We were visited recently by a gifted writer, Boris Fishman, who was writing a story for Travel + Leisure about our region. Needless to say, we felt deeply grateful and excited!
The article was published in the February 2022 print edition on page 100 and is now available online. It is a wonderful story about the special nature of our Russian River neighborhood with profiles on some of the most interesting people and places to visit.
Boris found our one-of-a-kind heat treatment, the Cedar Enzyme Bath, much to his liking. Our Cedar Enzyme Bath is a unique therapeutic body treatment from Japan, found nowhere else on this continent. It is a bathing ritual that involves immersing your entire body in a mixture of soft and fragrant ground cedar and rice bran with living enzymes.
If you have not experienced the Cedar Enzyme Bath for yourself, it is time to book a visit now! You can improve your health, exfoliate your skin, and reduce overall stress all in one treatment. This unique experience is also a great way to prepare your body for a relaxing massage.
Osmosis Day Spa offers numerous packages allowing you to create the right combination of services to maximize your visit! Convenient online booking can be found at the following link osmosis.com/online-reservations. Plus, learn more of the lasting benefits here.
And, finally, we invite you to check out our feature and a lovely roundup of West County in Travel + Leisure!
In this current time, during the crisis imposed by COVID-19, we find it imperative to discuss the proverbial elephant in the room in our space and industry: the concept of touch.
Our world has endured much in this global pandemic and it has caused many to retreat to home for remote work, learning, and shelter-in-place restrictions.
This limited access to community has put us in a mental, physical, and emotional state of yearning for more interaction; this overwhelming need for interpersonal connection has us figuratively starved in many ways that we may not have quite experienced before.
Having arrived here, let’s consider how we can address and restore comfortability and relief in experiencing healing touch for the purposes of our collective wellbeing.
It is a journey and process.
To start, we must understand that in these very new circumstances, our approach to becoming more comfortable with outside interactions and experiences will be a process and unique personal journey.
It is certainly not a race to normalcy, especially right now; nothing is normal about any of our routines. We must revisit the concept of learning to crawl before we can walk and then run again.
Physiologically, our central nervous system must acclimate to the understandable, reasonable stress of this time.
We have resorted to our most critical routines and behaviors and have not necessarily considered those things that we must do to support our health and wellness needs.
In our personal lives, we’re all finding ways to balance and acclimate in our behaviors. Evaluating reasonable risks against our individual need to stay safe, while also satisfying our holistic needs, is indeed the new-normal. We are all learning how to do this without compromising ourselves and our close-knit communities. There is no right or wrong in how we do this, and it will work differently for everyone.
There are wellness benefits in healing touch.
We believe that healing touch is vital to our wellbeing, and that belief is the core and mission of what drives our existence and who we are at Osmosis.
We also understand how delicate the balance of revisiting our, or any, wellness spa can be against shared, new realities.
In recent months, we’ve heard from all over just how much people are missing their wellness interactions and how they are slowly integrating their yesteryear spa routines back during this time. From physical therapy and rehabilitation to massage treatments, the nurture and healing benefits of touch should not be underestimated—nor should they be considered luxury.
In fact, California has recently approved indoor massage as an essential service when prescribed by a doctor. Massage offers relief for patients struggling with any of the following conditions, which may include chronic stress, anxiety, insomnia, sports injuries, arthritis, soft tissue injuries or strain, headaches, digestive disorders, and more.
Both indoor or outdoor massage at Osmosis may be covered by your Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Savings Account (FSA), workers compensation, or private insurance. Prior approval from your insurance company is recommended and a reimbursement would follow your submission of a receipt from Osmosis. We believe that our massage treatment is beneficial for both health and wellness.
Wellness is a lifestyle and way of living.
Currently, we are observing a notable resurgence in priority of care and wellness during the pandemic. It is becoming a way of life, more than ever now, to make every intentional effort to create the moments of peace and space that refuel us in our daily lives.
From home to work, and everything in between, we support our existing and growing community of guests and patrons in their discovery and balancing of wellness in the face of adversity. Sometimes we all wonder what true wellness should look like, but the truth is there are no hard-and-fast rules or rigidity to what wellness is; but instead simply learning to navigate the flexibility required to be well in mind, body, and spirit—especially now.
