This month, while we were on vacation in San Diego, I had a Korean massage. It was unlike any massage I’ve ever had before. I read reviews online before I went in. The business had a 4.2 or 4.3 rating with thousands of reviews. One of the negative reviews said that during the deep pressure they tweaked her back and she was barely able to walk down the steps to get to her car. But most of the reviews were extremely positive and one local said it felt like she had lost 30 pounds when she got up from the table, and now she frequents this place. I remember thinking…I’m not sure how that works, but I would love to feel it.
I did not meet or see the woman who gave me the massage until after I turned over onto my back. The first 10 minutes were without lotion or oil, and it was very deep pressure all over my body. At one point very early on, my low back fought back and it felt like two bones may have touched each other. The masseuse immediately asked me “are you okay?” This became one of two statements the masseuse repeated numerous times. My body was a little guarded after that, but eventually relaxed.
The massage itself was a combination of chiropractic care and very deep pressure massage. It was very clear that the masseuse had not attended a massage school in the United States, but in some sense I was grateful for that. She was determined to help eliminate the tightness in my shoulders and lower back, and went to the extreme to accomplish that. At one point she was up on the table in between my legs while I was on my stomach, just to get a good position on my lower back. At another point, she had her foot up on the table on top of the sheet in order to get a good angle of my opposite shoulder. She stretched my body deeply. I heard bones popping and felt them move, and she frequently asked “are you okay?” The other phrase she used frequently was “excuse me”… when she asked me to turn over or move a certain way.
She used hot towels, essential oil‘s, massage oil, etc. I heard her rummaging through a drawer quite frequently to get what ever she needed.
I received a 90-minute massage which included 60 minutes on the body and 30 minutes on the feet and the cost was $55. This was a bargain, but it left my muscles sore for days. But when I got up from the table, I did feel as though I had lost 30 pounds. I had the massage early in the morning and felt incredible for the rest of the day.
We visit San Diego about once a year, and I’ve decided the next time we go then I’ll get a massage from this place again when we first arrive and then before we leave. In some sense, I believe if I were getting frequent massages at this place that I might be able to completely eliminate the tension I feel in my shoulders. It was by far an interesting experience and I’m happy I did it.
Creating a Simplified Life 