New LRS Experience opens this Saturday!

Cheri, our newest practitioner at the Spa, has a supporting role in this show. Be sure to say hi to her!

Little Red Studio: The Saffron Show
Saturday, October 4th @ 9PM

According to Greek mythology, the handsome mortal Crocos fell in love with the beautiful nymph Smilax. His attentions were noticed but unwanted by Smilax, and he was turned into a purple crocus flower. From thence comes the rare and exotic Saffron.

The Little Red threads of Saffron were also highly prized by pharaohs and kings as an aphrodisiac, yet large amounts produced deathly narcotic effects.

The Saffron show will feature acts that will be chosen for their rarity, beauty, and aphrodisiac nature. Gods and Goddesses struggling with their Earthly roles, the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine, the bittersweet stories like Isis and Osiris.

The Saffron Show is rich in depth and beauty, with deep sorrowful song, overarching aerial sensuality, exotic belly dance, poetry steeped in the human struggle and victory, pointed drama, sensual video, even some humor, and as always the diversity endemic to the Little Red Studio.

But be careful, an overdose could sedate you beyond recovery.

Please arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 at our offices and gallery at 406 Dexter Ave. N. and we will escort you over to the main space as we prepare to begin the evening.

Where: 750 Harrison Street

How Much: $30

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Brown Paper Tickets or reserved by calling (206) 328-4758

Another dinner at the Spa.

Chef Kim and his crew of LRS assistants recently created what was arguably our best Sensual Repast last month the Little Red Day Spa. The Spa, as it turns out, is a perfect intimate little place for an artistic culinary experience. Kim and I heartily agree that we should host them all in the Spa this fall.

Here is a snippet of the last LRS email newsletter that toots my horn a little:

A big advantage to hosting the Sensual Repast at the spa is that we have Sophie, our spa director on hand to help make this a unique evening. Sophie will facilitate guests use of the spa facility after desert and will help get everyone in the mood by leading folks in some interactive ways to connect before dessert.

Our next Sensual Repast is September 27th. Chef Kim is developing a multi-course seasonal menu now. We will be sure to send a notice about this and other developments soon. In October, the Sensual Repast will also serve as a kick off dinner for the Erotic Haunted House. Your Sensual Repast ticket will include tickets to a late showing of the haunted house that evening (about a 50 minute experience), and the spa held on reserve for you after the show as well as dessert and libations to match. Oh yes, and taxi vouchers for the short trip over and back if needed.

This event will also not be listed on our website or Brown Paper Tickets. Reservations must be made in advance by calling Kerry in the office at 206-328-4758. Please call for more information, times and ticket prices.

I will be out of town for this weekend, but Courtnee will be assisting Kim in my stead. If you are interested in incredible food, an artistic and sumptuous atmosphere that encourages you to delight your senses, then you want to sign up for the Sensual Repast this Saturday.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Unfortunately, not with all fun stuff. Web site revisions, car prowls and dentists! Oh my! Though, I would gladly recommend using hypnosis when you have to undergo a dental procedure. Last week I finished the second of 3 appointments to deal with a difficult root canal and was quite relaxed throughout the whole procedure. It was strange to feel every sensation and not have it register as pain. The best part, for me, was not having a fear reaction to the drill, either. That is very cool stuff.

Changes are coming up soon on the web site. I have been tweaking and fine tuning. Christina, a troupe member with a creative photographic eye, came into the spa and took some lovely photographs of the space. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the space through new eyes. Here is the one that captured the serenity I feel in the spa.
(Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version.)

There are two price changes coming up for our drop in nights. Both the Ladies' and Men's Spa Nights entry fee will increase to $15 per person and Couple's Spa Nights will increase to $40 per couple. These increases are effective starting the next scheduled dates. This means that Couple's Spa Night this coming Sunday, September 28th, will be the first event with the new price. All other little extra services and their fees are subject to availability and practitioner discretion.

*Photo by Christina Dietrich

Pear Salt Scrub for Autum!

Behold!
The new salt scrub is Pear, Lemon Juice, fresh Rosemary and Bergamot essential oil.

Pardon me while I go finish my chores to get ready for Ladies' Spa Night.

Ladies' Spa Night - Every Monday!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $10
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

LRS event Tonight!

Date: Friday, September 12th
Time: 9pm
Location: Hengst Studio
1506 Franklin Ave. E.
Call (206) 963-0772 for more details and to make reservations.

This Friday evening we will be hosting a Little Red Studio show, catered with heavy hors d'oeuvres, *and* opening up the spa the same way we do during the Men's, Ladies' and Couple's Spa Nights. This night will not be a "drop in" evening, however. Reservations are required and you can RSVP with Kerry at the main office by calling (206) 963-0772 before 6pm today.

Evolving Watsu

I have mentioned before that Cody has taught me some of the Contact Improv dance inspired movement around Watsu. Over time, I have developed a style that is fairly different from traditional Watsu. So different, that I think the time has come to give it another name, as I can't hoestly say I do Watsu any more. Definitely Watsu inspired and containing Watsu elements. I keep rolling phrases like Water Contact Therapy and Floating Bodywork around in my mind.

