Sage spa

Sage Spa: Best Spa in the Neighborhood!

 Park Slope Parents Review:

Best Spa in the Neighborhood! 

Park Slope Parents; Author: lorentzk-  "I went to Sage also for a pre-natal massage, but I think I will be going back there again for more and more treats! 

"One of the things I've noticed is that the staff at Sage
 like to work there, and this tells me a lot. "

One of the things I've noticed is that the staff at Sage like to work there, and this tells me a lot. The therapist was very attentive, and effective, and the environment was very relaxing. I 've tried several spas in Brooklyn, but this was is definitely a winner."

 

Sage Spa Wednesday Discount SAVE 15% 1 Hr. Massage $99

 

 

The Benefits of Hot Stone Massage

The Benefits of Hot Stone Massage 

Reprinted article from TalkSpas

A great treatment to help relieve some built-up stress and tension is Hot Stone Massage (also known as Hot Stone Therapy). This type of massage uses heated, water-treated stones (such as basalt and lava rocks) which are placed at specific sites on your body to promote relaxation, and to help open up the energy pathways in your body. These stones act as a pre-treatment for your muscles, allowing the therapist to easily perform deep tissue manipulations. In some cases, the massage therapist may even alternate cool stones with the hot stones (read more about cold spa treatments here). Various massage oils may also be incorporated into the massage treatment to enhance the experience.

For centuries, Native Americans and Asian cultures have been using hot stone massage for its therapeutic benefits. The technique has been used as early as 1500 BC due to its ability to improve overall mental, spiritual, and physical wellness. Hot stone massage also helps to detoxify the body, find harmony and balance within the body, provide relief from injury, and relieve muscle aches and tension. Present day benefits of hot stone massage are still very similar to the age old benefits from centuries past.

Wellness Benefits

Hot stone therapy is an excellent treatment for those looking to achieve mental wellness. The heated stones are placed strategically along pressure points on the body to help melt away tension and create a calming feeling. This calming effect is excellent for the well-being of the recipient, as the stress of everyday life will diminish — or even disappear entirely from just one treatment. The deep muscle massage promotes tissue relaxation, alleviates stress, releases built-up toxins from your muscles, relieves pain and improves circulation; which will help make you feel better while promoting your psyche.   

In addition to these wellness benefits, the use of aromatherapy oils is often used to help rejuvenate your mind. While the heat from the stones is seen as a positive energy flow into your body, and gives your body a sense of harmony and balance; the aromatherapy scents will bring you pleasant thoughts and feelings, helping you feel at peace. Some people also use hot stone therapy as a way to improve their spiritual wellness.

Health Benefits

Hot stone massage also has actual physical and health benefits. Aside from the obvious relief that one gets from muscle aches and pain, the penetrating heat helps relieve pain associated with medical conditions such as arthritis, severe back pain, Fibromylagia, and Multiple Sclerosis. Hot stone massage also improves blood circulation, stimulating the flow of oxygen and nutrients in and out of your muscles and blood, helping your body to detoxify and heal while keeping your heart healthy. Some mental health conditions like insomnia, depression and anxiety can be relieved through the regular use of hot stone massage.

All in all, hot stone therapy is a wonderful treatment for the body, mind and spirit. The majority of medical and day spas offer this treatment on their menus, so it is easy for you to take the time to treat yourself to a relaxing hot stone massage during this stressful time of the year. If you are feeling stressed, treat yourself today, so you will have a truly happy holiday!

Sage Spa Hot Stone Massage

A deeply soothing specialty massage 
that uses heated volcanic stones 
to relax tight muscles & detoxify you.

Good all year, but especially nice on a cold day!

Sage Spa Hot Stone Massage > 

Just Do It!

Just Do It! 

