Vita Vivante

Looking for a romantic retreat where you and your spouse can get away with from your everyday stressors and just relax together?  Or want to spend some quality time with someone special?  Or interested in introducing massage to your significant other or a close friend, but not sure they’ll be comfortable on their own their first time?

All great reasons to reserve Massage for Two in our new Couples Suite!

During Massage for Two, the couple is escorted together to our Couples Suite by their massage therapists.  The suite has two separate massage tables - one for each person - and, just as in our individual sessions, each person will have a chance to consult with his or her therapist to ensure that your specific needs are addressed during this session.  Some couples talk together during treatment, but many mostly remain quiet to enjoy a more relaxing experience.

Couples massage is not limited to romantic couples only.  Moms and daughters, sisters, or girlfriends schedule Massage for Two to share the relaxation experience together.  Its a great treat particularly for someone you don’t get to see very often - you both get to rejuvenate AND spend some time together.

Our Couples Suite will be open for reservations starting in mid-January.  We can’t wait for you to experience this delightful indulgence for both of you.  And for January only, we’ll be offering Massage for Two at our current Couples Package discount - just $120 for two 60 minute massages in our Couples Suite.

When I was in massage school, I experienced many different types of massages and learned all kinds of theories about what works and why.  None of this makes much impact though without hands on experience. From the very first moment that I experienced Cranial-Sacral Therapy, I was hooked. This very gentle modality has had a profound effect on me and my health.

Cranial-Sacral Therapy helps to relieve many chronic pain issues including, headaches, migraines, chronic neck and back pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, TMJ Syndrome, scoliosis.   As indicated by the name Cranial (meaning head) and Sacral (end of the spine, tailbone), it is most effective in these areas. However, it has been found to help with issues all over the body.

Everyday you endure stresses and strains and your body absorbs them. After a while these stresses become too much for the body, causing pain and tightness in the tissues.  Cranial-sacral releases those tensions deep in the body to relieve that pain and improve the whole body’s health and performance.   Because it is so gentle, cranial-sacral is effective for all ages, from newborns to elders.  Sessions last about an hour and you remain fully clothed as you lie on the table.   These sessions are generally deeply relaxing for the client. The therapist will use delicate movements to help release the problem areas.

As I have been practicing cranial sacral, I have found my appreciation for this amazing modality increase with each session. I am constantly amazed at our body’s ability to heal itself if we just give it the chance. If you are suffering from chronic headaches, jaw pain, etc… think about trying a Cranial Sacral session. It could change your life.

If you look at most spa menus you will see that massages are scheduled for 50 minutes or 80 minutes.
At Vita Vivante, our menu says 60 or 90 minutes.

Ever wondered why?  Is it possible that 10 minutes can make a difference?

With traditional spa scheduling – the 50 minute treatment time is 1 hour of booked time. It actually works like this…..each appointment is only allotted one hour, within that hour the client is greeted, asked to describe their physical needs and medical conditions, then the client must undress and then the massage starts. At the end of the massage, the therapist must leave time for the client to dress and then reset the room completely before the next guest comes in.  As you can see, the 1 hour appointment, actually comes down to about 40-45 minutes of actual hands-on time.

As a therapist, I was frequently frustrated by the feeling that I couldn’t do justice to my clients needs within that time frame. It takes the average person about 10-15 minutes just to “wind down”. By the time, you begin to drift off, time is already running out. That is why in scheduling our massages at Vita Vivante, we felt it was really important both for the client and for the therapist that appointments be scheduled to accommodate an entire hour of hands-on time, so we book “hour” treatments with 75 minutes of booked time.   We want you to have time to address all your concerns and help you slip into blissful relaxation.

The difference in time may sound like only 10 minutes, but we believe you will feel the difference.

Just in time for Holiday gift-giving, our BareMinerals & MD Formulations starter kits are back in stock!

The spa has carried Bare Escentuals and MD Formulations since before Susan, Gary & I took ownership in September.  Since none of us were personally familiar with the line, we wanted to be sure the quality was up to our expectations before we restocked.  We quickly discovered that women are passionate about these products, and for good reason!  Susan & I both switched to MD Formulations and Bare Minerals as a test and noticed a difference right away in our appearance - and surprisingly a couple of days later even Gary was asking us what we were doing differently to look so young.  If we weren’t sold before, that certainly did the trick!