Stay well, friends. And do your intentional best to not make concessions on your wellness needs, whatever they may positively be. May the gift of healing touch continue to nurture us along the way. All our love and support to you and your community as we all get through a truly pivotal time. We are here to serve our community, now more than ever, in providing a sanctuary for healing and peace.
Currently, Osmosis offers a wide variety of massages in our inviting outdoor areas. Our creekside pagodas are an ideal place to receive the gift of therapeutic touch.
Notifications will appear here as we are able to provide additional services.
At Osmosis, we treat our guests and employees like family and take pride in promoting the health and wellness of our community. During this time of necessary closures we have upgraded our facility and installed new protocols that further insure your safety.
We are excited to announce that Osmosis has reopened and will be available to fulfill the longing for physical touch, community, and human connection you may be needing. Our extensive re-opening plans are detailed below. Please note that spa appointments will be prioritized for our loyal Vital Health Club members during our first two weeks of operations.
Your health and safety always comes first at Osmosis. Extensive cleaning protocols and our new state of the art ventilation and sanitizing system effectively reduce viral and bacterial exposure. We are also implementing a long list of safety guidelines from governmental and industry based organizations to provide further safety. Please refer below for all the ways we are working to keep you happy and healthy during your visit to Osmosis.
As always, we ask our guests and employees to stay at home if they are feeling unwell, displaying symptoms, or recovering from an illness. Our protocols are subject to change based on local and state government guidance.
We’re Prepared
We’ve always prided ourselves on going above and beyond for your health and well-being with our extensive standard cleaning protocols.
As always, our standard cleaning includes:
Hospital-grade, professional, green cleaning solutions that are 99.99% effective in destroying harmful germs, viruses, and bacteria.
Pre opening daily cleaning of all amenities and locations within the spa.
Additionally, we are implementing:
Thorough cleaning and disinfecting of each treatment room after every service.
Each Massage Therapist and Esthetician has received detailed training on topics like Health and Hygiene, Sanitation and Disinfection and Covid-19 related concerns.
Increased hours for our cleaning staff to continually sanitize and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, door handles, and shared amenities throughout the day.
Additional hand sanitizing stations for both guests and employees, along with sanitizing spray in showers and all common areas.
We Invest In Your Health and Well Being
We always strive to implement services, treatments, and experiences to enhance and maintain the health and well-being of our guests and employees.
Massage therapy modalities focused on improving circulation; studies have shown this to increase the body’s white blood cell count which works to combat viruses.
A detoxifying steam treatment with every facial to eliminate bacteria in the air, reduce inflammation, and purify the skin to remove toxins and impurities.
The ability to add an immunity boosting essential oil blend to any massage. Our customized wellness-promoting blends may help to purify and detoxify all body systems, strengthen vascular tissue, and support healthy adrenal function.
Additionally, we are implementing:
HEPA-certified air purifiers in every treatment room and common area. These filters have a 4-stage filtration system that completely replaces the air four times every hour.
Installation of hand washing sinks in almost all of the indoor massage rooms.
Contact-free payments allow you to place a credit card on file and check out seamlessly without ever reaching for your wallet.
Re-adopted our “shoes off” policy in the spa. We will provide spa slippers or socks for you upon check-in. You are also invited to bring your own.
Massage and Facial guests will now change in the treatment room.
Magazines, tester products and complimentary snacks will be temporarily removed, per government guidelines.
We Maintain the Highest Standards
Maintaining a healthy environment has always been critically important to us and following the guidance of reputable professional and governmental organizations is our standard practice.
As always, we follow the guidance of:
Masks are required to be worn at all times throughout your visit.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided to all employees.
All employees and guests will undergo wellness checks and symptom screenings, including a temperature check with a touchless thermometer before entering the spa.
Some amenities may temporarily be closed per government guidelines – when booking, please inquire about open amenities.
Physical distancing will be organized to help maintain a distance of 6-feet from other guests in the common areas.
Guests must wash hands before receiving any service.
All appointments must be made online or by phone. No walk-ins will be accommodated.
Friends or family without an appointment will not be permitted in the facility, except a parent accompanying a minor.
Bulex HEPA Air Purifiers
Currently being installed in all treatment rooms.
Quietly replaces the air 4 times per hour.
99.97% purification with a 4-Stage Filtration System that can filter particles as small as 0.01 mil, as large as pet dander, dust, pollen, and allergens.
