Before the invention of spas, relaxation-seeking humanoids had to find a shiatsu-certified velociraptor without a taste for human flesh. Celebrate the advent of these pampering institutions with today’s Groupon: for $33, you get 30 minutes of hot tubbing, a 30-minute massage, and 30 minutes of sauna time at Shibui Gardens Outdoor Spa in San Anselmo (a $67 value).
Shibui Gardens Outdoor Spa pampers weary minds and fatigued physiques with a multitude of relaxing amenities and services and a tension-taming menu of massages, all within a verdant outdoor setting. Sink tired torsos into the restorative waters of one of two fenced-in hot tubs encircled by bamboo, wisteria, and evergreen security-guard trees. The sizzling sauna induces Scandinavian-style sweat sessions, leaving the body refreshed and glowing with a patina of feel-good perspiration. Nimble-digited massage therapists expertly de-stress deltoids and unloop knotted latissimi with a choice of a 30-minute massage (excludes hot-stone massage). Using continuous, flowing strokes, the ancient Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage strives to unite mind, body, and spirit in a harmonious trio, and the Swedish massage stimulates circulation in order to drive out treacherous factions of muscle-dwelling toxins. The deep-tissue massage boldly liberates bone pillows from the clutches of myofascial restrictions, kneading and stretching out tendons and ligaments to improve posture and help backs gain a competitive edge in upcoming limbo cage matches.
Shibui Gardens Outdoor Spa
The experienced massage therapists at Shibui Gardens Outdoor Spa vanquish stress with a multitude of relaxing massage services augmented by steamy sauna and hot-tub sessions. Flower-lined brick walkways encased by thick foliage wind through the spa's insulated downtown San Anselmo expanse, which is dotted with wooden structures housing two private massage rooms and open-roofed hot tubs boasting clear views of clouds or flocks of soaring pterodactyls.