A 7-Hour Extravagance

Townhouse Spa Takes Massage to New Lengths

To most massage devotees, a 90-minute deep tissue is a perfectly reasonable and justifiable indulgence. But to James Kim, a therapist at Townhouse Spa in New York, a mere 90-minutes barely scrapes the surface of tension. Instead, he books his treatments for 420-minutes. That’s right, a 7-hour massage!

The basis behind the time-intensive massage is that in seven hours Kim believes he can get into every muscle, including those in the throat, ears, and stomach. Not to worry, bathroom, snack, and water breaks are permitted.

More than a full body rubdown, the massage is a meditation, during which tension in both the body and mind is unmangled and released. The treatment is an intense six-step experience that manipulates all of the body’s muscles using a combination of long deep tissue strokes, back walking, scalp massage, aromatherapy, Thai stretching, and reflexology.

The massage will cost you ($945), but Kim, whose hands (and feet) boast 15 years of massage experience, is a hot commodity. He travels around the country to tame the knots of some of America’s most prized athletes and business people. If you are lucky, your seven-hour body bliss can be squeezed in on one of his few days at the spa “Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday. Believe me, for 420-minutes of heaven, it’s worth every penny. For more information call (212) 845-8006 or visit www.townhousespa.com