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What is your favorite muscle to massage and why?

I took a little survey of our massage therapists to find out what muscle or muscle group they love working on and why. The answers may surprise you!

Teresa Sage: Neck/cranial base release because it is such a nurturing area and because the tension ebbs and flows from the neck to the upper shoulders, almost always laden and heavy with tension on most people, especially females in my experience.

Teresa Sage demonstrates Craniosacral Massage techniques

Allison Peterson: Erectors because of how they run the entire length of the spine and when they relax, we notice that surrounding larger muscle groups will open up with more ease.

Tiffany Jackson: The neck muscles because I think that is when people relax the most.

Jamee Koopman: The Psoas! For more information about psoas massage, click here.

Many muscles in the abdominal area contribute to pain and tension, including the psoas and diaphragm.

Clair McClintock: The Diaphragm! It is often a place that gets left out of treatment for many different ailments. For example: radiating pain across the ribs, breathing issues, trauma from an accident, and more. It is not the most relaxing massage but I’ve had so much instant improvement in people’s back pain or some people that have come in with pain they’ve been dealing with for years. It can be a huge emotional release spot for people.

Cassie Sampson: The Piriformis. People who have severe pain from sciatic nerve issues can often find relief with massage to the piriformis and surrounding glut and hip muscles. It wasn’t until I had injured myself and experienced the horrible pain caused by a sciatic nerve issues that I knew just how limiting and painful sciatic nerve issues could be and I liked knowing ways to help.

The piriformis and gluteal muscles can be accessed directly on the skin with proper draping, through sheets or clothing. Gluteal and piriformis massage is extremely beneficial. — The piriformis and gluteal muscles can be treated directly on the skin with proper draping, through sheets or clothing or via stretching. Gluteal and piriformis massage is extremely beneficial.

Justin Behanish: The quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle because it it is the cause (or partial cause) of pain in at least 1/4 of the people who have back-pain. I think it is too often neglected by massage therapists.

The QL is a small muscle in the lower back that is the root of many peoples' back pain. — The QL is a small muscle in the lower back that is the root of many peoples’ back pain.

Kristiana Moore: The muscles in the feet because many of us stand all day and people find it the most relaxing. When I get to the foot massage at the end of the session, so many people tend to fall asleep!

If any of our therapist’s responses are tempting you to book a massage to relax your sorest muscles, click here to schedule online!

5 Great Mother’s Day Ideas

Mother’s Day is a fun excuse to pamper the women in your life (moms, grandmas, wives, sisters, godmothers, dog-mothers, fill-in mothers…you name it!) Here are a few of our favorite ideas!

1. A spa gift card. We make it easy! Pop into the spa and we have 2 great packages ready to go with popular service combinations. Can’t make it in or pampering mom from a distance? Purchase a gift card online and print it to include in your mother’s day card or e-mail it to mom!

2. Two treats for tired feet: Our Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze is a great mask for rough calluses on the feet (and dry hands) and is one of Oprah’s favorite things. The Derma E Intensive Therapy Foot Cream is a great pick-me-up for moms who are on their feet all day, providing a zippy mint scent and circulatory boost.

3. Relax at East Village Spa and Beautify at Blo: We still (as of typing this) have 4 openings for our Mother’s Day “MOMosa” event at the spa, enjoy 2 hours of indulgence (mimosas, pastries, a special lavender honey massage and lavender honey facial) for just $200 all inclusive. Our neighbors across the street at Blo Blowdry Bar also have a great Mother’s Day Special! Book a blow out for you and mom on Mother’s Day and mom’s is only $30!

4. A Kneipp Bath Set: The healing properties of water can’t be overstated. A soothing soak in the tub with aroma-therapeutic oils or mineral rich salts and it is like a mini vacation for stressed-out moms. We have a variety of bath sets, plus single scented salts and mineral oils.

