I’m not a spa person. Indeed, my first and only experience with a spa took place last year, when Mike and I took a mud bath in Calistoga. Mike wasn’t thrilled with the experience, because the “mud” was actually pit moss, but I found it very relaxing. As I planned our vacation for this year, I wanted to incorporate a spa treatment as well – but I wanted something different. That’s when I came across Osmosis Day Spa and its cedar enzyme baths. I must admit, on the pictures, at least, the enzymes seemed sort of “muddy”. They weren’t, but I had an amazingly relaxing experience – Mike did not.
You start your treatment by changing into robes (you can wear a swimsuit or not, as you like), and then going into a small “tea room”, opened towards its small Japanese garden. Here, drink a nicely blended aromatic tea, while you wait for the baths. The garden itself is very cute, with a little fountain and a bridge, and Mike took delight on watching the very big red dragonfly. I just started to relax.
We seemed to be there for quite a while before we were taken to the room with the cedar bath. The small room has a large “tub”, big enough for two. The attendant has already molded seats into the cedar enzymes, so that you can lay down at an angle and have some back and neck support. You take off your clothing and get in (note, if you are shy, wear a swimsuit, as the attendant is there when you get in and out) – then the attendant pours the warm cedar dust on you.
The substance on which you are “bathing” consists of a mixture of cedar chips, rice bran and plant enzymes. It has the consistency of very fine sawdust. It’s very warm – something I liked, even in a hot morning like that one. You then lay there for 10 to 20 minutes (it seemed more like 10 minutes to me), while the attendant places cold towels on your forehead and gives you sips of water.
The tub is facing a window overlooking their patio, but all you can see from the tub are the top of the trees in the distance – a much nicer view than the one of pipes we had at the mud baths last year.
I found the cedar bath profoundly relaxing. I loved the smell of the cedar and was perfectly comfortable being surrounded by it. Though it was hot, I never got too hot. Mostly, I let my thoughts drift away. My only complaint was that we were not there for longer – five more minutes would have been good.
After the bath, you brush off the excess cedar dust from your body. This is a long and annoying process, as those chips seem to have gotten everywhere. You do this on the patio outside. Afterward, you shower off what remains (they have a combination soap/shampoo – I’d expected something a bit nicer from a spa), and put your robe back on. They then lead you to a room upstairs with two thin mattresses on the floor. You lie on them while you listen to music through headphones. The music in question is supposed to synchronize your brain hemispheres – I kid you not. That new age bullshit does nothing for me, but I found the half an hour I spent lying there, with nothing but the music and my thoughts to be very relaxing as well. Mike, as you could expect, fell asleep.
After that, you change back into your clothing and that’s it. I’d read in their literature that you were invited to visit their Meditation garden – but nobody directed us towards it. Indeed, the attendants sort of disappeared after they left us in the “music” room – I thought they’d at least show up to get a tip.
Our treatment was at 10:30 AM, I did notice that the spa became much busier by the time we left (near 12 AM) – so it may be better to schedule your treatments early in the morning.
In any case, I had a very nice and relaxing time and I’d do it again – albeit, not with Mike, who was just not into it.
Osmosis Day Spa
209 Bohemian Hwy
Freestone, CA
(707) 823-8231
http://www.osmosis.com/
Leave a Reply