NO PAIN, NO GAIN – DEEP MUSCLE FULL BODY MASSAGE
And finally... Travel essentials
Mary Bremner lets Barnsdale Hall Spa ease some tired muscles Barnsdale Hall Spa is well known, and respected, locally for its beauty treatments, ranging from hair to the full spa works. I’ve tried the flotation tank before and found it incredibly relaxing. Today was going to be slightly different as I was going to have a deep muscle full body massage, given by Jessica, who trained in the Philippines. I am a fan of deep muscle massages, but not a masochist as they can be extremely painful. But then again, no pain, no gain. Standard massages, despite being very pleasant, don’t always hit the spot with my tight muscles. And unfortunately I have a lot of ‘spots’ when it comes to knotty muscles, many I was aware of, and others that Jessica found. My shoulders, neck and lower back are often stiff and creaky, mainly because of tension and strain, and sadly, onsetting years. Sitting at a computer all day, driving long distances, walking a strong dog who has the strength of two if he spots a cat, and going to the gym lifting weights all take their toll. So Jessica had a lot to work on. And work hard she did. At times her deft hands really did reach the spot, almost too well. I’m used to having my back massaged, firmly, so can cope with the pain that is
almost a pleasure – sounds weird but, despite the massage being painful, working on the stiff muscles, having the lumps and bumps evened out is also, quite soothing, even slightly pleasant. When it came to my legs, it was definitely not a pleasure. I don’t often have full body massages and had no idea that the muscles in my legs were so tight. It was quite hard not to squeal at times and I had to keep telling myself to breathe and let the massage work. But Jessica checked that I was happy with the depth of the massage, and I was (just). As I said no pain, no gain, and I could feel that it was doing me good. The massage took an hour and afterwards I knew I’d had it. But I was immediately so much more flexible, easily able to touch my toes, which sometimes I can’t. Feeling slightly light headed, I made sure I drank the water offered which all helps with flushing out the toxins. The following day I felt slightly tender, around the top of my neck in particular, but my stiff back had eased and the tension in my shoulders had gone. I’d definitely recommend Jessica and her clever hands to ease away the travails of every day life.
American tourister small suitcase £59.99 www.tkmaxx.com
White tropical leopard bikini £25.98 www.newlook.com
A 55-minute massage costs £55 www.barnsdalehotel.co.uk
Animal maxi beach dress £12 www.boohoo.com
Havaianas slim animal print flip-flops £26 www.johnlewis.com
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34-35 Beauty OK.indd 35
22/06/2018 15:53