My wife was kind enough to surprise me with an evening at the Spa. I was a bit hesitant, but seeing how happy she was in wanting to share the spa experience with me, I couldn’t turn it down. I arrived at the spa after dinner and signed in for my appointment.

The evening began with a 1-hr facial that included a hand and foot massage. The room was dimly lit colored painted in warm neutral tones.  New-agey opera-like music filled the ambience alongside the flicker of candle lights. This was my first time getting a facial and I was pleasantly surprised by how relaxing and soothing it was. No too much chatting from my end as I wanted to just enjoy the experience. Numerous facial creams and exfoliating agents were applied while I relaxed under a steam bath.

After the facial, I drank a bit of water before heading over to my 1-hr massage. I inquired about the type of massage I would be receiving.  The therapist told me she’s a clinical massage therapist and the type of massage would greatly depend on my body and where she felt tension. I described to her my endless hrs at a computer desk, so she began with the neck, shoulder and forearms.

A couple of times during the massage, she would inquire if I felt tender in certain areas. I said no, and she noted I was really tight and perhaps my body was no longer receiving pain signals in the area. She used various part of her hand, fingers, elbows and arms to perform the massage. It was rather enlightening as I realized how much tension I carried with me throughout the day. The muscles between my shoulders and back were extremely tight as well as my calves!

At the end of the evening, I left the spa very relaxed and calm. Walking to my car, I realized how much further I have to go in terms of relaxation in my taiji.