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Spas + Treatments Spa Sanctuary in Sonoma County's Coastal Hills
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- CommentAuthorNancy B.
- CommentTimeMar 18th 2008 edited
February 18, 2008
If you are looking for a unique spa experience in Sonoma County, I would highly recommend the Osmosis Day Spa, http://www.osmosis.com in the tiny village of Freestone. I was introduced to this five acre Japanese retreat, sixty miles north of San Francisco, during a recent stay in Occidental.Inn at Occidental,http://www.innatoccidental.com Owner Tina Wolsborn noted that many of their guests visit the spa and return to the Inn very relaxed. In fact, the Inn offers an "Osmosis Enzyme Bath Special" during the winter season that is quite a deal.
I've experienced many spa treatments in my day, but nothing compares to the Cedar Enzyme bath, a heat treatment used in Japan. Upon arrival at the spa, guests change into Japanese robes and are welcomed with an organic herbal tea and invited to stroll the meditation garden. As I was there on a Monday evening, I had the peaceful garden all to myself. It was in that garden that I was able to let go of my "to do" list and open myself to a moment of quiet reflection.
I must admit that I was a little nervous about what to expect next because I'm not a sauna loving girl. My personal attendant explained how the cedar, rice bran and plant enzymes work together to create biologically generated warmth. She carved out a place for my body and I stepped into the tub.
How to describe this experience? It's a little like when you were a kid at the beach and someone covered your body with warm sand; only this naturally fermenting mixture can get quite hot. The more you squirm, the hotter it gets. Fortunately, my attendant had told me that I could lift my legs and arms whenever I wanted to cool myself down. She also came in periodically to check on me, offered me a cool sip of water through a straw and laid a damp cloth on my forehead.
After a quick shower I was handed off to a massage therapist for 75 minutes of pure bliss. I don’t want to sound like an advertorial here, but this was one of the best deep tissue massages I’ve had in my life. .
Has anyone else experienced a Japanese enzyme bath in your travels? Did you like it?
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