Yes, I am naked. I’ve been naked before for massages—but this is my first multistage “treatment.” I decided to try out the new Ivy Spa Club, in Minneapolis’s historic Ivy Tower. The Asiana Journey is one of the spa’s specialties, and it seemed like the perfect way to relax while readying my tired, dry body for its spring debut. The journey begins with a sugar, bamboo, and lychee scrub, which smells clean and fresh. The therapist applies the mix with warm water and long, graceful strokes. I’m just starting to unwind when she instructs me to pick my sugar-coated bod off the table and hop into the shower. This is a bit more invigorating than I prefer for naptime, but okay. My skin is already noticeably smoother than when I started. Rinsed, I lie back down—this time on a large sheet of plastic. After I’m lightly coated with a soothing tea-and-rice-milk lotion, the therapist wraps me in the sheet, which is supposed to help the cream penetrate and soften my skin. The final phase is a 50-minute full-body massage. I’ve been looking forward to this all week! But first we must detach the plastic. This is not pretty. Let’s just say there is a lot of tugging and thrashing about. When the massage finally begins, however, it is heaven: the perfect amount of pressure, with extra time dedicated to my sore calves, and foot reflexology that manages to unravel my entire body. When the “journey” ends, I am glowing and disoriented—in a good way. I don’t know if I went to Asia, but it was definitely worth the trip.
WHAT:
Asiana Journey, a tropical body treatment and massage
WHERE:
Ivy Spa Club
201 11th St. S.,
Minneapolis
612-343-3131
ivyspaclub.com
TIME: 100 minutes
PRICE: $165