The mineral foundation is the lightest and most natural-looking I’ve ever worn, and very quick and easy to apply.  Our estheticians tell me that mineral makeup is great for the skin too - naturally antibacterial to help prevent acne, won’t clog the pores of the skin, and have natural sunscreens to help prevent damage and aging.  The starter kits make it a piece-of-cake to get a great look for just $59 - there’s two shades of foundation powder, a complexion booster for all-over color, and the super-magic Mineral Veil that somehow makes me feel like I could be on the cover of Vogue (well, maybe Self)!  Plus, you get the brushes you need and a how-to dvd (which I did finally watch, but I’m a learn-as-I-go girl and the “swirl, tap, buff” instruction on the outside of the box was enough for me).

The MD Formulations Solutions Kits are also a great way to get started with a new skin care regime for anti-aging or dull and dry skin.  The smaller sizes are great for travel, but provide enough product that I’ve been using mine consistently twice-a-day for more than a month!

I’m also very excited that we’ll be adding both lines to our treatment menus.  In addition to our regular dermalogica European Facial, we’ll be using MD Formulations for Anti-Aging and Illuminating facials.  The Anti-Aging Facial is great for less visible lines and wrinkles, smoother skin, increased firmness and an all-over youthful glow.  It’s recommended for normal or combination skin.  The Illuminating facial evens out skin tones, decreases discolorations and also helps reduce lines and wrinkles for dry or very dry skin.  Plus, our estheticians will be doing makeup application to help you select products for a great everyday look or for special occasions.  Watch for a coupons in December to try out these new offerings - perfect to look your best for holiday gatherings!

When I first heard about semi-permanent eyelash extensions a few years ago, I was intrigued… now that I’ve been wearing  them for a couple of months, I’m absolutely addicted!

My natural eyelashes are dark, but very straight and not particularly long and luscious.  I used to curl them and apply mascara to get the look I liked… actually, when my schedule became very busy after we bought Vita Vivante, I had pretty much abandoned the whole process since it took too much time in the mornings, and I’d just have to repeat it mid-day after a run and shower.  Now I roll out of bed looking “made-up” - a quick brush of foundation, a little blush and lip gloss and I’m out the door!  And the best part is that the extensions look so natural that it takes careful inspection to convince anyone they’re not… these are definitely not the over-the-top fake lashes most people think of.  It just looks like I have a touch of mascara on my “naturally” long and beautiful lashes.  Perfect.

The initial application takes an hour and a half and I was a little worried about it going in… I don’t even use eye drops because I’m squeemish about anything near my eyes.   But Sarah is very reassuring to work with and since all of the application is done with the eyes closed, it’s really much easier than it sounds.  The extensions are single lashes that are glued individually to several of your natural lashes.  The glued lashes stay in place until the natural lash falls out at the end of its lifespan - a single lash could last two months or more.  I found that I didn’t need touchup to fill in lost lashes until after about 4 weeks.   And because so many of the first set had stayed in place, my touch-up resulted in even a thicker, longer set of lashes than the initial application!  Very cool.

So now that Susan and I have both seen for ourselves how terrific these extensions are for everyday wear, getting the pricing affordable for more than just supermodels was a high priority.  Negotiations with our vendors and the addition of another esthetician who specializes in eyelash extensions means we can really give our clients a bargain on this new beauty essential - just $225!  Plus watch the website for a $75 off coupon for December so you can try them out and see how amazing they are.

(And since we’ve had inquiries, we’re also looking at some even lower-cost temporary options just for one-time special occasions - holiday parties, weddings, photo shoots.  Thanks for your feedback!)

Thanks for checking out our blog!

It’s the latest online convenience Vita Vivante offers our clients, and we hope you will find it to be a wealth of information in the coming months.  In case you haven’t had a chance to explore our webspace, I’d love to point out a few other features designed to make your life a bit easier and your day a little more relaxing!

Instant Gift Certificates:

We are so pleased to be able to offer instant emailed gift certificates to our clients 24-hours-a-day!  They are easy to order and a joy to receive.

Online Appointment Booking:

Check on the availability of your favorite therapist or esthetician from your desk and schedule your appointment with just a couple of clicks.

Online Shopping:

Our new online store is great for holiday gift purchases or an easy way to get your gifts, skincare or body care without the hassle of trudging through the mall.  We offer free shipping on all orders over $75 and you can even schedule free pickup at our retail location in Rancho Bernardo.

Vita Vivante Newsletter:

We email terrific money-saving offers and news of upcoming events twice monthly to our list of subscribers.  And we never spam or sell your information to anyone else.