Zen Inspired Spa

I slept like a baby after two visits to this spa.

Ki by Neo Spa (725-6789) located on busy Wilson street in the San Juan area is a quiet refuge from the world. I went there one early evening after work to de-stress. The Zen inspired interiors were like a balm to one's weary soul. Strains of soothing music greet you as you enter their spartan lobby that is done in clean lines of white and grey. Immediately your mind gets uncluttered as you take in the quiet and simple surroundings.

On my first visit there (yes, I've been back and that is why this post is delayed...) I had the signature Ki massage treatment and that was certainly a superb experience. The therapist applied firm and unique strokes that had me asleep after half an hour. The treatment took all of ninety minutes and so you can imagine how relaxed and wobbly my knees felt after the therapist was done with me.

There is a certain "sacredness" if you can call it that, about the treatment rooms at Ki. The over-all ambiance is Zen but it is akin to being in a monastery. Everything is quiet and spotless. The shampoo and body soap you use prior to treatment is scented in ginger and green tea to prepare you for a truly relaxing experience.


Even better, when I returned the second time was the reflexology treatment I had which employed the Ingham method. Unlike Chinese foot reflex which uses the fingers and knuckles, and the Thai reflex method which employs a wooden stick, the Inghan method makes use of the fingers in quick movements muck like a catterpillar creeping on the soles of your feet. Don't get me wrong, it's not ticklish at all! Through this method, all the parts of your feet are stimulated, thus all the organs of your body that have connections at the soles of your feet, are stimulated as well. When the therapist is done with your feet, she moves to your arms (obviously, they really clean your feet prior to treatment) and then finally to your back. Again, as soon as the therapist was done with one foot, I dozed off.

What was most memorable about these treatments was the way I felt even up to two days after. There was certainly a marked difference in my sleep patterns over the next couple of nights after both treatments. I think the mark of an excellent massage is when (barring any life-threatening events...) you are able to savor and feel it's effects even days after the treatment has been done. Such was my experience in this Zen-like sanctuary in the city. I will definitely be back here for more.