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5 Relaxing Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

Valentine’s Day is here! Finding the perfect gift for your loved one can be difficult. Some people want a big extravagant gesture while others just want something small that says you care. We have a last minute Valentine’s Day gifts for any budget or expectation.

Couple’s Massage

A couple’s massage is a treat for two and is a great way to solidify the bond between a couple especially on or around Valentine’s Day. This is also a great gift for someone who has always wanted to try massage therapy but is a little nervous about going alone for their first appointment. During a couple’s massage, the two individuals are brought into a room with a relaxing atmosphere complete with soft relaxation music and aromatherapy to calm the mind. Each individual has their own personal massage therapist, but they share the room with their loved one so that they can also share the experience.

A gift voucher for a couple’s massage is the perfect way to show your loved one that you care and love to spend time with them. Better yet, you can purchase one of these gift vouchers and print it out last minute on our website!

Bath & Spa Products

Bath and spa products are an affordable way to show your loved one that you care. If you know someone that has a hard time investing in their own self-care, take away all their excuses and their worries with a gift basket made of high-quality bath and spa products.

Some ideas for your gift basket include:

  • Goat Milk Soaps
  • Therapeutic Bath Salts
  • Bath Bombs
  • Essential Oils
  • Oil Diffusers & Jewelry
  • Pain Relief Massage Balm

Drop by The Spa’ah in Conway, Arkansas to find these unique products at our location. No need to wait in the mail if you’re building a last-minute basket!

Esthetic Services

Another way to encourage your loved one to practice self-care is to gift them with an esthetic service like eyelash extensions or a facial. Esthetic services are performed by licensed skin care professionals. Their goal is to brighten complections, tone skin, eliminate acne and unwanted hair, and more.

At The Spa’ah in Conway, Arkansas we have a whole menu of esthetic service that your loved one can choose. Better yet, this makes a great last minute gift. Just purchase a gift voucher online and print it off!

CBD Products

CBD or Cannabidiol is quickly proving itself to be one of the most exciting developments in all-natural health and wellness remedies. This is because of the sheer number of potential therapeutic benefits which range from pain and anxiety management, neurological disorder (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s) intervention, to cancer-fighting abilities. CBD is offered in a variety of forms including oil, cream/lotion, capsules, and even dog treats for your furry family member! CBD is a wonderful Valentine’s present for your loved one who might be experiencing pain, soreness, or anxiety.

We offer high-quality CBD treats from Complete Body Daily. You can purchase all of their products at our location in Conway.

If you would like to learn more about The Spa’ah’s services or book an appointment online, click here!

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How To Communicate Effectively With Your Massage Therapist

Massages at The Spa’ah in Conway, Arkansas always start with the same type of inquiry. Generally, a therapist will ask their client what type of ailments they are experiencing, what kind of pressure they prefer, or even what their goal is for that particular session. These are all fantastic questions that we encourage our clients to answer honestly. However, even if you, as a client, want to tell your therapist all about your session or massage therapy goals, many times it is hard to know exactly what to say. In this post, we are going to discuss some things to consider when learning how to communicate effectively with your massage therapist.

Thankfully, this blog post should clear up a lot of questions regarding effective communication with your therapist.

Learn How To Communicate Effectively With Your Massage Therapist

Be Honest

Honesty is very important to getting an effective massage. Many individuals are afraid to communicate honestly with their therapist for fear of sounding “whiny” or “picky”. However, this should never be a concern. Remember, you are paying for a service. You should be able to get the most effective service for your money. This means that telling your therapists if something doesn’t feel good or telling your therapist that you’d like to focus on a particular area is more than okay. In addition, it is also important to be honest about any potentially dangerous medical conditions that might impact your session. In fact, did you know that massage therapists are bound to the same or similar HIPAA laws as your general practitioner doctor? It’s true! Therapists are bound by law to keep any medical related information private. You should always feel comfortable being honest with your therapist.

