Skip the ship massage....

[Jayjoans]

Hey cruisers, I just got back from Cozumel after a week's dive trip. I initially took an introduction to SCUBA off of an RCCL cruise ship a couple of years ago, and have been back twice since on RCCL ships. That first intro to SCUBA course has turned into a family affair of certified divers, 5 of the 6 in our family are now certified and plan trips to Cozumel to dive.

 

This last trip I was introduced to Sally, (or CozSally on the boards) by our dive operator that has a standing appt. for a weekly massage. 4 of us in our group opted to take advantage of a massage from Sally, and I immediately thought of all the times I had been on a cruise ship and overpaid for a mediocre massage.

 

Do yourself a favor and skip the ship's overpriced and underqualified spa services and see Sally if you have time in Cozumel. I'm 6'5" 250# and there is nothing like a 95# lady with magic feet walking on your back :-) She is highly qualified, very professional and is a really nice person too! All 4 of us reported that she had given us one of the best massages we've ever had. She's not far from downtown, we walked it easily.

 

This is the antedote to those hard cruise ship mattresses.

[bruce-r]

Who did you dive with and where did you stay? We just got from a week there too. Stayed at Caribe Blu and I was diving with Blue XT Sea. It was a great week, but my wife has decided that a week in Cozumel, so next time we'll be going for at least 10 days.

 

Now we need the antedote for Cozumel withdrawl.

[flashdog_1]

And how do we find Sally in Cozumel, since she can't advertise on the boards?

[Jayjoans]

Bruce, we were at Casa Mexicana and dove with Christi too. I think we bumped into each other a few times during the week, once in Caleta that day that was pretty rough and again at intervals two different days. We were the group of 6 on our own boat, 3 older guys and 3 sons.

If I recall you were with another single guy and a couple. (we referred to mr. couple as "hawaiian shirt")

 

We LOVED the Casa Mexicana, it was so nice to just come downstairs and be in the middle of everything, and getting picked up almost literally across the street at a pier was really great. They had a delicious full buffet breakfast every morning, "meat locker" quality A/C in the room, cable TV with some english channels, a internet hotspot in the lobby and excellent service. Christi was right on when she set up the CM for our group. We were 3 rooms up high on the oceanfront and woke up to beautiful views of the water and cruise ships. Obviously there was no beachfront, but we were absolutely whupped after diving each day, it was all we could to come back and shower, nap and plan our next meal :-)

 

I hear ya on the withdrawals, but it was great to be home with the family on Christmas Eve.

[El Coz - Antonio]

If you have a chance see Sally, she's a wonderful person, and although I haven't gotten a massage from here, I have heard many people rave about her in Cozumel and on all the web boards. She also does a stand up job in the community with Chrysalis helping out alot of underpriviledged children, putting them through school. Try barefootincozumel dot com.

[bruce-r]

Bruce, we were at Casa Mexicana and dove with Christi too. I think we bumped into each other a few times during the week, once in Caleta that day that was pretty rough and again at intervals two different days. We were the group of 6 on our own boat, 3 older guys and 3 sons.

If I recall you were with another single guy and a couple. (we referred to mr. couple as "hawaiian shirt")

OK, now I know your group. I felt sorry for you about the boat motor problem. Would you believe the boat owner still wanted to charge Christi a full rental fee, even after the motor died?

 

We stayed at Caribe Blu. The rooms probably aren't quite as nice as Casa Mexicana, but being right on the water was pretty important to my non-diving wife and kids.

[CozSally]

Thank you everyone. Hope you had a great New Year's celebration! 2006 promises to be completely different...

[eangel12]

Where can we find her? I definitely would like a great massage. The ones I get in my area are so so at best!

[CoachTerry14]

The website is very informative. Just type in Barefoot in Cozumel. I wonder if Sally could explain the Reiki massage a little more.

[CozSally]

Thank you Terry, I'd be happy to. Would you prefer a private message or should I post a description here?

[CoachTerry14]

Thank you Terry, I'd be happy to. Would you prefer a private message or should I post a description here?

Here would be great.

[CozSally]

Reiki is not so much a massage as it is an energy therapy. In a one hour Reiki session, the client lies face up on a massage table, fully clothed. The Reiki practitioner places her hands in various positions on the client for three to five minutes each, beginning at the head and moving towards the feet. As a twelve year practitioner, I personally use a combination of the “classic” hand positions and ones I have learned are most relaxing to my clients. In addition, intuition plays a key role. Frequently I am drawn to areas of the body that my clients later tell me were sore or particularly tense. About halfway through the session, the client turns face down and I work from feet to head.

 

What does the client feel? Well, that varies from person to person. At the very least, the client will feel the practitioner’s hand go from a normal temperature to very hot, and back to normal, as a cycle that occurs with each hand position. The heat is an indicator that energy is moving through the practitioner’s palms. Others report feeling waves of energy pulsating through their bodies, or tingling sensations. With eyes closed, some clients report seeing a show of colors on their eyelids.

 

The sense of relaxation that accompanies Reiki is very deep. It works on the physical, emotional and spiritual level. After an hour of Reiki, in addition to physical relaxation, one experiences a deeper sense of calm and peace.

 

To be honest, in this day and age, most people prefer massage. After a Reiki session, some may not be sure anything really happened since their muscles were not kneaded; they don’t have that feeling of having had tissue physically manipulated. The effects of Reiki are subtler, and best appreciated by people with a keen sense of body awareness, from professional dancers to people who meditate regularly. That said, I am frequently surprised by the people who get off my table and express a feeling of balance and renewal.

 

I hope that answers most of your questions. If not, please reply and I’ll do my best to explain further.

[scootepie66]

Because of the wonderful reviews we are booked to get a massage while we are in port. Can't wait!!