Relaxing atmosphere

Jennifer Roupp is a regular recipient of relaxation and therapeutic massages. From an early age, the Spring Hill mother of five happily invested her time and money to promote her physical and emotional health, indulging in various types of massages.

"I really loved them, especially when I was pregnant," Roupp said.

So when she and her mother, Diane Reynolds, sat in Reynold's living room to discuss possible businesses that might withstand a struggling economy, massage therapy came up.

"It was actually quite comical," Roupp remembered. After throwing around so many potential ideas, she recalled sitting back in her chair, taking a deep breath, and blurting out, "I need a massage."

The two women put their heads together, researched massage businesses, and ran the dynamics in Hernando County. They determined, based on their extensive research, that a massage business might be the right move.

So they hunted for a location that was suitable and convenient to Hernando County residents. With the help of Reynolds' son, Ken Reynolds, a local attorney, they drew up some plans and hired C3 Design & Construction, Inc., a St. Petersburg-based contractor with an impressive history in Hernando County, to construct the interior of the building.

Nearly a year after that meeting in the living room, the dream is becoming a reality.

Just Relax Massage & Spa is still in its infancy. The building, located in the Kohl's shopping center on Spring Hill Drive, was constructed to handle eight massages an hour. Six individual rooms and one couple's room are set up to accommodate appointments and walk-in clients.

The front relaxation area is immediately engaging, with a soothing waterfall and rock backdrop. Here clients wait until their therapist brings them back to a room for their scheduled session. The rooms are decorated to provide an aura of relaxation, with massage tables adorned with cozy linens sprinkled with rose petals. Soft, calming music is piped in and soothing scents filter through the air.

The idea is to take clients out of the stuffy medical environment and appeal to their need for complete relaxation.

"When you come in here, it's a whole different environment," Roupp said. "When you leave here, we want you to feel good."

The menu of services touches on many different massage types. They include Surface Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Aromatherapy, Swedish Massage, Hot Stone Treatments, and, of course, Prenatal Massage. They also provide Onsite Chair Massages.

Prices are competitive, running about $49 per hour, depending on the type of massage.

"It's a work in progress," Reynolds said. Once the facility has ironed out the opening bugs, she will better understand what services provide the best fit. For now, they are basing what they offer on comments and suggestions from the community and research in other areas where massages are as important as scheduling hair and nail appointments.

Every day, stress is becoming increasingly burdening, particularly as a society struggles to adjust their budgets to meet their needs.

Effective ways of dealing with stress have made massage even more enticing, particularly when it comes in convenient, time and money-saving packages.

That is exactly what Just Relax Massage & Spa is trying to convey. Not everyone needs a medical environment to alleviate and manage their pain through relaxation massages.

Like Richard Smith, who receives surface massages regularly after suffering a sports injury to his back and shoulders. "My muscles become encapsulated," Smith said. "The massage opens them up and allows them to relax."

For Smith, deep tissue is too intense, so he opts for the surface massage, which is a bit less intrusive. And he prefers a quiet, non-medical environment where the experience becomes less about his pain and more about the relaxation.

According to Massagetherapy.com, many experts estimate that 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Therefore, finding coping techniques, like regular relaxation massages, make sense.

Massage, whether for therapy or pain management, attributes the following documented benefits; decreased anxiety, enhanced quality of sleep, greater energy, improved concentration, increased circulation and reduced fatigue.

Just Relax Massage & Spa will eventually add spa services, including exfoliating and facials.

The facility is currently open seven days a week and will extend their hours to accommodate Valentine's Day appointments. "We expect to be here until midnight on Valentine's Day," Reynolds said with a chuckle. Gift certificates are also available.