I think it’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of fall – with all the fun activities and holidays – that we forget to take a moment to breathe. When was the last time you took time out for self-care? You took too long to answer that — time to get out of the house and take time for you! Or maybe you’re shopping already (December will be here before you know it), and you’d like to give a gift certificate to someone in need of some stress relief. With all the choices out there for relaxation and rejuvenation, how do you choose? Let us narrow it down for you. Read on for our experience with hydromassage.
She Said: A local sauna studio near us offers hydromassage, and since we knew nothing about it, we had to check it out. The massage tables were in quiet, private rooms with soft lighting. Good start! I proceeded to lie down in my rubber pillow canoe and got cozy. Surprisingly, it was more comfortable than it looked — like a coffin without a lid. I was able to customize the settings and chose “full body” and a pretty high pressure, because it’s water, not someone’s knuckles and elbows (ouch). The massage started, and I got blasted with what felt like a fire hose behind a rubber sheet. It was a little weird but still smooth, and more relaxing than elbows digging into those knots in my shoulders. The warm water jets felt nice as they moved slowly up and down my body, and I zoned out. This type of massage is ideal if you just want to relax without changing your clothes or have any human contact. This is sort of an introverts’ playground, really — get your spa day while hardly talking to anyone. Oh, and that high-tech, science fiction, facehugger contraption over our faces in the photos? That was an included bonus of “red light” therapy for wrinkles, acne, and pain relief. No idea if it worked, but hey, why not?
He Said: I had concerns and questions after first hearing about hydromassage. How much water are we talking about? Do I have to wear a swimsuit? A scuba tank? Thankfully, you can do these massages without getting wet. The jets of water were contained inside a machine and sprayed up under a plastic sheet. The jets had three different speeds: Low pressure was like someone tickling my back with a squirt-gun, while medium was a nice garden hose-like pressure. I stayed on medium the longest, because high pressure was like going through the car wash without the car. It was quite noisy, as you could imagine, but I still walked away feeling relaxed and loose. It didn’t work out all the kinks like a real hands-on massage, but it was far better than a massage chair for sure. Great for a 30-minute relaxation session on a busy day, and the price per session is usually very reasonable.
Read more She’s Green/He’s Green from Green Living magazine.
