Ambassador’s Corner: Castle Hill Fitness
This Ambassador corner reviews a recovery session that you are overdue for and need in your life. It is important whether you’re settling into a back-to-school routine with the family, absorbing the everyday stressors that come along with living in a pandemic or just seeking to offset all the chronic conditions a less than ergonomic work setup brings to the forefront (seriously, check your posture right now).
My tip is to find the Castle Hill Fitness location nearest to you and plug into the exceptional and unique experiences it has to offer. I made my way to the 360 location for my recovery session at the full spa — and guess what? No membership is required to access these amazing spa services.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick shout-out to you rockstars who generously contributed in supporting efforts to stock the Central Texas Food Bank and their mission to respond to the ongoing presence of food insecurity in Austin. We are truly grateful to each of you for answering the call and partaking in the movement to increase food access to those who are in need.
About Castle Hill Fitness
Exceptional customer service is the first thing that jumped out when I entered the facility. The staff at the front desk warmly greeted me and started me off with an efficient and seamless check-in for my first ever ashiatsu massage. I received a brief tour of the facilities, then I was directed to the changing room (the robe was so soft).
So you’ve never had a barefoot massage before? Do it. Schedule it right now — you’ve earned it! It’s worth every breath it takes … wait, I mean every breath you take. Just go, you’ll see what I mean and it’s fantastic!
Annie was my massage therapist who guided me through a first-class ashiatsu massage experience. The intensity of my ashiatsu massage was similar to a sports or deep tissue massage. However, in my experience, those massages are just 45-60 minutes of pain that is a means to an end. I’m always waiting for that release or a relaxation benefit from sports and deep tissue massages to kick in, but it’s just pain that follows. Well, this was not the case for my ashiatsu massage with Annie.
The pressure was firm, and by firm I mean intense — but after each time Annie moved along a specific pressure point, there was a release that created the most pleasant and relaxing sensation. It was a true “ooh ah” feeling. My favorites were when Annie worked around my scapula and when she worked on the arches of my feet — sweet relief, people!
The most challenging moments were when Annie massaged my quadriceps and iliotibial bands. I’m serious — I’m quite confident that the AFM media team saw a tear trickle down the side of my face and into my mask. Maybe a couple of tears.
What I found most enlightening were Annie’s explanations as she moved along my body. She explained where I was carrying tension and the benefits I may receive from the increase in blood flow circulation. Even the aroma of the massage oils and gels enhanced my experience. The poignant smell of lavender was present, and a hint of what I would describe as wild yam awakened my olfactory organs, it was quite nice!
Also, in addition to scented and unscented offerings, there is an option for a CBD add-on to enhance your massage. As COVID-19 cases are rising, I appreciate Castle Hill Fitness taking measures to protect each individual in their community and supporting masking while in their space. In addition to the cleanliness of their facilities, this precaution made a positive impact on my experience.
Thank you, Annie, for an amazing ashiatsu introduction, and to Amy for allowing us to visit and to the Castle Hill Community for sharing the love. If you read this far, the only thing left to do is schedule your massage. Ready? Break!
