OAKHURST – If you haven’t tried the Aqua Massage, aka “non-invasive water massage,” now located in a private room at Upstairs Downtown Salon, someone’s got a treat coming.
Lying face down as soothing warm water pulses back and forth across tired muscles, time slips away, taking you from stressed-out to blissed-out in minutes, and you never get wet, never even take off your clothes.
For those who have already been to Cristi Casey’s studio to experience the heated, dry hydro-therapy unit with rotating hydro-jets, the secret is out – it’s a quick, easy, and affordable massage option that could change your entire perspective in as little as twenty minutes, for just $20.
“It’s really been great to have as an addition to what we already offer, and clients are responding to the Aqua Massage really well,” Cristi comments on the state-of-the-art piece she’s purchased to enhance her salon and please her clientele.
The therapy is a fast and simple way to get a full body massage without ever having to undress, except for shoes. The machine itself looks like a tanning bed. You climb in and lie comfortably, face down with your head on a rest, arms extended to monitor the controls that operate the device.
Cristi will demonstrate for all new clients initially, to explain what’s about to happen. You’ll put on headphones to listen to relaxing music that helps to drown out most of the sounds created by the Aqua Massage, which is roughly equivalent to the noise of a Jacuzzi spa.
Unlike a traditional spa, and because there’s a 30 millimeter vinyl barrier between you and the pressurized water pumped from inside the Aqua Massage, you won’t get wet.
Inside the plastic barrier, a bar projects water from 36 jets that move strategically from the tip of your toes up to your neck, repeating for the duration of the massage. You can feel that the pulsating water is warm, even through the plastic barrier and your clothes.
Using hand held-remotes and pre-sets, the user controls the strength, length and location of the jets. If you want the massage to linger on your lower back, for instance, you press a button and the jets stay put until you decide it’s time for the water to move on. The pressure can be suited to an individual’s sensitivity; also adjustable is the tempo of the pulse.
While the Aqua Massage is designed to simulate a fingertip massage, reaching from the center of the body to the sides of the body, it does not replace the work of a professional massage therapist, and it’s not intended to, Cristi explains.
“I believe in massage therapy as part of an overall approach to having a healthy lifestyle, and the Aqua Massage is simply another way to engage in relaxing, therapeutic behavior. It’s something people can schedule at lunchtime, or any time at their convenience. It doesn’t take a lot of trouble and it feels really good. People love it.”
Aqua Massage appointments are $20 for 20 minutes, and the Salon offers a running a special – after five purchased massages, the sixth is free.
Upstairs Downtown Salon offers an extensive menu of services, with free advice and information available on the website – click here. The salon is located at 49063 Road 426, Suite A, in Oakhurst, across from RiteAid.
