Actually, let me rephrase that:  Life IS stressful.  Of course, I don’t need to tell you this, right?

Without making this a personal sob story, I can sum up life’s stress in a few words: work, work, errands, computers, commuting, cars, money, work… LIFE.  On top of that, throw in buying a house, and you get the picture.  But for those of you who are visuals learners, here is a picture that says at least a thousand words on the matter:

(I'm scary... I know.)

Yes, my friends, life is stressful.

So how do you combat these difficult times?  Before you can conquer anything, you need to know what enemy you are dealing with.  Luckily, I have a fairly solid understanding on the nature of stress, being the un-scientifically-minded-albeit-lover-of-all-things-made-up-to-sound-scientific person that I am.

You see, very few people realize that stress is a tiny monster-like organism, known in the scientific world as the species Stressiculonimbus Ickyonoid, that seeps into our body to attack both the nervous and muscular system.

In other words, stress is a dual-layer of “ickiness” (totally a word).  It is this ickiness that makes us want to stay in bed and continue our dreams of hooking up with Hollywood heartthrobs.  It is this ickiness that forces us to eat the entire carton of ice cream.  Indeed, it is this ickiness that makes us believe that walking around make-up-less all day in our sweats will somehow (magically) make the stress go away.  But none of those things will destroy this ferocious monster.

Sad, huh?

Because of this complex enemy, stress must be addressed through a whole body and mind mission.  Luckily, there is a solution.  And it’s a deliciously wonderful solution at that.

Enter: Sego Lily Mind Body Spa.

If you’ve never been to a Sego Lily spa, you’ve probably considered stress a monster that cannot be tamed.  I know because that was me until just recently.  Upon finding out that I was one of the five finalists for the Sego Lily Blogger Contest (hooray!) I was given a power I was unfamiliar with:

The power of “… aaaahhhh”.

As I walked into the Midvale Sego Lily location, I was immediately taken back by the welcoming air of rejuvenation, calmness, and relaxation. This was the place to regain my presence of body and mind.  I was in awe, inspired even, by the treat-you-like-royalty changing rooms (featuring steam room, showers, and the softest robe ever) and the peaceful meditation room with dazzling water walls, a soul-warming fire place, and extra little touches (water, nuts, fruit, lotions).  This place made me feel like one in a million.

The meditation room--perfect for reading, napping, or contemplating the meaning of life.

Just a small glance at the spacious changing room.

My mind and body were able to let go of my never-ending to-do list and simply be.  Just be.

Within that joyous state of simply “being” I sensed a most welcome fear.  Not my fear, of course.  No.  It was the fear of the monster inside of me.  My stress monster (let’s call him George, okay?) was shaking in his little monster boots.  George knew he was toast.

This is the story of how George died.

Today’s weapon of choice:

The Body Butter Drench.

Who doesn’t like butter?  I mean, let’s be honest, butter makes everything better.  Period.  And there’s no doubt that the Sego Lily Body Butter Drench was the exact solution I needed to take down my final stress monster.

It went something like this:

I was sitting in an engulfing arm chair (can you say “comfy?”), sipping some water, when Courtney came in.  Courtney = greatness.  She led me to a quiet room where I received the best massage of my life.  She was knowledgeable, intuitive, and friendly.

The massage: It really is as good as it looks!!!

And then there was the body butter.  It’s an amazing, thick, moisturizer (that smells awesome) with the consistency of butter that is smothered onto my tired muscles.  After the massage, I was wrapped in warm blankets where the butter literally seeped into my pores, killing poor little George (goodbye stress monster!), and giving new life to my whole being.

I left feeling soft, supple, free, and happy.   (aaaahhhhh…)

The staff was amazing.  Their personal attention made me feel like their only customer.  You could not erase the smile on my face.

The worse part of the whole experience is that it had to end.  A few days later I tried to recreate the experience, with no luck (but a whole lot of mess).

Kids, don't try this at home.

Clearly, I am not the expert here.  Luckily, the folks at Sego Lily know what they are doing.  When was the last time you spoiled yourself?  I say, it is time to do so now!

And now for the begging:

I’m on my hands on knees here.  I dream of a future with many more Sego Lily experiences, and hope that you (yes, YOU, my dear reader!) can help me live this joy for the next year.  All you need to do is leave a comment with an affirmative nod my way.  A vote for Robin is a vote against stress monsters.  In other words: a vote for Robin is a vote to save the world.  Sounds pretty good to me, don’t you think?

Thank you, Sego Lily!!!!