Give yourself a break from your active summer with The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Laguna Niguel’s Sun Kissed Coastal Massage ($175). Available through August 31, the 50-minute treatment uses a technique specifically designed to soothe muscles, detoxify and boost circulation, along with ocean-inspired aromatherapy to help balance your mind and body.
The treatment begins with a deep inhalation of an aromatic oil of your choice. Massage therapist Sheryl then wastes no time in working my problem areas: neck, shoulders, back. Using forearms, hot stones and a combination of strokes, she covers my back as adeptly as an octopus, seeming to be everywhere at once with the perfect amount of deep pressure.
She slings one arm over the massage table, then the other, for a deeper massage around the shoulders, and also works thoroughly along the spine.
Once turned over, she hits my feet pretty deeply, which I appreciate after a morning run. And considering I spend all day at a computer, the deep arm work she gives is enough to throw me deep into a meditative spa haze. I wake up in time for an incredible neck and scalp massage, and aromatic oil misting over my face.
Don’t miss this spa special while it lasts, available Mondays through Thursdays, through August.