Communicate Before, During, & After

A 360 degree approach to communication is best when thinking about massage therapy. For example, communicating any acute or chronic ailments that your therapist should know about before the session begins should be communicated immediately. In addition, it is also important to give your therapist feedback during the session if there is something you aren’t entirely pleased with regarding your massage. For example, you could communicate that you want more or less pressure or that the table warmer is making you too hot. These are all things that the therapist can adjust to make your massage session as pleasant as possible. Post massage, it is okay to give your therapist feedback if you have questions about your session or need to communicate a possible change for next session. Even if you’re just thirsty, it’s okay to tell your therapist! We provide bottled water at The Spa’ah free of charge for this very reason!

Be Specific

Although many think that massage therapists are miracle workers, we are certainly not mind readers. Providing your massage therapists with specifics about your ailments or things that you would like to change about the session is a great way to make sure future sessions are super effective. In addition, if the client is not specific enough about their needs or desires, there is little the therapist can do to fully accommodate the client. In other words, specificity is very key when communicating your needs.

We Encourage Communication With Our Therapists!

Communication with your therapist is key. Whether you need to tell your therapist about your high blood pressure or if you don’t like the pressure they are giving during your session, communicating is the only way to continue improving your massage experience. In addition, our therapists do their best to ask the right questions. Communication is not all on the client by a long shot. So, if there is something that you think your therapist should know, please don’t hesitate to share.

If you would like to learn more about The Spa’ah’s services or book an appointment online, click here!

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Massage Memberships Can Steal Your Relaxation Time

Most massage enthusiasts in Conway, AR would say that the perfect massage time length is as long as possible. Unfortunately, massages can’t last forever. Schedules, therapist endurance, budget limitations, and wellness goals are often factors that influence the length of a client’s massage. However, these factors should never impact the actual massage time that the client pays for and receives. At our local spa, we make sure that each client receives the full time or service that they request. Sadly, some spas, especially massage memberships spas, require that at least 10 minutes of your 60 or 90-minute massage is reserved for consultation and dressing.

In this week’s blog, we look at why this practice is bad for spa clients and why The Spa’ah avoids it at all costs.

Hurry Up and Relax!

I’m sure that many of you have heard the phrase, “hurry up and wait.” Have you ever been told to, “hurry up and relax?” Many franchise or massage memberships based spas consider a 60-minute massage “50 minutes of hands-on service and 10 minutes for consultation and dressing.” The same logic is applied to a 30 or 90-minute service.

Consultation Confusion!

A proper consultation is essential for a great massage. During a typical massage consultation, your therapist should ask about your lifestyle, any focus or trouble areas that need to be addressed, as well as any medical concerns. Therapists should also be familiar with the client’s goals for their session which can include relaxation, increased mobility, pain relief and more.

Unfortunately, many spas require you to pay for your consultation as part of your service and limit consultation time. This means that the client is often forced to rush through an explanation of their ailments and preferences in an effort to get as much massage time as possible. This can be confusing for the therapist and result in a sub-par massage that may not address all of the client’s aches and pains.

Dressing Dangers!

To make matters worse, spas that utilize massage minutes for consultation also require that time to be used for dressing and undressing. The result is that the client is not provided with very much time to dress and undress before and after a massage. This can present some real issues for clients who may be in a great amount of pain or have trouble dressing and undressing due to muscular or joint abnormalities. In addition, if a client takes more time to dress and undress, their massage minutes are docked which results in less time with a therapist.  All in all, this practice is not good for clients and can make their massage experience a stressor rather than a relaxing experience to be enjoyed.

Get What You Pay For!

It is important to read to the fine print when seeking out massage therapy deals. Understanding what you are getting when you pay for a massage is very important to weigh the value of one service provider against another. In other words, what may appear to be a good deal at first glance could, in fact, end in a bad experience or more money paid per massage minute.

