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!
Fall has arrived and we’re celebrating with new exclusive facials utilizing organic skincare essentials from two incredible eco-conscious brands.
Meet our Abundant Harvest Facial, which uses organic plants harvested at the peak of health and abundance from Laurel’s pure plant-based products. Encounter a healing journey designed specifically for your skin needs, featuring potent, nutrient-dense treatment masks with comforting, warm tea compresses. The synergy of ingredients provides a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants immediately bioavailable for skin repair. These powerful plant applications are followed with a comprehensive lymphatic facial massage to support your skin’s healing ability. Be prepared for benefits that penetrate from the inside out, giving you a vibrant glow.
Another of our welcomed new treatments this season includes our Men’s Facial. This is a professional botanical treatment from our French line, Phyt’s, and is designed especially for male skin concerns. Phyt’s oxygenating and detoxifying facial is suitable for all skin types and will leave your skin feeling refreshed, purified, and revitalized. As with all of our facials, it includes a neck and shoulder massage, as well as a warm foot wrap.
Take good care this fall. Book now to experience our new facials in a zen setting, filled with peaceful comforts and deep rejuvenation.
What a time we have endured! A global pandemic that has affected our lives, and our culture, in irreversible ways.
Extreme political division and civil unrest, repeated shutdowns of all non-essential services, and a life suddenly lived over zoom, email, and working from home–if you’re lucky enough to be working at all. Every day we are being asked to bear these burdens and more, which wear on our emotional and psychological resilience. At some point, I am sure almost every single one of us has had a moment of wanting to give up, or a moment of stress levels that feel completely unmanageable. Some words I’ve heard from friends to describe emotions experienced during these moments are: frustrated, worried, isolated, tired, and sad.
How much would you love to know there was something you could do that would lower your stress to pre-COVID levels, relax your muscles, soothe your tensions and boost your immune system? And as an extra bonus, it could also fulfill that deep human need for touch and connection, and provide an opportunity for your body to enter a state of deep relaxation and renewal. What if your doctor, naturopath, chiropractor or acupuncturist could prescribe this treatment for you, as part of your routine preventative health care?
Therapeutic massage can offer relief from a long list of medical symptoms and conditions, as well as provide an essential immune system boost, lowering of stress level, and reset for the nervous system. When massage is provided upon receipt of a doctor’s referral, it is an essential service and can become an integral part of your preventative health care practices, even during this time of COVID shutdowns and shelter-in-place orders.
But is it safe to receive massage right now, when COVID case numbers are rising and ICU beds are full? Unfortunately, nothing short of total isolation in our homes is safe right now; we assume COVID exposure risks every day. However, with that in mind, consider this question – would you visit your doctor right now, if you had a need to see them for an important health concern? What if you knew that visit to your doctor would be a pleasant and effective medicine, and that you would come out feeling relaxed, renewed, and realigned?
It is a time for us to think about risks and priorities. Staying safe and minimizing situations where we could be exposed to COVID is important and a top priority for everyone. However, rising stress or anxiety levels, coupled with social isolation and cabin fever, leaves the body depleted. Stress hormones compromise the immune system, making us more susceptible to any infection. Depression or anxiety further decrease our immunity and can leave us struggling to make it through each day. All of these symptoms are dangerous to our health and enjoyment of life. So I ask you to consider this – would boosting your immunity and mood be a priority to you as well? If you could get a massage in a setting where all COVID guidelines were followed: surfaces sanitized, masks worn, temperatures taken, thorough hand washing before and after your massage, plus two systems of air purification designed to block an airborne virus–it might be worth the very low exposure risk to give your body the boost it needs to keep going, with a renewal of strength and function.
Osmosis values the safety of clients and staff as the highest priority, and we follow all COVID guidelines set forth by the state and county. We also believe that massage IS an essential service, in this time of COVID, and we would love to share this gift with you.
All you have to do is reach out to your trusted doctor (this can include naturopath, chiropractor or acupuncturist, as well as MDs) and let them know you are ready to include massage in your preventative health care practices. Want to know more about how massage can benefit you? See the 25 reasons to get a massage below, have a look around on our website and check out our many massage blogs, or call our Guest Services department. We look forward to hearing from you!
