Spa Comfort Zone: Step Outside your Norm [+ Spa Week Giveaway]

Ohhh Spa Week…how we love thee! Spa Week is the perfect time to embrace me-time and give your mind and body some much needed TLC. Here at BSW, we jumped at the chance for a $50 pampering treatment and just so happened to go far from the typical Swedish massage into a whole new category of rubdown indulgence with a Thai massage at Bunya CitiSPA in the SoHo area of New York City. What we expected was not what we got…well, for some of us at least!

I rallied my friends Lauren and Shannon for our Spa Week adventure because nothing is better than relaxing with friends. It has been awhile since any of us had a massage so our excitement for Spa Week was a frequent topic of conversation for days leading up to our treatment. Needless to say, walking through the spa doors put us instantly into the relaxation zone. We were greeted and led back to the changing room where we were offered robes and slippers and then brought to the lounge room that had cucumber water waiting for us. Then we parted ways for our 50-minute Thai massage with herbal compress.

Perhaps I should have done a bit more research on said Thai massage, but I went in “blind.” When my masseuse jumped on the table within a few minutes of me lying face down I thought to myself “this is going to be good.” Little did I know what to come was going to be a mixture of complete bliss and utter discomfort. Apparently a Thai massage is a combination of a “normal” massage techniques and pressure point treatment that uses the thumb and the palm to stimulate energy flow. So while I was in love with the sporadic rubbing from back to neck to arm, I was also experiencing several semi-painful zings down my body. You know that feeling where your shoulder is being touched, but your fingertips are moving without your control? That was what was happening to me for 50-minutes as my nerves and other strange to massage places (like my elbow and armpit) were being worked on causing me to explain my massage in one way: joyous torture.

I know one of my number one rules is to not suffer in silence during a massage, but in my effort to experience a true Thai massage I kept quiet until the point where I let out a small whimper (that I thought was in my head, but it was not!) and my adorable masseuse said she was just working out “my problem spots.” When it comes to massages I like them deep because no one wants to pay for a back tickle, but this my friends, was like nothing else I have ever experienced. The fact that I had a sheet covering me was basically a moot point as I was being bent and exposed every two seconds. The time I was squirming in distress were quickly followed by rubdown bliss. One being the Thai herbal hot pack (heaven!) and another was the grand finale where my masseuse literally jumped on my back and crawled up and down it. You don’t get that in a Swedish massage. No you do not.

When my friends and I reconvened Lauren looked at me in distress and said “I am glad I made it out alive,” which caused a burst of laughter as we shared stories of our experience on the massage table. Shannon, on the other hand, came in and said “she loved every second of her life.” To each their own, right?! Our Thai massages were an experience to say the least.

So the rating: 

One in love…the other, not so sure. You can find my vote somewhere in the middle.

Ultimately, stepping out of your massage comfort zone is something we should all do more often. Spas host a slew of “interesting” treatments that wellness patrons can be a part of that could be a missed piece of pure spa enjoyment or an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience (complete with a spa story). Have you ever heard of a snake massage? Talk about stepping out of the box….

From chocolate facials to soaking in a wine bath for a vinotherapy experience, spas are offering pampering experiences that can transform your body and provide you spa memories like no other. And, now is YOUR CHANCE to be brave and step outside your spa comfort zone by entering to win a $50 Spa Week e-gift card courtesy of Spa Week! Lucky for you many spas are extending Spa Week through April! Browse through a list of participants who still want you to get your spa on for $50 treatments.

Here are 3 ways to win the earth friendly, $50 Spa Week e-gift card that can be redeemed at over 5,000 spas across North America, all year round and never expires!

[Mandatory]: Head on over to the Spa Week site and leave a comment below sharing a treatment you would like to try or a spa you would want to visit.
[Optional]: For an additional entry “like” Bite Size Wellness on Facebook and/or share the news on FB. Leave another comment telling me you did so.
[Optional]: Spread the news about this awesome giveaway on Twitter and leave an additional comment stating that you did: “Step out of your #spa comfort zone with the help of @biteszwellness and her $50 @spaweek gift card #giveaway!  http://bit.ly/Jd4pn9 ”

I will choose a random winner on Monday, April 30^th. May the odds be ever in your favor!!

Visit Bunya CitiSPA at:
474 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012

Snake massage photo via