5. Pamper moms-to-be: Purchase a gift card for a Pampering Pregnancy Massage, a fun bottle of non-toxic Zoya nail polish to paint her toe-nails (especially if she can’t reach them herself!) or a Farmhouse Fresh hand cream for a scent-sational treat in her hospital ready bag.

Should you try Nia?

When our massage therapist and certified Nia instructor Allison Peterson first approached me about teaching Nia at the spa, I wasn’t sure what to think because it seemed so out of our element, but upon further research, it seems like Nia is the perfect complement to our existing wellness services!

Nia was developed in the 1980s as a way to provide aerobic, stretching, and strength training in a safe, non-impact format. Nia is set to music and draws from various forms of dance, healing arts, and martial arts. Nia enthusiasts enjoy that the workout is both energizing and relaxing at the same time.

Alison recently did demonstrations of Nia at a spa event and it was a hit with the attendees! It was my first sample of the technique and I could pinpoint from the movements she guided us through exactly where my low back aches were stemming from.

Allison Peterson demonstrates Nia to spa party attendees

Nia is great for all fitness levels and will serve as a perfect way for people who are seeing our massage therapists to help with pain, balance and flexibility. Nia is even an appropriate fitness class for people who have Parkinson’s Disease, MS, arthritis and certain musculoskeletal conditions.

For an idea of the kinds of movements that make up a Nia class, watch this great video:

Class size is limited. We are offering two 8-week sessions of classes. one on Thursday mornings 8:00-9:15 am and one Monday evenings from 5:30-6:15. We recommend signing up for as many classes as you can, but recognize that life, meetings, and vacations happen so you can sign up for individual classes online here, as opposed to committing to the entire 8-week session! Individual classes are just $15 and space is limited to 10 per class.

Thursday morning session starts April 2, 2015, Monday evening session starts April 6, 2015.

7 Fun Valentine’s Day Ideas (that are not couple’s massages!)

For the second year in a row, we’re sharing our favorite Valentine’s Day gift and activity ideas that are not couple’s massages! We have 3 couple’s massage rooms and all of them have been booked since mid January for Couple’s Massage because Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year. You aren’t out of luck though, Des Moines offers lots of great date spots and we offer lots of great gifts for an at-home spa day!

1. Spa day at home

Draw a bath and soak in one of our Kneipp bath salts or liquid baths. We recommend a blend of the Pure Bliss and the Almond Soft Skin for a bath that will make your mood and your skin feel beautiful. Pick up one of our Kneipp or Farmhouse Fresh Massage Oils and trade massages. All of our massage oils are 15% off during February! Finally, at the end of your spa day at home, surprise your sweetie with a gift card to visit East Village Spa for the services of their choice.

2. Lunch at Trellis and a romantic stroll through the Botanical Center Gardens

It is cold and snowy white outside right now but warm and colorful in the lush gardens inside the Des Moines Botanical Center. Grab a romantic lunch and sip from the great wine and beer selection at Trellis inside the Botanical Center and stroll hand-in-hand while you look at the beautiful gardens.

3. Get your heart racing!

Join Fleet Feet, our neighbors across the street, for their Saturday Morning Social Run at 8 am on Saturday, February 14th. Single? Who knows, you might just meet your soul (or sole…get it?) mate! No registration needed, Fleet Feet hosts lots of free, fun social runs!

The annual Red Flannel Run is also on Valentine’s Day this year, starting and ending at the NEW Wellmark YMCA. Registration is still open!

4. Book her a blow out hairstyle at Blo and enjoy Hoq’s Valentine’s Day menu.

Visit our neighbors across the street at Blo for a blow-out hairstyle (I recommend getting the scalp massage upgrade!) and then take her to show it off over an Iowa farm-to-table dinner at Hoq. As of 2/4/15 Hoq still had openings after 8:30 pm for Valentine’s Day and had openings for their same prix fixe Valentine’s Menu on Friday 2/13. Blo had a few openings both Friday and Saturday. Reservations required for both!

