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VANCOUVER SUN OCTOBER 20-26, 2005. (INDULGE SECTION)

GETTING STONED AND FEELING FABULOUS

by Joanne Blain

SPA WARM STONES, COOL STONES FROM HEAD TO BETWEEN TOES STARTLE AND EXHILERATE AND LEAVE YOU SO SOOTHED YOU'RE INCOHERENT.

I've been between a rock and a hard place before, but never between a fluffy white towel and a constellation of warm stones.

Until last week that is, when I found myself lying on a bed of flat, smooth stones at Spruce Body Lab. This new-comer on Yaletown's spa scene offers a variety of skin care and massage treatments including La Stone therapy, a modern version of an ancient technique that uses warm basalt and cool marble stones to relax muscles and stimulate circulation.

I had no idea what I was in for when my soft-spoken massage therapist, Dave, led me down Spruce's polished concrete corridor into a treatment room. All I could think about was a photo I'd seen years ago in People magazine of Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a halter top that exposed a back covered with a bunch of round, red splotches- the result, we readers of celebrity schlock were told, of a rather exuberant hot- stone massage.

I had visions of being scarred for life, but Dave assured me that any redness would be only temporary and that it was actually a good sign, since it indicated an increase in blood circulation. I trusted him that I wouldn't emerge looking like a bunch of tiny alien space ships had landed on my back.

I sat up on the massage table while Dave carefully laid out a pattern of warm stones, then guided me back down onto it. The idea of lying on a bunch of stones might sound about as appealing as reclining on a bed of nails, but it's surprisingly comfy. The flat stones cradled my spine and within a few minutes, I almost forgot they were there- I just felt warm and relaxed.

One more stone went on my forehead, of "third eye" - one of the seven charkas or energy centers of the body. I was as well versed in charkas as I was in hot-stone therapy, but Dave explained that the "third eye" relates to personal insight. And wouldn't you know it, at that very moment I was struck by the revelation that having a warm stone on my forehead felt really nice, and that I should just close my eyes and enjoy it.

Another pair of warm stones went in my hands, then Dave laid a line of cool ones up the centre of my torso. Then eight warm ones went between my toes, which felt weird but wonderful- perhaps I was a duck in a previous life.

I felt great already, but then Dave slathered my legs in lavender-scented oil and started to massage them with more warm stones held in the palms of his hands. One stroke with the stone equals 10 with the hands alone, he explained, creating a deep muscle massage and reducing the wear and tear on the therapist. I'm glad to hear it was good for you too, Dave.

On my tension-plagued neck and shoulders, he followed the warm stone with a cool marble one, to send blood rushing to the area and then to chase it away. The "vascular gymnastics", I was told, help the circulatory system flush out toxins and heal itself, all while I was lying there doing nothing. The grand finale, played out on my back, involved a technique called "the sun chasing the moon"- a massage with a warm stone immediately followed by a cool one, creating a sensation that is both startling and exhilarating.

There really should be a mandatory test after a La Stone treatment to see if you can remember your name, where you parked your car and how to form a sentence. My brain felt almost as Gumby-like as my body as I emerged into Spruce's spare but chic lobby. I was stoned, and I felt fabulous.

TIME TO RELAX

The Treatment: La Stone massage therapy.

Where: Spruce Body Lab, 1128 Richards St., 604-683-3220, website www.sprucebodylab.com

How Much: $115 for 60 minutes, $145 for 90 minutes

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