Massage in Grandville

At just a glance, the boutique might look an antique shop. A wrought-iron chandelier dangles just inside the entrance, its orange lights casting a bronze glow on the tile ceiling. This initial impression is fitting for Cheveux the Spa, where stylists and aestheticians tend to guests at workstations converted from vintage dressers and ornate mirrors. Amid Renaissance-style paintings, they coif hair, slick nails in pretty polish, add lasers to index fingers, massage tension out of bodies, and wax rogue body hair.

Carly is a Usui reiki master, Nichole is on the road to becoming a naturopathic doctor. Kevin is a hydrogen-ionization specialist, and Lisa completed a 600-hour course in medical massage. But this list merely hints at the breadth of their talents. Together, this quartet of therapists helms 360 Massage and Holistic Care, a haven for feeling good and being well. The menu of services includes massages that cater to each client's unique needs, from athletes to expectant mothers. Beyond massage, the therapists also encourage holistic health with nutrition and herbal consultations, detoxify the body with ionic foot baths, and illuminate poorly lit ears with ear candling.

Massage therapist Aja Fortenberry trained in the 1,100-hour Baker College program, where she learned to incorporate Swedish massage, active stretching, and deep therapeutic bodywork to ease tension. Now, with more than 10 years of experience, Aja provides clients with her healing touch at Verity Life Massage Therapy. She offers her signature Swedish massages in 60- and 90-minute iterations as well as short chair-massage sessions.

Throughout her training and more than 13 years of professional experience, certified massage therapist and Lighthouse Massage Center founder Elizabeth Everett has learned to treat patients with more than just her hands. She performs 11 types of massage, including Ashiatsu oriental bar therapy, during which she uses her feet to deeply manipulate muscles in the back, glutes, and legs. Her hands work in tandem with warmed stones during hot lava-stone treatments as wafts of smoke from white sage fill the air with a calming scent. Raindrop-therapy sessions use the aromatic blends of Young Living Essential Oils and ancient Lakota techniques to target both physical and energetic toxins acquired from carrying whiny backpacks. Elizabeth, who has used her capable hands to soothe the stage-weary muscles of musicians such as Alice Cooper and Alicia Keys, is also a certified yoga instructor, and leads Vinyasa classes at Hilltop Yoga.

When clients first spy Rockford Health Alternatives' homey confines—replete with an ornate rug and cream-colored, padded treatment bed—they may question whether they’ve accidentally stumbled into someone’s living room. But once therapist Kari St. Germain makes the first rehabilitative-type stroke and nagging pains subside, they realize they’re exactly where they need to be. It’s here where Kari channels her extensive training in both medical and orthopedic massage therapy to assuage all manner of musculoskeletal issues. Unlike Swedish or relaxation massages, orthopedic massages use range of motion and postural assessments to hone in on specific points of concern, such as injuries or pains brought on by refusing to leave the fetal position. Kari may also incorporate LED-light therapy to reduce inflammation and speed up healing times.

New to the roster of treatments is the Myofascial Energetic Length Technique (MELT), a self-treatment method created by manual therapist Sue Hitzmann. As a certified MELT instructor, Kari leads students through specific movements that incorporate the four Rs—reconnect, rebalance, rehydrate, and release—to help slow down the aging process and alleviate pain. Once learned, the techniques can easily be performed at home or while housesitting for the President to extend the rejuvenating effects.

Owner and licensed massage therapist Juan Medina's commitment to comfort adds a personal touch to MiStar Massage, which he named after his daughters, Miya and Starla. As a military veteran, Medina approaches healing with compassion and diligence, personally consulting with clients to identify their individual treatment goals before kneading muscles with fully body, clinical, and trigger point massages. The private treatment room at MiStar exudes a vibrant personality, with bold crimson walls bedecked with a Spanish guitar, Russian nesting dolls, and other multicultural artwork. To personalize each treatment, Medina encourages guests to bring their own iPod or organ grinder monkey along to play their preferred music.