A Professional Massage at Home — at 10 P.M.
You don’t have to leave your house for a professional massage. (Photo: Stocksy)
As a preteen, I read about Britney Spears requesting a professional masseuse to her dressing room for appearances, and so I decided at an early age that in order to be a true diva, I too, needed to get an on-call massage therapist. Unfortunately, my monthly allowance barely afforded me a new pair of jeans from Limited Too, and so my dreams of divadom were dashed until recently, with the launch of the Soothe massage app in New York City. The on-demand app, available in 20 cities from London to Houston, delivers licensed five-star massage therapists to your door, whether you need an afternoon break at work or a weekend retreat at home. For the holiday season, you can even gift this extremely thoughtful present to others. The pricing ($99 for 60 minutes, $139 for 90 minutes, $169 for 120 minutes) is comparatively cheaper than the pricing for the same massage at many top spas —and yes, the therapist brings a full massage table, oils, and towels to you, so you don’t have to prepare anything but a clear floor. (Its main competitor, Zeel, asks you to provide your own linens.)
Screenshot of the Soothe massage app. (Source: Soothe)
I requested a sports massage because I had just run 20 miles and was preparing for the Nike Women’s Half-Marathon in San Francisco in less than a week. My therapist, Nicole, promptly arrived to my Brooklyn apartment at 10 P.M. with all her materials. While she set up in my living room-slash-kitchen-slash-dining room, I got undressed in my bedroom. Nicole then waited in the bathroom while I laid down on the table. If you’re looking for a spa ambiance, you should light a few candles yourself — but for me, the convenience outweighed any preference for mood lighting. The 75-minute massage was the best sports massage I’ve ever received, as Nicole specifically targeted sore and injury-prone areas for runners while also providing the accouterments for an overall relaxing massage, like the head massage at the end. She also works as a therapist using Reiki, a Japanese alternative therapy that uses touch to promote healing — and used a few of the techniques on me, noting that I was especially tense in the shoulders.
Since this is in your own home, privacy is obviously guaranteed if you live alone. My roommate actually came home in the middle of the massage and ran into her bedroom until it was over (“I felt awkward,” she told me), so I highly recommend letting your housemates know if you’re planning to bring the spa home, as you’ll want the most relaxing environment possible and your housemates probably don’t want to feel awkward in their own home.
Using Soothe also guarantees that your masseuses are working at fair wages. “I used to work in a spa, but I actually prefer working with Soothe because the pay is so much better,” Nicole explained to me. (The tips are included in the price.) By the time my massage was over, it was 11:30 p.m. and bedtime for me. Nicole cleaned up and packed up and bid me good night within a few minutes, and I drifted off to bed, feeling a little bit more like Britney Spears circa 2001.
Related:
The $6 Massage That’s Better Than a $150 One