by Shell Fischer, reprinted from YogaCity NYC

We’ve noticed a lot of meditating cropping up in the city.  Not surprising, sages and yogis have always known what cutting edge brain researchers are now documenting -  this practice quiets and sharpens the mind, tunes down an overactive nervous system, and allows the meditator to get more deeply involved in life.  The problem: mediation is really hard.  With that in mind, we asked long-time sitter and Naropa graduate Shell Fischer (photo left) to give us the secrets to staying with it. -Yoga City NYC Shell Fisher is a very good friend. These days, she and her husband split their time between Park Slope and a small farm near Washington D.C. Both are devoted to the practice of meditation.- Susan Stratton, Sage Spa.    "Though I’ve been meditating almost daily for about fifteen years, it sometimes not only feels boring and repetitive, but like an enormous waste of my time. I live in New York, after all, where time is a precious commodity and there are, literally, about a million other things I could be doing.  Still, I’ve also experienced the joy and surprise of finding myself using what I’ve discovered through my practice in my daily life. I often relate this slow and patient education to something I learned while on a whitewater rafting trip in Colorado. Our instructor kept repeating the same simple instructions over and over until I wanted to shout, “Shut up! Do you think we’re stupid! Enough already!” Yet, when our raft struck a rough spot and I suddenly found myself alone under the rushing water without direction, my panicked brain had to struggle to find those same simple instructions as if reaching into the dark. “Lay on your back, bend your knees, point your feet downstream . . .” Because these things had been repeated so many times, they finally did appear, and to this day I believe they saved my life. Meditation can be like that—not the life-saving part, but the part about the lessons unexpectedly becoming available to me. It’s something I need to remind myself when I become frustrated, bored, or even infuriated with my practice. Here are a few things I’ve learned that have helped me to avoid quitting:   1, My boredom, anxiety, pain, and constant thinking IS the practice. I’m not doing it wrong; these things are in fact what I’m supposed to be investigating. In meditation, I’m learning how to watch—without judgment—my rapid, ever-changing thoughts, emotions, and body sensations as if sitting at the window of my apartment and watching a rather noisy, interesting parade as it passes along the street. By doing this, I can slowly become aware of the impermanent nature of things; I can learn to react differently, be kinder to myself and others, and not take things so personally. Over the years, that parade has gradually mellowed—say, from the Village’s raucous Halloween parade to the kiddy-filled one in Park Slope—yet I admit I’m now especially grateful when I’m struggling the most, since it’s usually when I receive my deepest lessons.   2. There’s no “getting it.”  In this lifetime, it’s not likely I’ll ever sit in an empty, thought-less state of complete Buddha-bliss, at one with the screaming sirens, honking horns and obscenity-laced insults rising from the busy street below my apartment. And frankly, I’m glad, since that wouldn’t be any fun. For instance when I first started practicing yoga as a former competitive gymnast, I easily attained an almost-perfect King Pigeon in my first few tries. Now, since I’ve injured my back, even an Upward-Facing Dog feels difficult, yet the lessons I’m learning are much more satisfying.   3. Everyone else is thinking, too. It helps me to know that when our brains are faced with what feels like boring repetition (i.e. watching our breath, or pushing up into Downward Dog for the millionth time), it’s actually natural for  them to spin out into thinking, since we believe we’ve already “accomplished” that particular task. So, each time I catch myself thinking and come back to my breath, I congratulate myself for being mindful. I was conscious of my thinking! Then, when I slip into yet another story/fantasy/thought in the very same breath, it just means I have another opportunity to do it all over again.   4. It’s my job to be extraordinarily nice to myself. I’m quite talented when it comes to being mean to myself, so it’s a great relief to know that the practice actually requires me to cultivate loving-kindness (or metta) towards myself. Doing the opposite is really the one thing I can do “wrong,” since beating up on myself when I feel like I’m thinking too much or spacing out is antithetical to the practice. One of my favorite teachers, Pema Chödrön, once wrote: “Somehow, without cultivating unlimited friendliness for ourselves, we don’t progress along the path.”    5. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t know how it works; it just does. When I’m at my wit’s end and don’t feel like putting in the time and effort it takes to meditate, I remind myself that neuroscientists who are smarter than me have proven that meditation decreases the negative effects of stress, depression, anxiety, and fear, and produces lasting beneficial changes in both the immune-system and the brain’s electrical activity, along with a host of other happy things. In March, a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that cultivating compassion through meditation affects specific regions of a person’s brain that make them more empathetic to the mental states of others.  All of this helps me to remember that even though sitting still and watching my breath for twenty minutes or more a day can often seem monotonous, exasperating, and sometimes even painful, it’s absolutely not a waste of my time to learn how to become a nicer, healthier, less anxious, more conscious person."- Shell Fisher

Sage Spa Client Writes: "May very well be one of the true spa experiences NYC has to offer."

