The fall season signals the start of many annual occurrences: leaves change colors, school sessions get going, days get shorter, and for me, allergies kick in. Yes, it’s fall, not spring, when my nasal passages really decide to torment me and leave me devoid of their services.
For that reason, I figured the best way to lure them back into action was with a little TLC in the form of an aromatherapy massage at St. Regis Monarch Beach’s Spa Gaucin (because my muscles need love too).
The 60-minute, $185 Five Essence Aromatherapy Massage (also available in 75-minute, $230 and 90-minute, $270 options) offers five essential oils from the Germaine de Capuccini product line, each offering specific skin benefits, including restoring tone and activating micro-circulation.
I selected the peppermint oil mixture, which turned out to be the perfect antidote to my allergy woes. After finding out my trouble areas, Julie, my massage therapist, started me off with some intensive face, neck and shoulder work, interspersed with deep breathing in of the pleasant scent. She gave me one of the best spinal stretches I’ve ever had when she gently pushed my head forward onto my chest and released what seemed like a lifetime of tension built up in my upper spine.
As the massage went on, and the oil got deep into my lungs, I noticed my sense of smell becoming more acute and my passages less congested, something that hadn’t happened in at least a couple of weeks. The massage was both relaxing and invigorating, and I felt energized for the rest of my day.
