Beautiful Spas & Hot Springs of California (book)
Beautiful Spas and Hot Springs
From the outside, in keeping with the spirit and ambience of the tiny hamlet of Freestone, Osmosis resembles nothing more than a Victorian general store. Next door, after all, is the first schoolhouse in the county, which dates back to 1853. Once guests pass through the door, however, they enter a different world – one of Japanese serenity that offers a spa experience that many claim has no equal: the enzyme bath.
The enzyme bath is composed of aromatic cedar powder, rice bran, and a mixture of enzymes imported from Japan. Judiciously mixed together, these ingredients begin to ferment. Guests are gently covered with the moist, slightly granular mixture up to their chins, and the heat generated biologically by the fermentation process warms and relaxes the body. The enzymes in this mixture and the oils from the rice bran suffuse the skin with their soft healing qualities. The claims made for this novel treatment by those who have received it are myriad; they range from better digestion to the disappearance of minor aches or the end of arthritic pains.