 We try our best to exceed each and every client's expectation at Sage Spa. With all that hard work,  we love to hear that we got it right.  Here are a few recent comments from our Sage Spa House book. Our thanks to everyone who took time to share their thoughts. We hope to see you & your friends again very soon. - Sage Spa 

1/3/10 "I had a Hot Stone Massage + my fiance had a Swedish Massage. Great Experience. May very well be one of the true spa experiences NYC has to offer. Thanks so much." 

1/2/10 "Fantastic! Amazing. we got a couples massage from Remi and Kathy and will tell everyone this is THE place to go for a true spa experience!- Jorge & Dara" 

1/2/10 "Jill- you restored my balance and calm. Thank you for the customized experience. Ill definitely be back! - Emily" 

12/31.09 "Thank you Kathy! Perfect end of the year treat! De una hermana a otra...." 

12/30/09 "Wonderful experience! Relaxing, calming, and Elena's hands are something to write home about! - Margueria" 

12/30/09 "This is an amazing place. I am so glad it was recommended to me. I will be back as a birthday gift to myself. The masseur was amazing!- K.K." (for Suleika) 

12/22/09 Hi Susan, I just want to write a quick note to let you know that I had a wonderful experience at your spa today. It was my very first time receiving a full-body massage, and my therapist, Karen, did an EXCELLENT job! She was professional from start to finish, made me feel completely at ease and provided a great massage to boot. I'll certainly be coming back for more, as she has definitely got me hooked :-) Thanks again (especially to Karen). A.G.

Valrhona Chocolate with every Sage Spa Couples Massage

    At Sage, we finish every luxurious Sage Couples Massage with fantastic Valrhona chocolate. With the first bite, you instantly realize that this is no regular chocolate. This chocolate has rich, intense deep chocolate flavor with notes of grilled almonds and citrus.

So when that massage is over, we invite you to lie  back, savor the peace along with our chocolate gift. It's our way of saying thanks. 

Valrhona Caraibe 66% Cocoa - Caribbean Blend  

 

Bittersweet, 66.5% Cocoa, 33% Sugar, 40.5% Fat Content. With the sweetness of the tropics, Caraibe is made using a blend of Trinitarios cocoa beans from the Caribbean Islands. Intense chocolate taste, sustained fullness with hints of dried fruts and grilled almonds with a woody base. 

NOTE: David Sumner, (Sage Spa Co-Owner) is an amateur chocolatier in his spare time. You probably won't see any custom cakes or fine desserts such as chocolate souffles sitting out in the spa, much less offered free with your massage, but you just might taste some really great chocolate when you get a Sage Couple's Massage. 

Here are a few of David's Chocolate Creations:

  
 
   
 
 

Childbirth Educator, Ellen Chuse on: "Sex and Intimacy After the Baby Comes"

  We love Ellen Chuse (Ellen Chuse Childbirth). Ellen, a respected childbirth educator, friend, and Park Slope neighbor who speaks regularly with our staff  here at Sage on various childbirth related issues. Ellen is wonderful in person, extremely dynamic, entertaining and passionate about all things related to childbirth. Recently, Bend and Bloom's owner, Amy Quinn-Suplina invited Ellen to speak to new parents. The following is a reprinted article from YogaCityNYC written by Allison Richard.

"Recently I walked into a yoga studio to find the lobby overflowing with strollers, kiddie contraptions, and mewling infants and figured there was a Mommy and Me class about to commence. Checking the schedule I found it was a Mothers’ Meeting. Huh? Bend and Bloom’s owner, Amy Quinn-Suplina, explained that these are weekly gatherings where moms come with their newborns to discuss the challenges and changes that come with the responsibility of being a new parent. She invited me to attend the next one entitled “Sex and Intimacy After the Baby Comes.” Score! This ought to be good.  

15 moms and babies trickled into the following week’s meeting. The leader, Ellen Chuse (photo: right) , a Childbirth Educator and Birth Counselor, delved into the topic by reassuring the moms that they shouldn’t feel guilty for not wanting to jump back in the sack with their partner right away She explained a few physiological and psychological reasons why, such as physical and hormonal changes.  And, for some, the physical and emotional trauma experienced during childbirth. 

It was a a revelation to many when Ellen said, “When you spend all day holding, cuddling and taking care your baby, the fact is, your need for physical contact has been met so when your husband comes home and wants to be intimate, you’re just not in the mood. Physically, you’ve given all of yourself that you can for one day.”

