Tomo's Mini Spa: Grand Opening and a Chance to Relax

Last week, my work as a writer was giving me a pain in the neck. And shoulders. And back. And … well, I’m sure you can figure out the rest of the downward progression without my saying it in print!

Where to find relief for my aching muscles?

“Grand opening special. Full body massage only twenty dollars” read the sign in front of Tomo’s Mini Spa on Park Street.

Owned by Tomo Takayama of just a few doors down, Tomo’s Mini Spa opened its doors May 21.

“How long is the massage?” I asked, expecting to get a little fifteen minute rub for that price.

 “Fifty minutes” was the reply.

“Really?!” Sign me up! I was in that massage chair before you could say Hunchback of Notre Dame.

 The spa offers Chinese-style massage. I had only a vague idea of what that meant—some combination of acupressure, shiatsu and reflexology.

Unlike Swedish style massage, you keep your clothes on for the treatment. (Fine with me. I’ve never found getting naked a relaxing first step to meeting a new massage therapist.)

My massage therapist began by immersing my feet in a tub of hot water as I reclined back on a comfy chair. Under a combination of firm pressure from the palm of her hand and circular finger strokes, my shoulders and hands began to relax.

 Ah, surrender to the sofa. My eyes closed in pleasure as knots began to loosen.

“Whap!” My eyes flew open. What happened? With my hand firmly in hers, the masseuse had taken my arm and whipped it up and down, much as one would snap a sheet to get the wrinkles out.

 Next came the head massage. Fingers made soothing gentle circles around my eyes. Firm thumbs sought out pressure points on top of the skull. She even found pressure points inside my ears. Who knew?

As my feet were taken out of the now-tepid water, they were tenderly swaddled in a warm towel. Each foot received special treatment: a rub with massage oil, various acupressure points in the arches and toes stimulated to pleasure-pain, followed by percussive slaps to loosen any remaining tension.

Finally, the chair was fully reclined for the back massage. Eagerly, I assumed the prone position.

“Is this hard enough?” asked my masseuse.

 “Well, maybe a teensy bit harder please,” I mumbled, trying not to drool as my facial muscles slackened.

“How’s this?”  Whoa was that an elbow that I just felt behind my shoulder blade? Who knew what therapeutic wonders could come from such a bony joint?

 “You’re really tense. Harder?”

“OK, bring it on,” I responded. And with that, my masseuse hopped up and put her full weight on to me, hands and knees pressing deeply into the large muscles in my back and thighs.

 When my session came to an end, I felt like an empty tube of toothpaste with all the stress pressed and squeezed out. Refreshed and minty clean, I strode off ready to write again.

 Tomo’s Mini Spa is located at 1411 Park Street. It is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. A 20-minute leg & feet massage is $15. The regular cost of a 50-minute full-body massage is $25.