via Ritz-Carlton Hotel St. Louis
The Missouri Black Walnut massage uses tools crafted from local wood.
There’s a massage therapist in my family, so I’ve been getting body work since I was a tween. I’ve had a massage in India (lots of oil, plastic on the table, NO draping) and plenty of spa treatments of the hot stone and salt scrub variety. But I’ve never experienced something like the Ritz-Carlton’s brand-new Missouri Black Walnut massage.
See also: St. Louis Ritz-Carlton Opens New Massage Center, Spa
The treatment was developed as part of the hotel’s recent renovation of its fitness and massage center, and it brings the locavore trend into the therapy room in a way that transformed my idea of massage. Locally sourced, locally crafted, and frankly gorgeous Missouri Black Walnut wood tools of varying shapes and sizes are kept in a warmer and used as extensions of the therapist’s hands. The massage also incorporates elements of Thai Yoga massage, with the therapist bending and stretching the body to release tension. The sequence of strokes was developed by ESPA, a British luxury spa and facial care products company that partners with the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, the only source for ESPA products in Missouri.
The massage is billed as being fast-paced, and I would agree. The tools are mostly used in long, fast-flowing strokes that stretch the fascia (connective tissue that surrounds muscles) and trigger points (key spots that hold tons of muscle tension). At times it felt intense, but as with any massage, communicating any discomfort and desires to your therapist is key to a great experience. My muscles were relaxed afterwards precisely because they’d been deeply stretched as well as massaged.
The treatment is a unique indulgence that’s full of wonderful sensations – imagine a stroke that starts at your ankle, travels up your leg and the side of your spine, then careens around your shoulder to end at your neck. Imagine another one that involves your leg being lifted and massaged from underneath with warmed wood. This is not one of those massages where you float off to outer space and stay there for hours, but it left me both relaxed and refreshed. Given half a chance or a special occasion, I’d eagerly indulge in it again.
The Missouri Black Walnut massage is available exclusively at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in St. Louis and costs $205 (gratuity not included). Spa hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Heidi Dean is a writer and stay-at-home mom to a preschooler. You can read more of her work on her blog Mama-Come-Lately.