“At a fundamental level, humans have an innate need to connect with nature. When we are in nature – particularly, in a Japanese garden – we feel grounded and our senses are alert. Our pace slows, our heart listens, and our eyes catch subtle moments, like the light shining through the canopy of trees. The mind and body harmonizes with nature, and this journey continues as you step deeper into the garden, where you might encounter unexpected aesthetic or spiritual experiences. In these times, and always, everyone needs a Japanese garden.” – Sadafumi Uchiyama, Chief Curator, Portland Japanese Garden
The Osmosis Spa, best known for the Japanese Enzyme Bath, is also recognized for its authentic Japanese gardens where visitors are invited to experience a healing relationship with nature. Our garden’s flowing waters, soothing evergreens, compelling rock arrangements, and mysterious pathways takes one far away from the familiar demands of daily life. And there are countless subtle fascinations and wonders throughout our garden sanctuary! Artfully pruned shapes that capture the essence of each plant, quiet spaces discovered in corners or reflective pathways, as well as rocks placed in esoteric patterns intended invoke profound stillness.
From the least to the greatest detail, our large Meditation Garden is most captivating. Many visitors have discovered this jewel as a welcomed antidote to the pervasive stress of digital overload and the global health crisis. In addition, Osmosis recently streamed a powerful winter solstice ritual from this garden which was led by an inspired Siberian shaman, to the delight of colorful carp who formed endless patterns among the water lilies as she chanted songs of her ancestors.
Guests who receive services are invited to visit the garden and stay as long as they like, savoring the heightened sense of sensory awareness and inner peace that often follows Osmosis treatments. The impact from your bath, massage, or facial can be amplified many times over by entering this quiet sanctuary.
Osmosis has been required to cease offering “personal services” starting December 12th due to the pandemic.
Spas have been put into the same category as hair and nail salons.
Medical professionals and our guests have confirmed what we already know, that massage is an essential healthcare service for many people. Particularly now, with the additional stresses of fear, isolation, lack of touch.
You can still receive a massage treatment at Osmosis if you have a medical referral on file with us. (*Thisdoes not apply to cedar enzyme bath or facial)
To obtain a medical referral for massage, email, or visit your healthcare provider and let them know how you feel massage would be helpful to you. You will want to mention the symptoms you are experiencing that can be addressed by massage (see the list below) and request that they provide you with a massage referral. See the sample “email to my doctor” below for ideas of how to request a referral.
Chronic stress
Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
Muscle or joint pain
High blood pressure
Insomnia
Digestive disorders
Headaches
Poor circulation
Chronically tight muscles
Sports injuries
Soft tissue injuries or strain
TMJ disorders
Disrupted or restless sleep
Arthritis
Myofascial pain
Edema/swelling
Immobile muscles or joints (such as frozen shoulder)
Whether you see a traditional MD, a naturopath or a chiropractor, massage can be a great addition to your health care regimen. If you suffer from even one of the conditions mentioned above, you’re a candidate for a medical massage referral.
When you have a healthcare massage referral, simply email a copy to Osmosis at reservations@osmosis.com
Once it is on file, you may call Osmosis to schedule your massage. Our indoor rooms provide a safe and clean environment for you to receive a healing massage with our caring and experienced massage therapists. Osmosis Covid Safety Program
Make sure to mention your medical massage referral upon booking. We look forward to supporting your journey to wellness!!!
Only ONE note must be attained and may be emailed to reservations@osmosis.com
Your note will be kept on-file and applied to all future massages. You do NOT need to obtain a separate note for each massage; one note is sufficient!
You may obtain a note from your personal doctor, Naturopath or Chiropractor.
Sample Doctor’s Letter (actual content in regular writing, suggestions in italics):
Dear ____Doctor’s Name____,
I have been experiencing the following medical symptoms: ___list any/all related medical conditions from the above list___ and feel confident that massage therapy can help to address these problems. (If you have experience with massage, say something like this): I have experienced the benefits of massage before, and notice that when I get a massage I experience an alleviation of symptoms, such as ___list any noted benefits here_____.
I am writing to request that you, as my health care provider, provide me with a referral for medical massage therapy. With personal care services potentially being shut down due to covid, I would like to feel assured that I can receive a massage to alleviate my symptoms as an essential health care service. I appreciate your support in this matter, and know that you will want to help me achieve optimal health.
