WINTER RELIEF

PART II

Opal Center

On a rainy day in January, Opal was a warm
oasis that effectively melted away every last bit of my post-holiday
stress. This four-month-old massage center may not have the ostentatious
waterfalls and congested rotary of clients around its check-in
desk, but us recently converted Opalites like it that way.

Located on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope,
the center, run by two Slopers, licensed massage therapists-owners
Sherry Dietchman and Sarah Falkner, offers only Swedish-based
massages, leaving facials and body wraps to others. Opal, a small
space colored in the semiprecious gem’s pale green and lavender,
is named for the stone that "in Roman times was considered
a very healing stone combining fire and water in the same substance,"
explained Dietchman.

A 70-minute massage is priced at $75, but
where Dietchman adds value is her expert evaluation of the client.
When clients come in, they take off their shoes, fill out a questionnaire
while sitting on a raw silk banquette and have a one-on-one with
the massage therapist.

She wants to know what’s ailing her clients
and will then employ the pertinent modalities – aromatherapy,
reflexology, hot-and-cold therapy, trigger point therapy and
flower essences.

"We try to tailor our sessions so
people come in with particular needs and we tailor everything
we have at our disposal to their needs," explained Dietchman.
The Opal technique truly feels like therapy – mentally and physically.

The proprietors say they have carefully
selected the ambient details to transport their clients toward
serenity and rejuvenation. I was taken into a dimly lit treatment
room, with an Oriental carpet, small stools, a massage bed, classical
music and flickering candles.

Unlike some treatment rooms, Opal’s didn’t have a sink. During
the course of the treatment, a small towel in hot water was wrung
out – and even the trickling sound of the water was a natural,
soothing sound.

Dietchman combined aromatherapy (essential
oils from a plant affecting the body through sense of smell and
through absorption by the skin), some reflexology, and smooth,
heated stones, to melt away the specific aches I complained of
and also some tension knots I hadn’t realized existed in my shoulders
and neck.

For my treatment, lavender and geranium
were mixed into the massage oil with orange – to stop me from
going right to sleep on my lunch hour. Dietchman also used hot
towels and packs to further erase aches and pains.

Dietchman calls herself a "deep worker"
but says that every therapist has his or her own method or style,
so it’s important to communicate with the therapist before and
during the massage about what kind of massage you prefer.

Opal offers Swedish-based massages for
clients looking for general relaxation, sports massage, deep-tissue
massage, medical massage (for injuries and chronic conditions),
prenatal and perinatal massages (with a specially designed, adjustable
cushioning system to support a tummy-down position) and lymphatic
drainage.

Sessions are priced according to length,
no matter how many modalities are employed. Series discounts
are available.

According to Dietchman, Falkner, who mixes the oils onsite, is
"a trained and talented herbalist." A shower is available
for the client’s convenience, but I found the oil was easily
absorbed into the skin. I was given a warm, wet cloth for my
face and a mint tea, and that seemed all I needed to go back
to work in a radically different mood – relaxed, clear-headed
and fortified.

– LJC

Pilo Arts Day Spa

Pilo Arts’ hair salon opened in 1978, and its day spa opened
in 1984 making it the grandmother of Brooklyn spas. Pilo Arts
Day Spa & Salon has its client traffic down to a science.

The bustling, first-floor lobby handles the tremendous number
of clients who come for the extensive manicure, pedicure, makeup,
hair coloring and cutting services. (This hair salon and hand
and foot therapy area was recently renovated with a blend of
Roman and Oriental influences, incorporating rice paper into
the minimalist look.)

Spa clients are sent downstairs to the – currently being redecorated
after hours – spa area. The distinct smells of a hair salon,
and the noise, diminish as you descend the stairs.

The spa is installing a small waterfall into its relaxation room
where lunches are served, explained John Haubrich, Pilo’s director
of operations. There will be a total of nine treatment rooms,
and their current ’80s-style rooms will be updated into a more
current look including new, porcelain bowl sinks rather than
stainless steel "kitchen sinks."

A real added benefit to the Pilo spa prices are the complimentary
shower, sauna, steam, hand paraffin treatment and makeup touchup
included in the service price. Jude LaBarca, Pilo’s CEO, says
the spa has been doing so well, they wanted to give back to the
customer.

(You might want to tell the artists to go light on the makeup
after your facial, when it’s important to let the rosy cheeked
you be exposed.)

I experienced a Pilo Signature facial with Master II aesthetician
Maya. (A facial with a Master I aesthetician is $48, Master II
is $53.) Maya, a 12-year Pilo vet dressed in nurse’s whites,
was pleasant yet still quite serious about the health of my skin
and very knowledgeable about the array of facial product lines
she uses – Decleor, Sothys, Gigi and others.

Each Pilo Arts facial includes cleansing and toning, a warm vaporizing
mist, extractions, a relaxing face, neck and shoulder massage,
customized mask and moisturizer with sunscreen.

Each service also includes a moisturizing, heated hand treatment,
which kept my hands in toasty mitts while Maya performed her
soothing rituals.

Steaming the face during the facial massage has the added benefit
of combating the effects of winter’s cold, biting wind and the
dry, baking indoor heat.

Though I protested the extractions, Maya insisted this was the
only way to get a really clean face as opposed to just a relaxed
face. The extractions – squeezing black heads and white heads
until I squeezed a tear or two – were followed by a startling,
"high frequency" electronic device like a bug zapper
"to eliminate any impurities," Maya explained.

But when that was out of the way, a soothing seaweed mask was
applied and cooling pads set on my eyes, and it was time to meditate
for a few moments.

Gigi products don’t have a lot of perfume and are good for sensitive
skin, said Maya, explaining why she used them on my face. She
recommends facials once a month to keep skin healthy and younger
looking. And truly, upon later examination, my cheeks were pink,
my face was glowing and even the bags under my eyes were diminished.

The half-hour Swedish massage ($40) with Stewart, recommended
for loosening up muscles tightened by winter’s chill, took place
in a large treatment room.

Though he was adept at hitting soothing pressure points on the
face and head and feet, Stewart said an hour-long massage is
standard and gives him time to really relax the whole body. For
a 30-minute service, I’d advise instructing the therapist to
focus on one area – shoulders and neck or legs. Otherwise just
go for the 60-minute massage!

The spa also offers a series discount and there are a number
of discount packages to choose from. Pilo also has an outdoor
garden available to clients in season.

"[Pilo Arts] is the largest day spa in Brooklyn," says
LaBarca. "We have 4,000 clients in Staten Island, so we’re
opening a 7,000-square-foot space there. We hope to be the largest
in Staten Island, too."