Lansing Spa and Massage

Resident massage therapist Alicia Bruce frees long-held tension from her clients during private sessions. Her carefully trained fingers ease aches during relaxing Swedish massages and precisely place heated basalt stones during hot-stone massages to warm deep-seated muscles that are sore from their owners posing as Atlas. Reflexology sessions focus on trigger points in the hands and feet, working to release congestion throughout the body and stimulate circulation. Alicia also packages massage sessions with spa services such as mani-pedis or facials to create an afternoon of pampering.

Andrea Smith uses a well-rounded arsenal of massage techniques to oust troublesome aches and unload guests’ stresses. Modalities such as Swedish massage and reflexology bring balance and renewal to the body and catapult clients onto cloud nine with the help of add-ons such as hot stones or aromatherapy oils. Smith’s gifted mitten-fillers perform deep-tissue, trigger-point, and sports massages to foster well being and relieve pain caused by strenuous physical activity, such as lifting heavy boxes or uprooting traffic lights that take too long to turn green. Her geriatric, pregnancy, and infant massages ensure that clients in all stages of life can find relaxation.

The team of dedicated stylists and aestheticians at L.A. Hair Design revamps tresses and enhances visages with a full range of salon and spa services. Their all-natural Italian coloring products strive to keep hair healthier than chemical-intensive processes, and their straightening treatments calm frizzy locks more effectively than shampooing with elephant tranquilizer. The salon also rejuvenates skinscapes with microdermabrasion, enhances facial features with lash tinting and permanent-makeup application, and slims silhouettes with body wraps.

Max Well Physical Therapy & Massage's skilled therapists have been helping treat and prevent injury for 24 years. In private rooms, massage therapists employ eight massage modalities, including trigger-point and deep-tissue treatments, to help relieve stress and pain. In addition to case-specific treatments, structured physical-therapy programs help clients tackle common issues from low-back pain to stroke rehabilitation.

Owner Annette Bennett's background in bodywork goes back nine years, a large portion of which she spent helping chiropractors alleviate injuries associated with auto accidents and modeling for surrealist portraits. Those years proved so influential that she's currently working toward her own chiropractic license. "I want to be all about total health," she explains.

This holistic philosophy informs every aspect of Cloud 9 Therapeutic Massage, from the bodywork itself to an atmosphere designed to promote deep relaxation. A soundtrack of Indian flute music greets visitors to the dimly lit treatment room, as do the botanical fragrances of aromatherapy oils. Annette seems to derive as much satisfaction from these oils as her clients. "I like the Oriental-style essential oils,” she admits. “Sometimes I'll open the bottle and smell it, and it calms me right down."