ORLANDO: SPA AT RITZ CARLTON, GRAND LAKES
by Heather Greenwood Davis
I`m having a foot massage, but it`s not what you think. Kay, my massage therapist, is giving me a full body massage ... using only her feet. It`s called Ashiatsu.
The original Ashiatsu is a complicated regime based in Chinese medicine that incorporates all aspects of health including diet and breathing. It's closely aligned with Shiatsu massage, but uses controlled foot movements to deliver the pressure.
`It`s a very emotional, very passionate massage,` says spa director Suzanne Holbrook. `You can get deeper than a traditional massage because you are not just using the foot, but the weight of the whole body, as opposed to just thumb and knuckle work.`
She explains that, in fact, the Ashiatsu is doing something completely different than traditional deep tissue massage. `
Deep tissue massage moves lactic acid, but with the feet you are breaking down lactic acid,` she explains. The result is a less painful deep massage. Part of the reason I had decided to give it a try was because I simply couldn`t believe it was possible. I am now a believer.
Hanging suspended from a pair of parallel bars above my massage bed, Kay is poking and kneading my body like the pro she is. It`s heavenly. By regulating the placement of her body weight and using the overhead bars for support, she`s able to deliver deep pressure where I want that and a little less where I don`t.
Ashiatsu isn`t available at every spa. Even here at the Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes Orlando, Kay is currently one of only two managers who attended a training school in Sarasota to become certified in the art.
The three-year-old resort, which houses the largest spa in the upscale chain is one of the few Ritz Carlton hotels to offer the treatment. Another is the Ritz Carlton South Beach.
Here in Orlando, the Ashiatsu is only one treatment in a menu full of unique offerings. First, there`s Ionothermie: the anticellulite treatment that is already a hit in Europe. It promises to strip centimetres off of your body after one treatment. You do, however, need to follow up with homecare products to maintain the results and it isn`t cheap ($150 U.S. per 75-minute treatment or $750 U.S. for a series of six ), but Holbrook swears it works. Treatments should have a long-lasting effect,` says Holbrook. `Every treatment here is offered on that premise. I don`t believe in the gimmicky stuff.`
Another unique option is the Volcanic Rock Breakdown which is rubbed into your skin for a treatment similar to microdermabrasion but less harsh during the anti aging and firming facial.
And for those who like their spa therapy in a group setting, opt for the `Suite Life` package where four connecting rooms are available for a half day or full day rental — with limo pickup and a spa butler catering to your every whim — for $5000 U.S. per half day and $9,000 U.S. for a full day. The sports life package offers a similar option for men, enticing them with flat screen TVs that they can watch even while getting a massage.
At the time of our visit the Ashiatsu massage was $120 U.S. for 50 minutes. Be sure to check price with the spa at time of booking.
Heather Greenwood Davis is a Toronto-based freelance writer and columnist for the Toronto Star. www.greenwooddavis.com
