Innovative spa techniques have more benefits than simple relaxation.

Going to the spa for a relaxing escape is a common leisure activity that many people see as a splurge. What you might not know is that going to the spa can mean more than a relaxing afternoon — it can be a gateway to better mental and physical health.

Jessica Smith, spa director of Spa Shiki at the Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks, describes how a day at the spa can mean more than relaxation. When asked about the benefits of a day at the spa, Jessica provided a long list: “It lowers blood pressure, increases the body’s natural defenses to fight off diseases and illnesses, improves circulation, helps with sore muscles and joint pain, reduces stress and anxiety, better quality of sleep. Who doesn’t need this, right?” she says.

At Spa Shiki, they have their finger on the pulse of what is new and innovative in the world of massage therapy. Jessica describes a groundbreaking technique involving mineral-based healing. “A top spa treatment here at Spa Shiki is our Himalayan Salt Stone Massage using salt stones mined from ancient seabeds of the Himalayan Mountains. This therapeutic treatment contains 84 pure trace minerals, making this treatment extremely relaxing, re-mineralizing to the body, and helpful in balancing the central nervous system while cleansing the body energetically.”

If you wanted to spend a day at the spa and were not looking for any pain relief (or, as Jessica calls it, “muscular manipulation”), there are techniques like Swedish massage and aromatherapy massage. “Rhythmical, light touch and lymphatic drainage-style massages sedate the nervous system and induce a high state of relaxation,” says Jessica. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is the deep tissue massage that “uses a variety of modalities and pressure. Our therapists will customize this massage to your specific areas of concern to relieve your aches and pains.”

Working on muscles with massage therapy is not the only way to achieve better overall physical health. The body’s main defense system needs some love too. “Facials and body treatments are also very important for one’s health,” says Jessica. “Facial treatments aid in tension from head and neck pain, help eliminate headaches, and minimize fine lines and wrinkles by relaxing the facial muscles. The skin is the largest organ in the body and the first defense against toxins and environmental damage. Here at Spa Shiki, we use the purest products on the skin, packed with minerals and bundled with the highest quality antioxidants to help free radical damage. Our body treatments help to cleanse and detoxify while exfoliation helps increase circulation and remove dead skin while increasing cellular turnover.”

People coming into a spa may not know what they need or even if they have a need that can be fulfilled by the magic of massage therapy. The workers at Spa Shiki pride themselves in being able to decipher the needs of their clients. “Everyone is different and our job as estheticians, massage therapists, and nail technicians is to use our intuition, which is a gift we have, to help us read and understand what our client is saying and what their body is relaying to us,” says Jessica. “Working with intention is what makes it a memorable treatment, not just a massage.”

Spa Shiki also knows how to make sure that every client that walks in their door has the best experience from beginning to end, even after they leave. “We give our guests five-star services,” says Jessica. “Educating ourselves and our guests on how to get the most out of their treatment and recommendations for home care is very important to us.”

New Skinsations

Services:
Swedish Massage: 30 minutes for $40, 60 minutes for $65

751 W. Stadium Blvd., Ste. C
573-659-7546
newskinsations.com
info@newskinsations.com
Facebook: @newskinsations
Instagram: @newskinsations

Genesis Medspa

Services:
Signature Massage: 90 minutes for $110
Swedish Massage: 30 minutes for $45, 60 minutes for $70, 90 minutes for $100
Deep Tissue Massage: 30 minutes for $55, 60 minutes for $80, 90 minutes for $120
Prenatal Massage: 60 minutes for $70, 90 minutes for $100
Sports Massage: 30 minutes for $55, 60 minutes for $80, 90 minutes for $120
Lymphatic Drainage Massage: 30 minutes for $55, 60 minutes for $80, 90 minutes for $120
Post Vaser Massage: 30 minutes for $55, 60 minutes for $80, 90 minutes for $120
Hot Stone Massage: 60 minutes for $90, 90 minutes for $130
Raindrop Therapy: 60 minutes for $90
Foot Reflexology: 25 minutes for $45
Couples Massage: varies based on type

2511 W. Edgewood Dr.
573-761-2601
genesisjcmo.com
info@genesisjcmo.com
Facebook: @genesisjcmo
Instagram: @genesisjcmo
Twitter: @genesisjcmo

Riversong Spa & Salon

Services:
Relaxing Swedish Massage: 25 minutes for $42 to $57, 55 minutes for $59 to $74, 85 minutes for $95 to $110
Maternity Massage: 25 minutes for $42 to $57, 55 minutes for $59 to $74
Therapeutic Deep Tissue Massage: 25 minutes for $47 to $62, 55 minutes for $69 to $84, 85 minutes for $110 to $125
Sports Massage: 25 minutes for $47 to $62, 55 minutes for $69 to $84, 85 minutes for $110 to $125
LaStone Massage: 75 minutes for $102
Riverstone Massage: 55 minutes for $76 to $91, 85 minutes for $115 to $130, 110 minutes for $142 to $157
Cranial Sacral: 55 minutes for $69 to $84
Reflexology: 25 minutes for $42 to $57
Raindrop Therapy: 55 minutes for $79 to $94
Aloe and Herb Wrap: $72 to $87
Cupping Therapy: 55 minutes for $69 to $84
Couples Massage: varies based on type

109 W. Ashley St.
573-636-9796
riversongspa.com
jeffersoncity@riversongspa.com
Facebook: @RiversongSpa

LaSienne Salon & Spa

Services:
Swedish Massage: 30 minutes for $40, 45 minutes for $50, 60 minutes for $65, 75 minutes for $75, 90 minutes for $90
Warm Stone Massage: 60 minutes for $80
Reflexology: 15 minutes for $20, 30 minutes for $35
Stress Relief: 15 minutes for $25, 30 minutes for $40

1407 Southwest Blvd.
573-636-4699
lasiennesalon.com
lasienne@spasalon.com
Facebook: @LaSienneSalon
Twitter: @LaSienneSalon

Marshall & Company

Services:
Stress-Fix Massage: 30 minutes for $45, 60 minutes for $65, 90 minutes for $90
Swedish Massage: 30 minutes for $45, 60 minutes for $65, 90 minutes for $90
Chair Massage: Minimum minutes for $15, $1 for each additional minute

2421 W. Edgewood
573-469-4717
marshallandcompanysalon.com
Facebook: @marshallandcompany
Instagram: @marshallandcompany

The Yoga Studio

Rachel Steinmeier, LCMT, graduated from the Soma Institute, the national school of clinical massage therapy, in Chicago in 2007. Rachel opened her own practice, Graceful Healing Massage, in 2010 and joined The Yoga Studio in 2013. Rachel offers various types of massage from Swedish Massage to massages that treat specific disorders such as shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, and whiplash. She recommends pre- and post-surgery massages to aid in mobility, healing blood flow, and quicker recovery.

128 E. Dunklin St.
573-616-1849
theyogastudiojcmo.com
Facebook: @theyogastudiojcmo