Massages...what's the big deal about them? Do they really help your body relax? My girlfriends and I went to the Napa Valley yesterday for a girls-only daytrip. To pamper ourselves, we decided to visit one of the local spas to each get either a massage or a facial. I opted for the Hot Stone Massage, which supposedly is a recent fad in the world of massage treatments. Here's a description of it that I copied from the spa's website: "Smooth stones are heated and are used to relax and massage muscle tissue, dissolving stress and melting away tension. The stones glide across your body in long, flowing strokes, while others are placed on various energy points. The radiant heat along with the stone massage releases deep muscular tension without pain or discomfort."

Oookay. I did it. Then were my stress dissolved and tension melted? I really can't tell. Because frankly speaking, I felt exactly the same AFTER the treatment as I did BEFORE it. I did not experience the relaxation that massage buffs rave about every time they come out of a massage. That feeling of "Oh that felt so good" was not experienced here. For me it was more like "Doh, that was money down the drain".

Now on to the "without pain or discomfort" part. True I didn't feel any pain or discomfort during the session. Kudos to the massage therapist for managing that. But I woke up this morning with sore and aching shoulders! What's up with that? Shouldn't the painless nature of it extend pass the immediate treatment itself?

I don't get it. I really don't. What's the big deal about massages?