A Natural Way to Recovery - Hot Stone Massage

Merry Christmas! Sorry I have not posted in a while, I have been going to my regular places and nowhere new. However, today I took advantage of a great deal that was featured on Groupon.com. A choice of one of three 60 minute massages was offered at A Natual Way to Recovery for $35. I had a choice of Swedish massage, Sports massage, or Hot Stone massage. The best deal here is the hot stone massage, because this type of massage is usually 1.5x as much cost as other types of massages. I have had one hot stone massage before, and it was amazing, so I have been waiting for a deal like this to come along.

A Natural Way to Recovery is located inside Brickhouse Fitness on W. 56th St. near Georgetown Rd. It is basically one massage room in the back of the fitness studio. When I arrived at Brickhouse, the actual fitness studio was closed, but Lori, the massage therapist came to the door. I filled out a client intake form and was taken to the back. The massage room is located through the back room that housed extra fitness equipment and cleaning supplies. This was clearly not designed to be seen by clients, and definitely detracts from the "spa experience" factor. However, the massage room itself was very nice. It was small, but nicely decorated, lit with candles, and very warm.

My massage was great, and the hot stones added the extra element to make it excellent. A hot stone massage is basically a Swedish massage, but about half the time the massage therapist has heated stones in her palms while massaging. You don't really feel the stone, but you feel heat. It is really good for relaxing the muscles. Today, Lori started with me face-up working on my arms, legs, and chest. Then I turned face-down, and she laid hot rocks over a towel along my spine and massaged my legs and back. The stones laying on your spine doesn't sound that great, but the weight and the heat were really soothing.

My massage was a $90 value ($80 massage + $10 new client intake), but I got it for $35 on Groupon.com. I think that hot stone massages are worth the extra price, however I can't really afford to pay for it, so this deal was a great option.

Service Quality Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
"Spa Experience" Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Price: $$$$ - regularly charged price ($ - price I actually paid - a Christmas miracle :)

Price Guide
$ = less than $1 per minute (very budget friendly!)
$$ = about $1 per minute (reasonable)
$$$ = more than $1 per minute (an occasional treat)
$$$$ = about $1.50 per minute (only if I get a gift certificate or great coupon)
$$$$$ = more than $1.50 per minute (I'll be surprised if I ever get to go to one of these)