The women felt comfortable in the close-knit group discussing how they’d dealt with this touchy subject. One mom set a date with her husband to have sex for their first time and purchased a girly kit with fun lubes and condoms to keep the experience light-hearted. Another woman and her beau never make plans on Saturday afternoons because they know their 7-month old is guaranteed to take a nap and that time becomes their intimate time.  

While these Mother’s Meetings, along with Prenatal classes, Breastfeeding Support Groups and Kids Yoga at Bend and Bloom serve Brooklyn-ites on their journey through motherhood, other studios are reaching out to this somewhat fragile new community in different ways.

While these Mother’s Meetings, along with Prenatal classes, Breastfeeding Support Groups and Kids Yoga at Bend and Bloom serve Brooklyn-ites on their journey through motherhood, other studios are reaching out to this somewhat fragile new community in different ways.

Lila Yoga, on Bowery north of Houston, has integrated a step before prenatal with Fertility Classes. These restorative-type yoga classes use postures, breath, chakra toning, visualization and relaxation techniques to help women reconnect with their bodies. Classes are geared towards women having difficulty conceiving or those contemplating trying to conceive- and as many doctors will tell you, a calm, relaxed body is the first step towards this goal. 

On the Upper West Side Prenatal Yoga Center, has expanded their presence outside the studio to offer classes at various satellite sites throughout the city like Yummy Mummy and Apple Seeds in Manhattan and Easeful Body in Brooklyn. Prenatal Yoga is a bit of a misnomer as their schedule also includes Postnatal, Music for Babies, and Infant Massage classes. 

More impressive than the class list may be the online community owner, Deb Flashenberg, has created through their PYC website, which offers several free prenatal yoga videos, Deb’s Blog and access to a plethora of articles, podcasts and stories on all things pre and post baby- although be forewarned- some articles are not for those with weak stomachs. 

In addition to educational material, the website offers a New York City resource list with information on everything from baby clothes to play groups to family photographers. Community members often take the opportunity to leave their opinions and reviews so you can get an honest account of whether or not something is truly worth your time and money.

Members also participate in a Doctor Referral Forum, which allows them to offer reviews of OB/GYNs, Midwives, Doulas and Pediatricians they’ve had great experiences with. It also gives mothers good leads on reliable professionals like Nannies- a new mom’s best friend. 

As the B&B meeting drew to a close, the mom’s immediately moved closer to one another and, like schoolgirls, began to fill one another in on the latest- from their baby’s newest accomplishment to the first meeting of their book club. I realized how integral these gatherings are for the emotional and psychological wellbeing of these women, not just because of the topics they cover or the yoga poses they do, but because of the sense of community they create and the lifelong friendships they make. I walked onto the street happy that the yoga community is expanding to include these groups. One day when I begin my journey to starting a family, I look forward to joining them."

--Allison Richard

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Happy New Year from Sage Spa!

Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2009 & Hello 2010

May your New Year be festive, healthy, peaceful, and loving!

 
 

 

Words of Love & Kindness

 After a number of years here at Sage, our beloved therapist, Molly Montgomery, has decided to move on to pursue a nursing career; she starts school this January. We will all miss her smile, laughter, passion, and kind heart. Though we are sad that she is leaving, we take comfort knowing she will be a fantastic nurse, and wish her the very best. 

- Sage

PS: Thank you Molly for the lovely email

To: Sage Spa

From: Molly Montgomery

Dec 30, 2009

Dear Sage Therapists - in an email a few weeks ago, I totally forgot to let you know how much I loved working with each and every one of you. Thank you for filling all of my days at Sage - whether as a massage therapist or as your hapless front desk coordinator - with laughter and positive energy. What rare things to find in a job. I'll consider myself very lucky indeed if I ever find such awesome coworkers and such a great environment to work in again.

Happy New Year!!!

Much love,

Molly

Molly Montgomery, LMT

Study shows: Happiness comes from Experiences not Objects

Psychologists find that people report being happier when they spend their money on "Experiences" instead of "Objects". Hmmm... perhaps we should trade in those dud christmas gifts for cash so we can get that massage or take a vacation?  

Science Daily (Feb. 2009) — Can money make us happy if we spend it on the right purchases? A new  psychology study suggests that buying life experiences rather than material possessions leads to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them.  

The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets result in increased well-being because they satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality -- a feeling of being alive.

"These findings support an extension of basic need theory, where purchases that increase psychological need satisfaction will produce the greatest well-being," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University.