Centrifugal Blower – Fresh air spirals up towards the ceiling, circulating 320° in all directions to fill the room before being drawn back into the purifier.
Atmosair Purification
A bipolar ionization technology system has been installed in the Osmosis HVAC system. This energizes the air to form bipolar — positive and negative — air ions that flows into all of the spaces in our building.
AtmosAir’s technology proactively emits bi-polar ions that attack and neutralize coronavirus in a continuous way. Unlike many unverified products, AtmosAir Solutions is backed by science. Bi-Polar Ions emitted to ambient air by the AtmosAir System continuously disinfect both the breathing space and surfaces. It is the most effective system for continuously cleaning and decontaminating indoor air. AtmosAir has shown significant reduction of bacteria and viruses in both laboratory and in situ testing. AtmosAir is over 99.9 percent effective in reducing the coronavirus on surfaces. Bipolar ions that bond with contaminants gain size and mass and drop to the floor, or return to the filter, making them easily cleaned from the air we breathe.
Updated Policies
Covid Policy: All guests must complete our COVID-19 form in addition to standard intake form(s).
Cancellation Policy:As a courtesy to other guests and our therapists, if you must cancel or reschedule an appointment please give 24 hours notice. ‘No Call, No Show’ cancellations will be charged the full treatment price.
*All of the aforementioned guidelines are subject to change based on the guidance of the above organizations and may be phased out as guidelines progress. All guests are required to complete a COVID-19 waiver in addition to standard waiver(s). We reserve the right to decline service to any guest who does not pass our COVID-19 wellness check or who displays symptoms of COVID-19. Those who are declined may reschedule their service for a later date.
The inspiration for Osmosis was born in Japan the day I took my first enzyme bath in the spring of 1984. As the healing warmth of the bath enveloped my entire body, I was relieved of a crushing nerve pain that had plagued my body for months. At the same time, I dropped into an indescribable experience of sensing the entire universe like never before. As a minuscule part of this journey, a vivid picture of a healing sanctuary with the enzyme bath at the core surrounded by meditative Japanese style gardens and gracious hospitality flashed before my minds eye. From this remarkable moment, I knew it was my calling to bring the Japanese enzyme bath back to West County.
Largest Enzyme bath in Japan
I knew nothing about spas or business. I found a partner in Calistoga who helped me learn about how spas work in exchange for providing the enzyme bath to his mud bath spa. On November 11th, 1984, the foundation was poured for a 400 Sq. ft. prototype which was built out of wood from a recycled chicken coop in Theresa Beldon’s back yard west of Sebastopol. I worked with my friend Steve Stucky from Zen center to create a garden with a stream and beautiful stones to greet guests when they arrived on their way to the small building on the hillside setting.
Prototype Foundation pour 11/11 1984 with Bruce, Evan and Chris Fortin, Ruho Yamada, Allison Dykstra, Eileen and Fay Mulligan
The first baths were offered in May of 1985. My tools were a snow shovel, wheelbarrow, sifting screens and a 1950 Chevy pick up truck with a long bed and tall sides. For years I shoveled, sifted and hauled tons of sawdust as I searched different sources, trying different wood species and delivering the mix to the spa in Calistoga every week. It was a slow start and building interest took time. It was a hand to mouth time and I lived in the same room that I received guests, managing to store my bedding and keep a basic kitchen in a 4-x4 storage area.
First day to offer the enzyme bath May 25th 1985
Photo by Linda Solomon
In the fall of 1987, an article about the enzyme bath was published in the Sunday section of the San Francisco Chronicle. The phone went crazy for months! There were far more people wanting to come than either the Calistoga outlet or the Sebastopol prototype could handle. It was time to start looking for a larger place. I saw an ad in the classifieds for commercial property in the bucolic village of Freestone. When I went to see the place, it was really hard to visualize how it could be nice. The property was very run down with an enormous amount of junk stacked up on the 5 acres. The back of the property along the creek was an undisturbed wilderness paradise that called out for love and protection.
After lots of soul searching, I decided to go for it. It took an arduous 18-month process of fundraising, design work and working through 18 governmental agencies to find out if it could really even happen. In the end, permits were issued and investment money came in, 400 cubic yards of debris was removed, and a complete renovation of the property was completed for a grand opening on November 11th, 1989. My cousin Susan Stein with an extensive background in hotel management soon arrived as Osmosis’s 1st hospitality manager and applied her exceptional expertise and talent to help shape the emerging company culture.