Check out Hoq’s menu and contact info here, and book your Blo appointment online here.

5. Dinner at home

Purchase all the ingredients for a delicious dinner at home including spices and oils from our East Village Neighbors Allspice and add a fun surprise by including a special gift from Kitchen Collage that can be used to make the dish. Need recipe inspiration? Two of our favorite cooking blogs are Budget Bytes (easy, delicious and you can use the savings to buy higher quality spices!) and Iowa Girl Eats.

6. Movie and drinks

Fleur Cinema is a great place to catch a flick and if you bring your ticket stubs to neighboring Mezzodi’s, you get two for one drinks and the perfect opportunity to discuss the movie you just saw!

7. A perfect pair: Fruit Fantasia Tea from Gong Fu and something pretty from Amour

Amour in the East Village has lots of lovely underpinnings, jammies, and robes in a beautiful and inviting shop. Heather, the owner, and her team are great at making recommendations and helping even the most timid of gift-givers feel comfortable shopping for their sweeties. They also recommend Gong Fu Tea’s Fruit Fantasia blend as an aphrodisiac. With a rosy hue and sweet tart fruit flavor, it certainly is delicious!

The beauty of a bath

Just typing this blog post makes me long for a soak in the tub with a good book and my favorite Kneipp bath liquids. Baths are not only indulgent, but as any bathing aficionado knows, the health benefits can’t be denied!

Okay, I did get inspired by my own post and filled my trusty tub with beautiful blue Deep Sleep liquid bath from Kneipp. :) — Okay, I did get inspired by my own post and filled my trusty tub with beautiful blue Deep Sleep liquid bath from Kneipp. 🙂

Relief of joint and muscle pain:

According to the Arthritis Foundation, a warm bath benefits people who have fibromyalgia, low back pain, and arthritis. For added benefits, try using a muscle soak in your bath like Kneipp’s Arnica Joint Relief or Juniper Muscle Ache bath soaks.

Bedtime benefits:

The Mayo Clinic suggests trying a bath at bedtime as part of your night time ritual. For added benefit, we recommend trying the Kneipp Valerian and Hops Deep Sleep bath blend or the Lavender Bath blends. Kneipp recommends scheduling bedtime 15-20 minutes after a soak in their deep sleep bath.

Flexibility benefits:

A warm bath is a great place to gently stretch or massage easy to reach muscles like your calves, quads, or in your feet. Scheduling a massage or chiropractic adjustment, gentle yoga or stretching after a bath is great too because muscles are warmed up and loose.

Circulatory Boost:

For people with poor circulation or to warm up in the winter, a warm bath will help arteries and veins to expand and increase blood flow. I especially love (and need!) a bath after a winter run outside.

To enhance the circulatory benefits, add an aromatherapy bath with warming oils like Kneipp’s Spruce and Pine bath.

Soften Skin:

While bathing in overly hot water or salts can dry out skin, a bath in a softening or hydrating oil can nurture and moisturize skin, especially hard-to-reach skin on the back. A tablespoon of almond or jojoba oil added to the bath or some of Kneipp’s skin soft almond bath will leave skin feeling great.

Bath Safety:

The arthritis foundation recommends soaking in warm (not hot) water between 92 and 100 degrees. They caution that anything hotter can stress the cardiovascular system, particularly for people predisposed to heart problems.

Adding oil to the tub will make it slick so be careful getting out of the bath and use caution the next morning if you hop in the shower to make sure it isn’t still slick!

Lastly, don’t add essential oils directly to your bath without a carrier oil or salt! There are many great soaking blends from companies like Kneipp that have proper instructions and dilutions, if you don’t have ample aromatherapy training or background, stick with those. Essential oils won’t mix with water so if you put drops of them “neat” (right out of the bottle undiluted with oil or salt) in your tub, you may end up with a burn (possibly in a sensitive spot!) because the oil won’t dissolve. Trust me, I can attest to this. Ouch!

What are your favorite bath rituals, products, or blends?

