Linger a Day Longer at Osmosis Day Spa

ED Walsh READ TIME: 5 MIN.

The Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary is taking relaxation and rejuvenation to a whole new level.

About 90 minutes north of San Francisco in picturesque Sonoma County, Osmosis Day Spa is installing a field of hammocks on its six-acre creekside property. The hammocks, along with a zero gravity chair, will undoubtedly be one more element that will keep the repeat clientele coming back for more.

Besides the opportunity to take a power hammock nap in one of the most beautiful spots in California, the spa offers 19 different treatments. It is most famous for its cedar enzyme bath. Osmosis Day Spa founder Michael Stusser pioneered the bath in the US after seeing it used in Japan. Through the natural fermentation process, the enzyme bath stays hot. The treatment is akin to a mud bath but with a much softer and less gritty feel on your skin.

People who get a treatment at the spa don't just get it and go. They tend to linger. And for good reason. The centerpiece of the property is a Japanese tea garden that in itself is a work of art. And with the newly installed field of hammocks, folks will find even more reason to linger longer.

It's hard to believe, but Stusser, Osmosis' owner, literally created the spa from junk. When he bought the property over 25 years ago, it was a junkyard. There are still some tasteful remnants of the property's past. A couple of formerly junked train cabooses serve as the spa's office space and an old utility truck that used to be junk, now serves as an accent piece to the property's stunning landscaping.

Osmosis Day Spa is one of the greenest spas in the world. It even has its own wetlands area where it recycles water for irrigation. Osmosis Day Spa is also a founding member of the Green Spa Network, a non-profit trade organization devoted to bringing sustainable practices to the spa industry. The spa has also been honored by its neighbors. The Business Environmental Alliance of Sonoma County has recognized Osmosis with its prestigious Best Practices Award.

Osmosis Day Spa has long embraced the gay community. General Manager Kirtis Johnson is openly gay and the spa has used a same-sex couple in its advertising. The spa is also about a 20-minute drive from the gay-friendly Russian River area, making it an easy way to pamper yourself while on vacation and enjoying all that the river has to offer.

If all that relaxation at Osmosis Day Spa is too much for you, the spa is teaming up with a new outdoor canopy attraction. Check the spa's web site for the Osmosis Canopy Tour Package. For a total of just $118 per person, Monday-Thursday, you can soar on a high wire through Sonoma County's giant redwood trees, then return to relax in a cedar bath.

The summer season is a busy time for Osmosis Day Spa, so if you plan on going then, be sure to book your treatment early especially if you are planning on visiting over the weekend.

The Osmosis Day Spa may have put it best when it stated, "personal health, longevity, and planetary sustainability all connect in the spa experience at Osmosis."

____________________________________________________________________________

LINK: Osmosis Day Spa


by ED Walsh

Ed Walsh is a San Francisco resident and longtime writer for the LGBT press. Follow him on Twitter at SFTrip.

Read These Next