For centuries mankind has envied pizza dough and wondered how we too could be kneaded to relaxed, savory states without paying for the luxury of being escorted via wooden paddle to a Sicilian brick oven. Be pounded into the shape of relaxation with today's Groupon: for $49, you get a 60-minute massage at Origins Thai Spa in Herndon (up to a $100 value). View the available styles here.
At Origins Thai Spa, certified massage therapists blend Eastern and Western philosophies for tailored, integrative massages that alleviate aches and support healthful lifestyles. After selecting from a diverse roster of massage styles, clients lay amid soft golden lights, which illuminate burnt-ocher walls and a peaceful painting of lily petals relaxing at the beach. The traditional Thai massage employs stretching, passive joint movement, and acupressure therapy to release tension and unclog blocked energy along 10 major bodily freeways. Clients remain fully clothed during the treatment, and sprawl out on a mattress positioned on the floor. Expectant mothers can treat themselves with a maternity massage designed to target aches, muscle tension, and general discomfort stemming from pregnancy. During a deep-tissue massage, therapists spelunk into difficult knots and aches, resolving stiffness or muscle strain with intensive therapy and managing chronic aches with increased blood flow and a regiment of cathartic chick flicks. An aromatherapy massage blends essential oils to suit each client's needs, whether revitalizing the body or soothing a frazzled mind. Combined with therapeutic kneading, oils from rosemary to clary sage meander through nasal glands and pores to unravel stress, dispel negative energy, and leave bodies as relaxed as a rubber band in a hot bubble bath.
As an added bonus, Groupon customers will receive a $30 credit toward their second visit if within 60 days of their first visit.
Origins Thai Spa
On their quest to help their clients achieve good health, the therapists at Origins Thai Spa deploy a careful blend of 14 Eastern and Western massage techniques. Most of their practice revolves around Thai massage, which combines deep stretching and acupressure with pressure from the therapist’s elbows, knees, and feet to activate the body's 10 major energy channels. Alternatively, Eastern-inspired ayurvedic massage uses three different oils to trigger the three doshas, or the body's three main energy pathways. During the four-hands couples massage, two therapists work on one client at the same time, using four hands to help improve circulation, promote relaxation, and inspire as many as eight high-fives.