Redmond, WA Spa and Massage

Driven by core values that include empathy and accountability, the staffers of Lake Union Wellness cultivate optimal health in their clients through natural and holistic methods. Licensed chiropractors and massage therapists address aches, mobility issues, and alignment problems with deep-tissue massages and spinal therapy, not drugs, surgery, or tickling. The practitioners promote ongoing wellness in clients by guiding them toward strength-building exercises, therapeutic stretches, and nutrition coaching. Even as they do serious work, Lake Union’s staffers maintain a lighthearted, friendly environment, seeking to build long-term relationships with clients. Perks such as free parking and evening appointment times make the experience as relaxed as Barry White’s answering-machine greeting.

New Seattle Massage is a curious name for a massage-therapy center that has been in business for more than three decades. It makes sense, however, as a reference to the center’s innovative business model. More than 25 licensed therapists own and run the cooperative space, giving them the freedom to practice their specialties as they see fit. These specialties span the body as well as the globe. Deep-tissue and sports massages draw on Western principles to heal injured muscles with targeted pressures. This contrasts with Eastern modalities such as japanese shiatsu and chinese acupressure, which shift the focus away from specific muscle groups to balance the flow of energy throughout the body.

New Seattle Massage’s cooperative business structure also affords access to amenities that few therapists could offer individually. The center’s sauna and steam room help flush away any toxins that remain after soothing massages, and complimentary showers give clients chances to loosen their throat muscles with booming operatic solos.

Doctor of Chiropractic Jenni Ricker, a graduate of Palmer College, opened The Health and Wellness Clinic with the goal of helping people heal by offering a collaborative approach to natural medicine. Together with a team of licensed massage therapists, acupuncturists, and a naturopathic physician, Dr. Ricker cares for patients during all stages of life. Before birth, prenatal massage and chiropractic care ease the burdens of mothers-to-be and babies alike. As children grow, Dr. Ricker helps promote good posture, improve spinal health, and reduce strain with adolescent chiropractic services. Adults enjoy a full suite of treatments including medically managed weight loss, traditional Chinese medicine, and chiropractic adjustments.

The highly trained professionals at Enchante Day Spa and Salon strive to relax clients while providing them with beneficial skin and body treatments. Aestheticians coddle faces with lavish services that include cleansing, exfoliation, and customized masks. Massage therapists specialize in 11 modalities of massage that help to dissolve away stress, and spa specialists can further purify bodies with detoxification treatments and nutritional advice. On the salon side of Enchante, clients can take advantage of makeup services, hair care, waxing treatments, and mani-pedis.

Joe Lavin, a licensed massage therapist, and Wendy Lavin, a licensed physical therapist, combined their anatomical knowledge to develop the Power of Touch Workshop. The aim of the couples-focused workshop is to foster a lifelong affinity for massage, letting participants both practice massage techniques and experience massage benefits at the hands of their partner. With a low student-to-teacher ratio, sessions promise adequate individual attention and an intimate environment in which to knead away knots and loosen spines. After the workshop, students not only come away with a deeper appreciation for massage and joints looser than a broken door handle, but they also receive lifetime access to Power of Touch’s alumni area, a network of massage resources that includes videos, articles, and additional workshops.

Like a cake, Napolitano Day Spa Salon is made up of layers, each as tempting as the last. At first glance, the Spa Salon appears to be a boutique. In its orange-walled entrance room, wooden tables and racks showcase clothing, accessories, and beauty products to a soundtrack of modern music. As clients journey past one of the center's two burbling fountains, they enter the salon space, where a team of stylists customizes hair with fashionable cuts and flattering colors. Farther back still, past the bustling stylist stations, is a haven of peace embodied by private spa-treatment rooms, soothing music, and a relaxation room filled with complimentary tea and flattering whispers.

Awarded Seattle Met's Best Facial of 2008, the spa refines visages with nine options that harness Dermalogica and Jan Marini products. Each one comes with a personalized routine for home care, an herbal foot soak with lavender and rosemary, and their signature recipe of non-invasive clinical therapies. Meanwhile, French seaweed, algae, and personalized aromatherapy lend body wraps and massages a touch of nourishment and help clients to prepare for dates with handsome lake monsters.