On a recent trip to Dusnee Thai Spa (767 Lexington Ave) I tried, for the very first time, a Thai Massage ( $90/60 min., $135/90 min.). I had seen a display of it at the last Pretty City event and decided I definitely wanted to try it.
Being an avid massage patron, I had tried shiatsu, swedish, deep tissue, reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, cranial sacral, etc., but was fascinated at what I saw: a circuit of yoga-like assisted stretches to relieve tension? Ok, I'm up for it. Bring it on!
1. It puts your body parts in the right position to get to tight muscles,
2. It stretches parts of the body to alleviate tension,
Like yoga or tai chi, there is a focus on the breath during several poses, where you are asked to breath in prior to the pose, and very often, when the body is receiving pressure, the air is expelled out of the lungs (voluntarily, of course).
There's no oil involved and very little skin contact, however you will be asked to change into a robe.
What you're left feeling is relaxed and peaceful (at least I was) with very little soreness.
A few things you should remember though when you're going for a massage:
1. There's a difference between bad pain and good pain. One feel like it's trying to get a knot out, the other feels like something's wrong. If that's the case, let your practitioner know. They can only be as effective as the info you give them.
2. In respect to Thai massage, be honest with them in regards to your flexibility level. They'll ask you beforehand, but this isn't a challenge about whether or not your yoga classes have made you super flexible. I told them I was a "4" in a level of 1 - 10 and they made sure not to put me in poses that I wasn't ready for.
3. When you start to feel the good pain, don't hold your breath. Exhale as you feel the practitioner doing their thing to work it out. Outside of being a good thing to do, exhaling helps in reducing the pain and helps to work out the blockages that might be causing the tension.
4. And last, but not least, tip your practitioner. Unless they have a rule against it (always ask the establishment first), you should always tip your practitioner more than the 15%. Generally I pay 20% - 25%. The reason being is that, unlike waiters, masseuse focuses on you for the entire duration of the massage rather than periodically. Because there's so much attention paid to you during your visit, it stands to reason, 20% is the least you can give to say "thank you".
For more information on Dusnee Thai Spa, check out their website: www.dusneethaispa.com. Because they book quickly, make sure you call for your appointment.
Do you have a favorite massage spot? Please let us know!
Have a great week!
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