- 6 minutes ago
Massages are used to heal your body in many ways, so Lucie tries 5 different kinds of massages this week on Try Living With Lucie.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00I'm Lucy Fink and this is 5 Days of Different Massages.
00:04Hey everyone!
00:05Welcome back to Try Living with Lucy.
00:07One of our writers at R29, Corey Stieg, once wrote an article that really stuck with me
00:12and it's about why splurging on a massage every so often might actually be justifiable
00:16because of the legitimate physical and mental health benefits that come from massages.
00:21I try to make sure that every episode of this series is informative and helpful to you in
00:26some way.
00:27So for this episode, I don't want you to just sit here and watch me get massaged.
00:31No, no, no.
00:31I want you guys to learn and explore new topics and that is exactly what we're about to do.
00:36Before we get started, a couple of caveats to this episode.
00:39Number one, I live in New York City where there are a bajillion different types of massages
00:44that I could have chosen for this episode.
00:46And number two, just know that I normally wouldn't get these massages back to back to back five
00:50days in a row.
00:51I know that your body is supposed to chill out between massages in order for them to be really
00:55effective.
00:56So this video is more so for you to watch and learn.
01:00And now we're ready for the first massage.
01:05My mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had to get a cancerous tumor removed.
01:10And even though breast cancer does not run in my family, I still proactively changed
01:14my deodorant to an aluminum free natural deodorant.
01:17And I've also started thinking a lot more about my lymphatic system.
01:21If you think of the human body, there are hundreds of lymph nodes inside of our bodies that have
01:25lymph fluid running through them.
01:27And they work to filter out any bad cells like bacteria, viruses, cancers, and more.
01:32So I wanted my first massage of the week to be something that promotes the flow of that
01:36fluid to improve that detoxification process.
01:39I went to Green Star Wellness for a lymphatic drainage massage.
01:43When the body doesn't metabolize properly, the body holds all the toxins.
01:48So it's very important to open up all the lymphatic system in the colon for you to be able to
01:53have
01:53a very good detoxification.
01:55She started by feeling my body pulsing under my ears, down my neck, around my armpits, and
02:02on my sternum.
02:04Next, she massaged my abdomen in a clockwise motion to mimic the passage of food throughout
02:09my digestive system, going up the ascending colon, across the transverse colon, and then
02:15down my descending colon.
02:17After massaging the lymph nodes in my groin and behind my knees, she used some red and blue
02:22light pulsations to stimulate circulation.
02:25And then it was time for the Lymph Star Pro, or as I like to call it because of the
02:29noises
02:30it made, the alien wands.
02:34The gases inside of the tubes create an energy field that then radiates onto your skin and
02:40flows throughout your system.
02:41It's a vibrational energy technology that uses sound and light, and she ran it along my sinus,
02:47my jaw, my neck, my collarbone, under my arms, around my breast tissue, and so much more.
02:55And then we finished off with a few deep breaths and a shot of chlorophyll water.
02:59This was a great way to start my week and to get my lymph fluid flowing.
03:04And even though this is one of those massages that you can't immediately tell how effective
03:08it was internally, you will leave feeling relaxed and recharged.
03:14When looking into different massages for this episode, I wanted to discover treatments that
03:19came from different parts of the world.
03:21After all, New York City is a total melting pot and you can have a diverse cultural experience
03:25in pretty much any neighborhood.
03:27So that led me to the Russian bathhouse, or the banya.
03:34There's a whole culture and ritual surrounding the banya.
03:37Generally, there are dry saunas, wet saunas, dunking pools, an in-house restaurant.
03:43And as I've read online, Russian banyas used to be pretty much exclusively for older men.
03:48So that's where Brooklyn banya comes in.
03:52I went for my first ever plaça treatment.
03:55I was first given a wool felt viking sauna hat to protect my hair and head.
04:00And I started by heating up for a few minutes in the sauna.
04:06And then I was brought into a 200 degree sauna with my plaça man, who took a leafy, fragrant
04:12bundle of oak leaves and then proceeded to smack me with them.
04:23As I learned from my plaça man, the oak leaves have a natural astringent in them, which will
04:28open your pores and exfoliate your skin.
04:31And he's working with warm water pretty much the whole time, plus you're in a sauna.
04:35So you're really hot.
04:36And just when you reach your hottest point, he dumps freezing cold water on you.
04:42And despite what it might look like on camera, this treatment does not hurt at all.
04:47In fact, it feels pretty good.
04:48After the treatment, I was completely covered in leaves, so I had to go into the shower and
04:53rinse off.
04:54Then I chilled out in the jacuzzi, enjoyed some Russian tea the way I was taught, cherry
04:59jam first, followed by a sip.
05:01I also had some honey and then slathered it onto my face as a face mask.
05:06Going into this place feels like you're entering someone's home.
05:09It has its own soul, and it really has the ability to heal people physically and emotionally.
05:14And I can't forget the real reason why I felt such a deep connection to this place.
05:19There was a cat when I walked in, and I felt instantly drawn to this cat.
05:23I started petting her immediately.
05:24And lo and behold, the cat's name is Lucy.
05:28And not only is her name Lucy, but her name Lucy is short for Lucinda.
05:33And I'm Lucy short for Lucinda.