As the boom of the ’90s unfolded, things really took off and the business grew. Outdoor massage areas were added and the main building was repeatedly expanded. Osmosis was one of the only spas in the area for years outside of Calistoga. We were featured in the New York Times several times and as well as a favorite local television show, Bay Area Back Roads, that aired following the Super Bowl Sunday in 1997 which packed the house for months.
First Pagoda Massage 1993
We began the construction of a Kyoto style meditation garden designed by a world expert on Japanese gardens and built by Zen priest Steve Stucky and his landscape crew in 2000. Taking time to view the garden adds an enormous aura of tranquility to the Osmosis experience. It has since been meticulously curated by two dedicated garden artists and has become recognized as one of the most authentic Japanese style gardens in the US.
Meditation Garden 2003
In 2006, we doubled down on our commitment to sustainability and conducted a total eco renovation of the property and our operations including building a constructed wetland to recycle all the gray water from the spa. At that time, I also founded the Green Spa Network which has become a national organization supporting environmental consciousness and practices within the spa industry.
Constructed Wetlands 2006
As a cornerstone of our business our remarkable staff formed the following vision and mission for Osmosis:
Introduce and establish the enzyme bath as a genuinely beneficial form of heat therapy.
Build a profitable, sustainable business enterprise that conveys a right-livelihood opportunity/situation for owners, managers, and employees.
Create a restful sanctuary conducive to effective relaxation and therapy that contributes a sense of well-being to this world.
As we arrive at our 30th anniversary in Freestone on November 11th, 2019, we celebrate how the “Osmosis Experience” has touched so many people. This experience, in its totality, resonates at a deep level with our guests and creates a feeling of being at home, comfortable and very well taken care of. The whole gestalt of Osmosis; the services, the place and the people are like a magic balm that soothes one’s soul. We now have a dedicated following that holds Osmosis with a sense of reverence and gratitude as well as a staff that is committed to creating a “zone of peace” while fulfilling their needs and expectations.
No matter where you go these days, you hear about CBD. It’s in massage oils, tinctures, gummies, even lotion at the grocery store. In just a few short years, the CBD market has exploded, with an overwhelming range of products available. Yet many of us do not understand what CBD is, how it works, or how to choose a product. Read on to have these questions answered and learn about our exciting new Osmosis CBD enhancement.
What is CBD?
CBD, Cannabidiol, is one of over 100 different plant cannabinoids found in the Cannabis Sativa L. plant species. The most commonly known cannabinoid from this plant is THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. CBD, on the other hand, is not psychoactive, and has been found to have a wide range of potential health benefits. Since most marijuana plants have a relatively low amount of CBD, usually owing to their high THC content, most CBD on the market today comes from hemp plants, which are now federally legal to grow as per the 2018 Farm Bill.
How Does CBD Work?
In the early 1990’s scientists discovered a system of receptors and naturally occurring molecules in the human body that mimics the molecular shape of plant cannabinoids, and named it the endocannabinoid system. Moreover, they discovered that the presence of plant cannabinoids, such as CBD, trigger our body’s natural endocannabinoid production and essentially help to “turn on” the endocannabinoid system to its full effect.
The main function of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain homeostasis within our various body systems. In other words, it exists to return us to biological harmony when we have gotten out of balance. Further study revealed that endocannabinoid receptors are present all over the body: in the brain and nerves, skin, immune system, bone, fat tissue, liver, pancreas, muscles, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, reproductive organs and intestinal tract. In each of these areas, the endocannabinoid system works to return the body to homeostasis and optimum functioning.
CBD, by stimulating our own endocannabinoid system, has been found to have an effect on a wide variety of biological functions, such as pain, memory, mood, appetite, stress, sleep, metabolism, immune function, and reproductive function.
How can CBD increase the Benefits of Massage?
Many of the benefits of CBD are to be gained from taking an internal CBD product, such as a tincture or edible. Due to CBD’s interaction with certain medications, a consultation with a doctor is recommended before internal use. A CBD massage, on the other hand, is safe for everyone, making the benefits of CBD accessible for all, while enjoying the gifts of touch.