Our favorite holiday gifts at all prices

It was hard to narrow down our favorite gift choices at the spa, but we certainly have noticed trends in what clients are wanting for themselves…and picking up to give to others. Here are our favorites!

$10 and Under

Kneipp travel baths and travel massage oils are just $5.50 each!

Zoya nail polishes are just $9 each and Vinylux Polishes and their awesome fast dry top coat are just $9.95 each

$20 and Under

Farmhouse Fresh Hand Cream comes in a variety of delightful scents and whimsical packaging. This is a perfect gift for teachers, coaches, day care providers and anyone that deserves a fun pampering treat at just $14 each.

Zoya Color Lock Kit Includes everything you need for a flawless Zoya manicure. Combine with your favorite color. Just $19.95

Therapearl Face Mask looks silly, but is a great gift for anyone who suffers frequent sinus headaches, migraines, or general facial puffiness. Keep it in the friedge and it is ready to go for instant relief, and it is just $19.95.

Zoya Mini Trio These fun mini polishes are just $12 for 3 (or you can buy individual bottles for $5 each) and make perfect stocking stuffers! We have assorted trios and lots of individual minis.

Farmhouse Fresh Whoopie Cream Candle is the perfect go-to for hostess gifts, friends, work exchanges, and more. This is Farmhouse Fresh company’s most popular scent. $20

$30 and under

Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze is our most popular Farmhouse Fresh product and works miracles on dry skin on the hands and heels. $24

Kneipp Bath Benefits Kit Enjoy 5 aroma-therapeutic mineral baths with this set of 5 assorted salt bath sachets. This is a great gift for people who love natural wellness and home remedies. $24.95

Farmhouse Fresh Ginger Lemondrop Gift Set: This zippy set will help beat the winter blues and includes ginger sorbet body milk, citrus grass body scrub, and two peppermint champagne bath bombs, all in one pretty package (also available in Whoopie Cream scent). $24

Pure Inventions Drink Mixes ‘Tis the season of high calorie snacks and beverages! Pure Inventions drink mixes are healthy and delicious, all with no calories, artificial sweetener, or caffeine. Two of our seasonal favorites, Cranberry Elderberry and Apple Wild Cherry are great served hot with a cinnamon stick to help avoid tempting sugary holiday cocktails.

$100 and under

Kneipp Zen 10 Kit is a great gift to help someone help themselves with winter blues, aches and pains, colds, and congestion with enough product for up to 20 remedy baths. $49

Clarisonic Mia is a great gift for teens, men, and women. Buying it for a couple? Grab another cleansing head and they can share the device and just rotate out brushes. Stop in for pricing and information!

$100 Spa Gift Card What’s better than getting a $100 gift card to East Village Spa? Enjoying an EXTRA $20 treatment voucher! When you visit the spa to purchase your gift cards now through Christmas Even 2014, you’ll receive an extra $20 voucher for every $100 in gift cards you purchase.

Great ideas for Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

Looking for a fun alternative to wine or flowers for your Thanksgiving host or hostess this year? We have a few great ideas for you!

Farmhouse Fresh Splendid Dirt Pumpkin Mask: $20

Pamper the person who has spent a day in a hot kitchen by giving them a gift that nurtures their skin! After the guests go home, the host or hostess can unwind with this tingly and super effective pumpkin puree mask and wake up looking and feeling refreshed for Black Friday adventures!

Pure Inventions Cranberry Elderberry OR Apple Wild Cherry Drink Mix: $28.95

These are the PERFECT gift for healthy holidays! Both of these drink mixes are delicious hot or cold, are sugar and caffeine free, full of healthy natural ingredients, and a great alternative to high calorie, sugary holiday cocktails. Each bottle contains 60 servings. At the spa, we toss in a cinnamon stick and cloves for a perfectly spiced treat.

Kneipp bath benefit kit: $22

This kit includes 5 assorted bath salt sachets to help a stressed-out host or hostess unwind after entertaining a house full of guests…and throughout a hectic holiday season.

