specific injury; corporate massage at companies; manual lymph draining to relieve swelling; trauma-relief massage to help people process trauma; and polarity therapy, which blends energy work, bodywork, diet, exercise and more, based on an Ayurvedic model of health.

As Lauren Grant, assistant spa director at Dragontree Spa puts it, "The days of just having Swedish massages are long gone."

However, the Dragontree Spa in Boulder does offer a Swedish massage, as well as the common, deeper pressure treatments such as deep tissue and trigger point.

But you can find unique massages here, too, such as the Abhyanga massage, an Ayurvedic-inspired treatment whereby warm oils are slowly poured over you in patterns designed to relax your body and remove energy blockages.

"It's one of the most soothing and nurturing massages I've ever experienced," Grant says.

Other unique treatments at Dragontree include an aromatherapy massage using unique essential oil blends; a detox aromatherapy massage that also includes deep tissue and lymphatic work, or the Muscle Melt massage, which uses the spa's own pain-relieving herbal liniment.

And special for Valentine's Day: champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries all week.

Many other facilities are also offering V-Day specials.