It's become so much more than just another way to stretch the body and massage muscles. It's a huge dose of human contact and nurturing touch. It's a decadent delighting of the senses via immersion. It's a way to connect with someone that is deeper, yet safer than one would expect when in the vulnerable position of a stranger floating you in the water.

Conversing with Jeff convinced me that it is time to have another classification for this Watsu inspired bodywork. It's right that the Little Red Day Spa, as part of the Little Red Studio family organically and creatively develop new modalities. We will of course still offer traditional Watsu sessions, no worries there. Having options is good, though, and I want people to know that there are options regarding the different types of bodywork the Spa offers.

RSVP for Couple's Spa Night - 9/14

Couples' Spa Night - 2nd and 4th Sundays!
Reservations Required by 5pm that day (206) 963-0772

7- 10pm
Cost: $25 per couple
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

Reservations for this coming Couple's Night are starting to trickle in. Please give me an email Sophia at HengstStudio.com or call (206) 963-0772 to reserve your spot.

I'm hoping to have the new salt scrub recipe worked out by then for Courtnee to share with you.

A Special Friday Night -9/12

This Friday evening will be a special event at the Little Red Day Spa. Special because we will be hosting a Little Red Studio show *and* opening up the spa the same way we do during the Men's, Ladies' and Couple's Spa Nights. This night will not be a "drop in" evening, however. Reservations are required and you can RSVP with Kerry at the main office by calling (206) 963-0772. Kim will be catering the evening's nibbles, so when you are eating dinner, make sure to leave room for his delightful snacks and desserts.

Date: Friday, September 12th
Time: 9pm
Location: Hengst Studio
1506 Franklin Ave. E.
Call (206) 963-0772 for more details.

Here is an excerpt from the email Jeff sent out to the Little Red Studio email newsletter list. If you haven't gotten on this email list, please do so, as there are often events that are invitation only, such as this one on the 12th.

What we want to do, is re-create a Little Red Studio back at our old location under the freeway in Eastlake. For those of you who have come to LRS back in the day when it was at our old location, you will be delighted to know that it will have many of the old familiar dynamics and characters in play, including Danni running the famed "little red game" later in the evening. Eileen will also be doing a rant and leading the poetry posse. We will even be doing a version of "Silk" a performance piece that was a staple of LRS way back in the very early days.

A couple of things will be different and we think better than before. First of all, Kim (our chef) will be on hand with two dedicated helpers presenting heavy hors d'ouevres throughout the night. We will also have Sophie, our spa director, on hand to facilitate the much developed spa facility later in the evening. With a little luck, we may also have our band, Red Delicious to play throughout the night. All of these things will add a professional touch along with the familiar creative spontaneity you would expect from LRS. And of course, the added intimacy that the old studio affords.

New Faces

The staff at the Little Red Day Spa has slowly changed over time. When we started offering sessions almost 3 years ago, we started with only me, Richard and Didi. As we got busier, we added more practitioners. Whenever we would lose a practitioner to school, moving or a new job, I would invite someone else to join the Spa. Now, Richard and I are the only practitioners who remain from those first few months.

In this kind of work, due to it's part time nature, that is a little unusual that there are any of the same practitioners as when we first opened. In a way it is sad because I miss working with some people. But overall it's a good thing. Every time a new person comes on board, they bring something new to the spa, or tweak what we already do just enough to make it different or better.

On Monday, I meet with Cherie, a woman with 15 years of massage experience. She was on sabbatical for the last year and is ready to come back to massage and bodywork with new ideas of how she wants to approach body work in general. In specifics, she wants to explore Watsu and infusing her bodywork with the idea of delighting the senses. I think the Little Red Day Spa is just the place for her.

Fall Hours for Ladies' Spa Night

Starting September 8th, Ladies' Night will revert back to it's original open hours of 6pm until 9pm. I have received a fair amount of feedback that having drop-in hours start immediately after the work day is preferable. Short massages will be available for an extra $10.

Couple's and Men's Nights will remain 7-10pm on Sundays.

I am also working on the possibility of having guest practitioners come in to provide their services. So far, Richard has expressed interest in offer shiatsu, and a new easthetician, Dion, who regularly attends Men's Spa Night, is interested in offering facials. I would be curious to hear from the ladies about how they would feel having a male practitioner at Ladies' night in addition to myself. Feedback is always appreciated.

Ladies' Spa Night - Every Monday!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $10
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle
No reservations necessary.

Do I have to come back to work?

Two days of camping and 3 of fighting off a sinus infection makes it really difficult to come back into the spa. Though perhaps the humidity would do me good. I wonder if anyone else has this feeling after a long holiday weekend?

What I should really do is start doing some product testing for Autumn's salt scrub. It may be sunny today, but soon summer really will leave the building. I am thinking something with a pear or apple base. Off I go to the grocery store!