I had my first spa treatment this past week and… *cough* kind of liked it. As a self-professed manly man, I had categorized massages and the spa as something that girls did. I think a part of me thought that I might get koodies just by sitting on a massage table. Looking back, I realize this mindset is nothing but closed minded and even childish. I knew it as soon as that first hot stone slid down my back. The spa isn’t masculine or feminine – it’s human.
First Step:
Leave your reservations at the door. This step can be interpreted in two ways. One: let yourself go. Don’t worry about being a man in the spa. Accept the fact that men get massages. Travaasa Austin even has a treatment room dedicated for men, which it calls the “Western Sky”. Two: Actually make a reservation. There are plenty of women AND men planning on enjoying treatments too – don’t leave yours up to chance.
Second Step:
Schedule some time before and after the massage. If you are rushing to and from the massage you will not get the full effect. Get mentally unwound. Take your time. Relax. Many spas have lounge areas and serene corners where you can relax before and after. The Spa at Viceroy Snowmass has salt water waterfalls and baths in the bathrooms for this very purpose. Let your massage soak in – it’ll last longer.
Third Step:
Focus on the problem areas. Sometimes as a man, I feel as if aches and pains are part of life. If you aren’t hurting you aren’t living. And was I ever wrong. Your massage therapist is a highly trained professional. Make use of their expertise. That double knot you thought you had in your back might just magically slip untied. That said, no one will be able to change your beer gut into a six pack. If beer is on your mind, opt in for a Four Seasons “Brewsage” where hop oil is the featured ingredient.
Fourth Step:
Go easy – especially this first time. The massage therapist will inevitably ask how much pressure you would like applied during the message. I don’t care if you chop your own wood, or if you built your house with your bare hands, choose a lighter pressure. The strong hands of a therapist will make the hulk feel like a bruised pear if his body is not ready. So that next time you are lying in bed, tossing and turning over a sore back, consider the spa. It will open you to a whole new world of relaxation, and maybe get you back on the mountain for another day of skiing. If that’s not manly, then I don’t know what is.
