Massage

[vin_petrol]

I had a full body massage last night, which was quite interesting.

I've never had one before by a trained masseuse, but it's something I've been meaning to do for ages. Anna (WINOLJ) is friend of mine who does this sort of thing for a living. I knew I would be completely chilled out afterwards, and I wouldn't feel like driving home. Fortunately, my friend is 'mobile' and could come round to my house to do it. So, I spent an interesting hour or so on her couch being massaged.

For years I've known about an interesting feature of my spine. If you press between the vertebrae around the middle of my back, my back and legs spasm in a slightly bizarre way. Only a few people know this, and it's not a problem in any way, but I was aware it was unusual (i.e. no one else has this feature). My masseuse last night was very surprised how she could make me thrash and twitch applying fingertip pressure to parts of my spine. It appears this is *very* unusual: she has never had it happen with anyone else. So, a little biological mystery all of my own there. It's like a reflex reaction: imagine someone sticking a spike in your back and you just recoil to avoid it. It's not actually painful per se, just strange.

She also found 'grittiness' at the base of my spine, which is the one part of me that does sometimes give me problems. She massaged it out, and my back does feel a lot better today. Being a programmer I'm sat on my arse most of the time, so back problems go with the job. I also seem to have a rounded upper back. Ah well.

Afterwards, my body felt really smooth and supple, with all my joints moving a lot better than they have in ages.

It was £35, so I can't see me doing it very often, and the 'all over' part was perhaps a bit OTT. However, with my back feeling much better, and clearly benefiting from it, I can see me getting a back massage again sometime.

Comments

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

I lurv massages. £35 is about par for the course. As someone with a bad back, I think it's worth every penny - a treatment that works and is also actively pleasurable!! Much nicer than going to a physio for the same money.. Try aromatherapy mixed in - can be very powerful anti stressing thing.

[vin_petrol]

Try aromatherapy mixed in - can be very powerful anti stressing thing

Interesting you should say that, as Anna is very into aromatherapy. She just didn't really get it together last night to add that aspect to things. I did get "calming music".

Next time I think I'll ask for that too. I'll try anything once - I've even done folk dancing :-)

[jhaelan.livejournal.com]

Whilst I was in Morocco I had the opportunity to visit a hamame (aka "Turkish Bath") and it was an astounding experience: some stranger who looked like a wrestler and spoke less English than I do Arabic scrapping and pounding and stretching me.. I'm trying to track down the truth in the rumour that there's one in Old Street and organise an repeat performance

[captainblue.livejournal.com]

One of the best bits about my flights back from Hong Kong was the in-flight masseuse. They don't do a full body massage but would do head or shoulders or whatever.

I had the shoulder and arm massage which was simply fabulous: after she'd done one side, it was all relaxed and feeling good, whilst the other was still stiff and tensed.

It's just a pity massage has smutty connotations here.

[childeric.livejournal.com]

Is this Anna who's married to Phil? I didn't know that that was what she did.

[vin_petrol]

Is this Anna who's married to Phil? I didn't know that that was what she did.

Indeed it is. She does two days a week at The Barbican doing this sort of thing, plus various other "health and beauty" stuff (i.e. hair removal by waxing). She also does bits and pieces of work from home, like coming out to see me. She has strong hands...

[childeric.livejournal.com]

She has strong hands...

Gosh.

And looks jolly nice, if rather Vixen-esque, in high boots and the rest of the 80s rock girl works...

*sigh* Old-fashioned rock women are totally the business. I mean, little goth or cyber girls are all very well, but they can never really come close to proper late 80s/early 90s really trashy rock chicks. With fishnets and high boots and all the trimmings. Mmmm.

[vin_petrol]

proper late 80s/early 90s really trashy rock chicks

I really must scan this fantastic picture I have of Trash and Nikki from the early 90s and put it online. Two serious glam rock babes all dolled up for a night out, all long hair and excessive make-up. It sums up the era perfectly...

[childeric.livejournal.com]

Definitely, you should!

Is that glamorous Nikki with the nice bre^H^H^H erm, good figure?

Rock chicks totally rule.

[vin_petrol]

Is that glamorous Nikki with the nice bre^H^H^H erm, good figure?

This Nikki:

http://members.lycos.co.uk/vinceloach/pics/people/imagepages/image10.htm

Rock chicks totally rule.

They have a certain charm... :-)

[childeric.livejournal.com]

That was the Nikki I had in mind. :)

[capt-prickle.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine is training to do massages. She must complete 100 hours of massage, and so I think I have used up about 20 of them. 2 hour full body massages totally rock, especially the day after a hard climbing session.

I contemplating whether I will continue when I have to pay though...