05:35So clearly I found my spirit animal at Brooklyn Banya.
05:40After yesterday's leaf smacking massage, I wanted today's to be a little bit subtler.
05:45And I think I found perhaps the most subtle massage in the history of subtle massages.
05:51I went to Exhale Spa for a craniosacral massage.
05:55It relaxes the body into a state of stillness and silence.
05:58It aids to really help the body heal itself, so to self-correct the body.
06:05You don't even take your clothes off for this one.
06:07So I just got onto the table, and then Kathleen started evaluating me by checking for palpitations
06:12and rhythms just by holding onto my feet and laying her hands on me.
06:16And then she began using very light touches holding my skull and sacrum and making almost imperceptible
06:24movements.
06:24And you can expect a feel in this massage where the legs begin to roll out from each other,
06:30the hips begin to sink in, the sacrum sinks to the floor, the diaphragm lifts and lowers
06:37at a very nice, peaceful state.
06:39And then you have kind of an emptiness that happens in the ribcage and lung area.
06:45And it's a very peaceful euphoria.
06:47And then just like that, the treatment was over, and I did not realize just how far I
06:52had drifted down into this deep and silent space.
06:56As Kathleen explained to me, because she herself is a conduit for energy during the treatment,
07:01she too has to get to that deep and silent place.
07:04And so with both of us in that deep and silent place, the energy in the room was just so
07:09calming
07:09and so relaxing.
07:11I didn't actually fall asleep during the treatment, but when I woke up, it did feel like I had
07:15just emerged from the most restful nap of my entire life.
07:22I really liked the energetic aspect of yesterday's massage, and I feel like there's something very
07:27special about being touched by somebody who has healing energy.
07:32Today, I went to Bhatti Ascended Wellness in Williamsburg, and I met with Guillerma, who
07:37is a goddess.
07:39During the Bhatti signature massage, she uses a whole variety of modalities, such as deep
07:44tissue massage, Thai massage stretches, a bunch of energy techniques to address the chakras,
07:51meditation bowls for sound bath, and more.
07:53When you walk into the room, I sort of assess what needs to be done both physically and energetically.
07:59So no two massages are the same.
08:01I sort of read someone's energy, I can tell what is needed, and then decide from there.
08:06Of the other massages I've had this week, this one definitely looks the most similar
08:10to a traditional spa massage.
08:12But I'm telling you, there was so much more here than a standard deep tissue massage.
08:17And to be honest with you, it wasn't always that comfortable.
08:20This is an Indian head massage technique, just not always the most comfortable.
08:25And then she did some deep, intense stretches, but oh my gosh, those hands.
08:31Those hands of gold are meant to heal.
08:33And I've since washed my hair, but at the end, she rubs oil all over your body and into
08:38your hair, and I walked out with slicked hair, feeling lighter and more revitalized than ever.
08:44How about that hair?
08:49Today was the last day of the best week of my life.
08:53As you might know, I do yoga a couple of times a week.
08:56So when I did research into yoga and massage, and discovered that there's a treatment out
09:01there where yoga is essentially done to your body without you needing to engage a single
09:05muscle, I was very intrigued.
09:08My friend Emily, who you might recognize from Lucy for Hire as a hair colorist, is the founder
09:13of Private Yoga Brooklyn, and she's also a certified Thai yoga practitioner.
09:17So I invited her to my apartment this morning for some Soma Veda Thai yoga therapy.
09:22We started out by creating a comfy space on my living room floor, using a yoga mat, a couple
09:27of blankets, and a couple pillows.
09:29And then we had a brief consultation before we dove into the session.
09:33Loose, comfy clothing, and no bra.
09:35Two things that are very important.
09:37She began by connecting to my breath.
09:39I'm taking a moment to connect with myself and my teachers.
09:45And then she moved into a warm-up to ground me.
09:48We did a series of twists, folds, backbends, hip openers, inversions, and more.
09:55I was the receiver, so essentially I was completely limp and passive, while Emily, the giver, did
10:02yoga to my body.
10:03You're a ragdoll.
10:04If I pick up your arm, and I wiggle you around, and then I let go, very good.
10:08And throughout the treatment, she's basically flowing through a yoga sequence herself as
10:13she rocks onto and off of your body.
10:15Each of the treatments I did this week was so unique and intricate, and I think the biggest
10:20thing I'm taking away from this episode is just the breadth and depth of the types of
10:25treatments that are available out there in the world.
10:27I don't know about you, but in general, massages are a treat and a really rare thing for me.
10:32I typically only get them when I'm on vacation or when something feels not right and I'm looking
10:37for a quick fix, but what this week has taught me is that there are so many more types of
10:42treatments out there than your typical Swedish backrub.
10:45And when introduced to your life on a more regular basis, they can actually help with your
10:49body's functioning.
10:50So maybe it's time for me to switch up that mindset I have that massages are a splurging
10:55and pampering cost, and instead budget massages into my overall health and wellness budget,
11:00the same way I pay for a gym membership or to buy healthy food.
11:03Bye guys!
11:04Bye guys!
11:04Bye guys!
11:04Bye guys!
11:05Bye guys!
11:05Bye guys!
11:06Bye guys!
11:06Bye guys!