Participants in the study were asked to write reflections and answer questions about their recent purchases. Participants indicated that experiential purchases represented money better spent and greater happiness for both themselves and others. The results also indicate that experiences produce more happiness regardless of the amount spent or the income of the consumer.

Experiences also lead to longer-term satisfaction. "Purchased experiences provide memory capital," Howell said.

 "We don't tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object.

 "People still believe that more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite," Howell said. "Maybe this belief has held because money is making some people happy some of the time, at least when they spend it on life experiences."  
  

"The mediators of experiential purchases: Determining the impact of psychological need satisfaction" was conducted by Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University and SF State graduate Graham Hill. 

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Bodywork for Dogs, Horses & Cats!

Animals Healing, Inc.

An eco-conscious company dedicated to providing a wealth of fascinating & informative holistic health & lifestyle products for your animals. . . and you.

 My good friend and fellow massage school classmate back in the early 90's, Lynn Vaughn, is passionate about animals, so much so that she molded her entire massage practice around them. Lynn has been spreading the word about bodywork for animals; she has even been a guest on Martha Stewart's television show 

If you have a dog, or even a horse in need of  some bodywork, Lynn is the person to call. She's particularly great with  animals recovering from injuries or stress related issues.

Animals Healing, Inc.

Can't find time to have any fun? You're not alone.

 

  "Where's that spa gift certificate you received last year? Any clue? Now that you think of it, when was the last time you had any serious fun? Life seem so jam packed and insane that there's no time left to savor the good life?  John Tierney (NY Times) explores the topic of "Procrastination", and why some of us never seem to find any time to take care of ourselves, despite our great intentions.

"Once you start procrastinating pleasure, it can become a self-perpetuating process."

"For once, social scientists have discovered a flaw in the human psyche that will not be tedious to correct. You may not even need a support group. You could try on your own by starting with this simple New Year’s resolution: Have fun ... now! 

Then you just need the strength to cash in your gift certificates, drink that special bottle of wine, redeem your frequent flier miles and take that vacation you always promised yourself. If your resolve weakens, do not succumb to guilt or shame. Acknowledge what you are: a recovering procrastinator of pleasure...."

READ: "Carpe Diem? Maybe Tomorrow" by John TIerney, NY Times

2010 Trends: "Hello single-shingle proprietor; farewell outsize splashy spa"

"Hello single-shingle proprietor;  farewell outsize splashy spa.
 Highly skilled healers and top-notch therapists will trump outsize spa meccas,  Bisazza tile-lined wet lounges, and heavily scripted treatment rituals as the reason for spa visits in 2010. More in demand: Building a person ongoing relationship with a trusted bodyworker or facialist, and low-key surrounds. (Luxe spas with well being and prevention services in their menus will fare better than purely pampering ones.) More on 2010 Spa Trends; http://bit.ly/8Z4Dja   

These particular "2010 Spa Trends"make us smile.  From the outset, Sage has focused on hiring the most skilled healers and top notch therapists.  We strive to bring to together caring, warm and intelligent people who are the best in their field.  For our clients, it's important to feel safe.  That's why we also insist on additional training, especially prenatal/postpartum massage training. No wonder Sage Spa is a place where our guests can relax and find their smile.

"To move things is all that mankind can do...."

Our brains exist for the sole purpose to move muscles. 

Stop and think about that for a moment.... 

To "Move Muscles", our brains have to successfully do three things: imagine the move (imagine a future) , move the muscle (live in the present)  and get feedback on that move (remember the past).  The amazing thing, is that once a human can move, they also happily stumble upon language, dreams, and love- all are a direct by-products of the brain's ability to move muscles.

Charles Sherrington won the Nobel Prize in 1932, shared with his friend and colleague Edgar Douglas Adrian, for their "discoveries regarding the functions of neurons". Sherrington himself coined the words 'neuron' and 'synapse', and said he envisioned the brain as "an enchanted loom."His remarkably complete Integrative Action of the Nervous System was for many years a definitive volume of neurology and psychology, held in respect comparable to Isaac Newton's Principia in physics. He is also remembered for what is called Sherrington's Law: For every activated neuron of a muscle, there is a corresponding inhibition of the opposing muscle.

Want to know more..... http://www.charlierose.com/

SPECIAL Wednesday DEC 23rd All 1 Hour Massages $99 (normally $115). 718-832-2030