When considering a topical CBD product, such as an oil or cream, it is important to look at the ingredients. Many oils, such as almond or coconut oil, are not able to penetrate the many layers of the skin, so CBD blended in these oils are not effective in carrying the CBD into the deeper layers of tissue. There are, however, specific carrier oils, as well as several essential oils, that are able to permeate the skin layers and into the tissues below, entering the muscles, connective tissue, and blood vessels. When CBD is blended with these specific oils, it is able to deliver the CBD into deeper tissue layers optimizing its benefit to the body.
Eight Benefits of a CBD Massage:
Reduces post-workout soreness and muscle fatigue
Decreases back, shoulder and neck pain
Assists with arthritis pain and joint inflammation
Reduces inflammation due to strain or injury
Helps with sore feet, plantar fasciitis, or bunions
Decreases discomfort associated with peripheral neuropathy
Helps with fibromyalgia pain
Addresses skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne mosquito bites
Osmosis is excited to launch our CBD Massage Enhancement, using products from Colorado-based company, Lacuna Botanicals! After months of testing and vetting various CBD products, we havefound a product that we find highly effective, and feel great about sharing it with our guests.
Combining thoughtfully sourced ingredients with a potent dose of CBD, Lacuna Botanicals has created an effective line of products that are capable of addressing a variety of physical ailments. Using over 10 different essential oils with plant terpenes to help direct the action of CBD into deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue, Lacuna Botanicals offers a CBD product highly effective in the relief of pain and inflammation.
What we Love about Lacuna Botanicals:
Farm to massage table supplier. Lacuna Botanicals grows their own hemp.
Isolated CBD used in their products mean they are 100% THC free, while still being naturally sourced from homegrown full-spectrum hemp oil.
Carrier oils help to deliver CBD to muscle and connective tissue where it is most needed.
Pain reducing essential oils help to direct the action of CBD for maximum relief.
Earth friendly farming practices are combined with sustainably sourced all-natural ingredients.
Our CBD Massage Enhancement utilizes both the Lacuna Botanical Deep Tissue Cream and the Lacuna Blue Pain Relief Lotion to provide over 180 mg of CBD in a full body massage with spot treatment on the areas you need it most.
The formulators of Lacuna Botanicals products carefully selected ingredients to complement and enhance the benefits of pure CBD isolate. Some of these include:
Beeswax: Beeswax carries antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that are essential in fighting chapped skin and bacterial infections that tend to affect us most in the dry, winter months. It forms a protective wall by sealing in moisture in our skin without smothering and clogging up the pores.
Basil Oil: Basil oil contains vitamin C that boosts skin cells metabolism, improves blood circulation and helps increase and optimize various metabolic functions of the body.
Borage Seed Oil: Borage Seed oil is rich in gamma-linoleic acid, or GLA, an omega-6 type of essential fatty acid. Oils high in GLA (like borage oil) could help reduce inflammation associated with acne and support fuller hair growth.
Tea Tree Oil: This seemingly simple oil contains around 100 different components, including molecules called terpenes that seem to exhibit antimicrobial properties. Specifically one active ingredient called terpinen-4-ol has gained attention because of its antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties.
Wintergreen Oil: Wintergreen oil is readily absorbed through the skin and the presence of methyl salicylate causes an anesthetic effect. It also increases the circulation of the blood and brings warmth to the area in which it is applied.
Heather Bishop is the Massage Therapy Supervisor at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary. She has been practicing massage and bodywork for over 17 years and performs a wide variety of modalities, specializing in deep tissue and east west fusion massage. In addition to massage, Heather is also a Registered Yoga Teacher of 15 years and teaches at Soulstice in Santa Rosa. She loves having daily opportunities to help others and is a proud member of the Osmosis team.
After lots of soul searching, I decided to go for it. It took an arduous 18-month process of fundraising, design work and working through 18 governmental agencies to find out if it could really even happen. In the end, permits were issued and investment money came in, 400 cubic yards of debris was removed, and a complete renovation of the property was completed for a grand opening on November 11th, 1989. My cousin Susan Stein with an extensive background in hotel management soon arrived as Osmosis’s 1st hospitality manager and applied her exceptional expertise and talent to help shape the emerging company culture.
