Massage in Portage

Kimberly Stephens deftly massages muscles while easing tension, a skill she acquired during her 720 hours of clinical experience. That experience included in-home visits and stints in a chiropractor’s office. With an arsenal of techniques at her fingertips—including Swedish and pregnancy modalities—she works to alleviate such maladies as chronic pain, headaches, depression, and the inability to count sheep in the dark.

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."

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.

Stationed within the stress-free zone of Eclipse Salon Suites, certified massage therapist Andrea Newton treats world-weary muscles to therapeutic hot-stone and relaxation massages. Andrea’s contoured and padded massage bed absorbs anxieties as she coaxes them out of backs and shoulders with intuitive strokes and gentle pressure. Powder-blue and soft-brown walls coalesce in a palette that soothes the eyes while Andrea plumbs muscles, plies soft tissue, and unties knots that routinely cause shoulder blades to trip over each other.

Little Jasmine Thai Massage’s skilled practitioners place great emphasis on the merits of the 2,500-year-old tradition of Thai massage that allegedly originated in southeast Asia around the time of Buddha. The traditional Thai massage incorporates guided stretches and slow, rhythmic compressions while the recipient stays completely relaxed. This guided process is designed to combine the benefits of massage, yoga, and meditation to augment blood flow, boost stamina, and vanquish tension caused by poor posture. For weightlifters and those who fulfilled their New Year’s resolution to get fit by having dumbbells surgically attached to their hands, the staff alleviates muscle strain with Swedish massages or delves into stressed sinews with deep-tissue bodywork.