For example, a typical 60-minute Swedish massage at The Spa’ah in Conway, Arkansas costs $65. This includes a full 60 minutes of massaging from a licensed therapist with no interruptions. This is because we request clients arrive early to their appointments so we do not have to include consultations or dressing in their actual massage time. Other massage providers, like massage memberships spas, charge $50 or $60 dollars for a 50-minute massage with 10 minutes of rushed preparation that can ultimately result in unpleasant experiences. When you compare the two approaches, The Spa’ah provides a full 60-minute massage at nearly the same price as massage memberships spas plus additional preparation and consultation services free of charge. 

If you would like to learn more about The Spa’ah’s services or book an appointment online, click here!

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Why Franchise Spas Might Not Provide The Best Massage Experience

The allure of a large franchise massage establishment to the average massage customer is understandable. These businesses are large, usually have some great amenities and some interesting pricing options. In addition, their brand and name are fairly recognizable to the general population. However, all of the apparent benefits may not equate to the best overall massage experience for the true relaxation enthusiast.

Here are some reasons why franchise massage providers do not always provide the best service to those who want to get the best bang for their buck.

Personalized Experience

Many massage franchises are notorious for back to back scheduling practices. This means that they maintain strict policies which don’t allow for adequate time between appointments for things like changing sheets or even bathroom breaks for therapists. While this is great in some ways for customers because it means that more clients can be seen throughout the day, there are definitely some adverse effects on both clients and therapists. One of the most significant places we see this practice impact client experience is in the personalization portion of a service.

When a client pays for an hour of service, they generally expect to be massaged for the entire hour. However, if their consultation and room cleanup time bleeds into their actual massage time there is little the client or therapist can do to recoup the lost massage time as it could impact the next client’s massage time as well. Many times this situation can lead to a shorter consultation or a lack of personalization because the therapist is focused on providing a complete service for their customer despite their time and scheduling constraints. All around, this back to back scheduling practice is not relaxing for either client or therapist.

Flexible Service

Franchises also tend to lack the versatility that a local massage provider or spa is often capable of providing. You see, small and locally owned spas like The Spa’ah do not have to answer to corporate headquarters. We pride ourselves on our ability to work with customers in their specific situations. Many franchises or “big box” spas do not have this capability. In fact, they require strict yearly contracts that bill monthly for massages whether a customer is actually able to get the massage or not.

In a perfect world, a massage a month or more sounds wonderful, however, we understand that life happens. Some months are busier than others and our customers cannot make it in to visit us. That is why we do not require subscriptions or contracts to use our services. We value our customers and their schedules because we are here to serve you.

Versatile Offering

Locally owned spas can also offer a level of versatility that many franchises or big box stores may not be able to provide. Large franchises are usually restricted to a certain menu of services. Franchise owners generally are not permitted to venture beyond the traditionally marketed categories of services to maintain uniformity across the franchise. Locally owned spas and massage service providers are at liberty to add a variety of modalities to their offerings.

Choosing to sign a contract with a franchise spa means that you will be closing yourself off from the many different variations of massage that could help alleviate specific ailments you may be experiencing. In other words, you may not have access to the best massage for your condition. For example, many clients find great relief from allergies when they receive a lymphatic massage from a trained lymphatic specialist. Unfortunately, many franchise spas do not offer lymphatic massage specifically so members do not have access to its healing benefits. Lymphatic massage is just one example of the versatile offering you may be missing by signing a contract with a franchise spa instead of visiting a locally owned provider in your area. Some others include hot stone, lomilomi, Thai, cupping, and more!

We Believe In Local Small Business!

Large franchises like Massage Envy and Hand & Stone are often owned by investors who do not live in or care about our communities. While this is not always the case, directing your dollars at a locally owned small business that you believe in is a great way to support your local economy while receiving a great service. The Spa’ah offers many different modalities of massage and spa services in Conway, Arkansas. We believe in serving our community with the best possible products and customer service in our power because you all give so much to our business and community. Thank you for continuing to choose locally owned and operated products and services for all of your needs…not just for relaxation. Thank you, Central Arkansas!

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