Shibui Spa At The Greenwich Hotel: The New Yorker's Luxury Getaway

At Shibui Spa in TriBeCa, get ready to indulge in authentic Japanese treatments that promise to heal your body and mind.

It all started with my old friend, Anxiety. When he rears his ugly head on days that end in Y, a level of pain ripples through my shoulders and makes itself at home. Only one thing relieves it - massages! So when I found myself with a crick in my neck and a knot in my spine, I knew there was only one answer: a traditional Japanese treatment.

After receiving a massage at Manhattan's Shibui Spa, I discovered a kind of relief I didn’t know existed. So if you’re a lover of massages and have ever been on the fence about visiting Japan, trust me. When you’re done reading this, you’ll be ready to book your plane ticket.

I usually get a 90-minute massage when my pain is extra bad. It’s more of a treat than a necessity, mostly because it’s more expensive. But the luxury of Shibui Spa was so enticing, I took the plunge and used the "I’m on vacation" excuse to reward myself. Over the course of a week, I indulged in four different treatments: two 90-minute massages and two 60-minute ones.

Let me tell you about these four treatments I had at that spa throughout the week.

Traditional Japanese Shiatsu – With Clothes – 90 Minutes

If you’re craving a relaxing, full body massage, but prefer to keep your clothes on, then this ninety minute traditional Japanese massage will definitely hit the spot for you. Literally. It amazed me how the massage therapist managed to hit those difficult spots even over my clothes.

My massage therapist used ancient Japanese massage techniques using her hands, knees, legs - and even her feet - to stretch and maneuver me into these twisted positions, essentially turning me into an acrobat without the effort. Every stretch, every maneuver… I mean, I didn’t even know my body could bend like that. And in the blink of an eye, it was like those knots evaporated.

And trust me, ninety minutes won’t seem long enough once they get going. It not only relieved the tension in my muscles, but suddenly I could rotate my neck further than before. I even regained the flexibility in my rotator cuff that I hadn’t experienced in years. It’s a physical and mental treat, one you’ll be trying to schedule into your calendar again and again. I mean, I literally did just that. And... this massage is what led to me trying out all the other services Shibui Spa had to offer.

Omakase: Shibui’s Signature Massage – No Clothes – 90 Minutes

I was ready to take the plunge with this one, and I’m so happy I did. If the 90 minute Traditional Japanese Shiatsu with clothes was great, I couldn’t wait to strip away the barriers between my muscles and my therapist's toolbox, aka her hands. Initially, I was slightly nervous about doing this without clothes on, mainly because I was in New York City. However, Shibui Spa went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, ensuring the entire experience was completely private.

Over the course of an hour and a half, the therapist worked away, her technique gentle, yet firm, alleviating tension I didn’t know still existed in my body. It was like the energy was activated beneath my skin sending vibrations down my body.

As an added benefit, the high-quality oil used throughout the massage removed the friction, allowing my massage therapist to dig even deeper. The entire experience created this air of relaxation. This massage was more than just a vacation treat, it reminded me of a different, healthier way of life, which is the entire goal of a Japanese massage: breathe, relax, and move.

Traditional Chinese Reflexology – 60 Minutes

Our feet don’t just take us from A to B, they carry the weight of the world we hold inside us. Regardless of whether you spend your entire day on your feet, at work, or like me, frolicking across the sand on vacation, the 60 minute foot massage was practically a spiritual experience.

The therapists here specialize in reflexology, which essentially means they apply the perfect amount of pressure to points on your feet that are believed to be connected to different organs and parts of your body. Regardless of whether or not you believe in that, you don’t need to be a spiritualist, or even a doctor, to recognize that there are benefits to this type of work.

Going in, I expected the foot massage at Shibui Spa to be my least favorite. Strangers touching my feet? Eek. I mean, I didn’t even have pain in my feet. And yet, within five minutes, it was clear that this was going to be my favorite treatment. Foot massages are known to increase blood flow and circulation, which moves oxygen to the rest of the cells in your body. And seriously, half way through, I was convinced that my breath was deepening, that my lungs were expanding.

I also get occasional migraines, like once a month. They’re not as debilitating as some people, but enough that I need a solid sleeping pill to get through it. In the weeks after this experience, I found that my headaches settled and softened, not flaring up in the slightest. Probably most surprisingly, this foot massage improved my whole mood. Apparently they can also lower blood pressure and help with anxiety, and while I may need a few more sessions to see that, I honestly believe it. One thing is for sure, after this foot massage, I had one of the best nights of sleep ever.

Healing Birch Massage – 60 Minutes

Have you ever gotten a full body massage, only to tell them to focus on your upper back area, near your shoulders and neck? Yeah, that’s typically me. That anxiety thing. When I’m stressed, I scrunch up my shoulders, forget to breathe, and hello knots and pain! I also have poor posture, so that doesn’t help. For that reason, I was probably most excited for the 60 minute post-workout massage. An entire hour just to focus on the area that’s the most painful? Yes, please.

My massage therapist went to town on the knots in my neck–tapping, prodding, rolling–pretty much any verb you could think of. The stiffness not only dissipated, but I could literally feel the knots flatten out. And at one point, I swear that the therapist literally took the knot and moved it down my shoulder blade, through my arm, and out my fingertips.

Needless to say, my pain not only vanished, but my spine felt straighter and my posture better. The best part of all of it? I suddenly regained mobility in my neck, flexibility I had thought I’d lost with age. Turns out these cricks aren’t just about old age, and they can actually be relieved with a little effort. By the end of the session, I discovered that it was actually normal to be able to swivel my neck side to side without feeling shooting pain down my back.

Final thoughts? Shibui Spa is my new best friend in Manhattan, so I may be moving to New York some time in the future...