East Village Spa Gift Cards: Varies!

If you’ll be staying with someone for a prolonged visit, nothing says “thank you!” like a trip to the spa! Plus now we’re offering an extra $20 treatment voucher to enjoy weekdays in 2015 with every $100 in gift cards purchased INSIDE THE SPA (excludes online gift cards) so the recipient can enjoy even more TLC in the new year.

New Product Line: Kneipp Hydrotherapy and Aromatherapy products

We are beyond excited to present the Kneipp (pronounced ka-nipe) line of aromatherapy and hydrotherapy products to our clients. Tiffany and I discovered this line while at the ISPA conference this fall and the products we took and tried were phenomenal.

Kneipp was founded by Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th century priest and naturopath and that has been fine-tuned with many years of botanical competence and pharmaceutical experience. The salts used in the Kneipp pine are from an ancient underground salt water sea in central Germany that is the last remaining salt works in Europe. These minerals are free from chemical additives or environmental pollutants. They are high in magnesium, calcium, and zinc which absorb through the skin during bathing.

We will be able to incorporate their arnica, joint, and muscle formulations into our sports massages and deep tissue work and we’re thrilled to have some home remedy options for our guests just in time for winter cold and arthritis season.

A small selection of the great new Kneipp products we have! — A VERY small selection of the great new Kneipp products we have!

We were going to hold off on putting our the Kneipp products until we move the retail area to the expansion and have more space, but our team has already been raiding the order for their own use so we’ve started putting out what will fit in our current retail space, if you’re curious about anything else, don’t hesitate to ask…we might just have the product or solution you’re looking for hiding in waiting and we’d be happy to grab it for you!

November Staff Picks Have Been Announced!

November Staff Picks Have Been Announced! As always, enjoy 10% off our favorite products of the month.

Clair’s Pick: Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze
Clair picks this Farmhouse favorite because of its awesome moisturizing properties! Apply it before bed & while you sleep it transforms your skin from dry & itchy to soft & supple.

Tiffany’s Pick: Pure Inventions Sport Drink
Tiffany likes this product because it’s not a traditional sports drink full of sugar & sodium. Natural electrolytes from Hawaiian sea salt & natural energy from vitamin B12 make this the perfect drink before, after & during your workout!

Cassie’s Pick: Farmhouse Fresh Sparkling Bath Soak
Cassie picks this luxurious soak because it’s great to combat your dry winter skin. Use it as massage oil or add it to your bath to moisturize those hard to reach places!

Cammie’s Pick: CND Solar Oil
Cammie loves this product for easy home care! A light oil that absorbs quickly to restore & maintain the health of your nails, great for cuticle/skin care too. Use with your favorite polish or on naked nails!

An assortment of our favorite products in November!

Enjoy 10% off these products the month of November 2014

Easy Cuticle Repair Idea!

I will admit, I stopped biting my nails years ago, but excitement over the spa expansion has wreaked havoc on my cuticles which are somehow finding their way to my teeth. Camille had her work cut out for her today, but my nails look and feel amazing so I won’t subject any massage clients to my rough skin!

She asked if I was using my CND Solar Oil (I feel like she busted me…it was obvious I had not been!) and then suggested I use the Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze on my hands to dissolve the dry, dead skin around my nails. It works on the thickest, toughest heel callouses, why WOULDN’T it work on my hands!

My hands after a REALLY good manicure from Camille. I'll be testing out Honey Heel Glaze as an intense cuticle treatment! — My hands after a REALLY good manicure from Camille. I’ll be testing out Honey Heel Glaze as an intense cuticle treatment!

I’ll give it a try this week and report back!

If you have caught yourself biting your nails or cuticles, or trying to deal with the dry weather as the seasons change, book yourself a manicure at East Village Spa! Camille, Cassandra, Cammie, Katie, Sheena, and Lydia are all happy to help!