Summer is over, the sun is gone and so is your tan and, what with pressures at work and deadlines to meet, life sometimes seems to be just no fun anymore. The next vacation seems an eternity away, and to top it all off, you're coming down with the first signs of the winter blues. But don't worry. One simple and effective way to raise your spirits and get your energy back is to have a massage. You can call a masseur around to your own home.

They're not hard to find and don't charge a lot for their services, but you do risk constant interruptions from family and the phone. Another option is to pop in to a medical center. They tend to concentrate on more specialized kinds of massage, however, and you often need to see a doctor first and get a prescription. A good choice is the Korpachyov massage clinic, which practices a unique method of painless and high-speed massage said to be particularly effective for treating spinal column and vascular problems.

Fitness centers also offer massages. The drawback here is that you will have to do a bit of exercise, too, so as not to stick out from the crowd. The plus is that you'll get an excellent massage. At the Atlantis sports club, for example, the masseurs will develop a massage program just for you, helping you relieve stress and get into great shape. They offer general, point, heavy-duty, Thai and many other kinds of massage, including massages using Dead Sea cosmetics.

Masseurs at the Marcus Aurelius sports club will rub away your aches and pains with the help of classical, sports, health, relaxing and anti-cellulite massage techniques. Heavy-duty massage is particularly recommended for those who suffer from spinal column and joint problems. And Japanese shiatsu massages have really magic effects. But it's my belief that beauty salons are the best place to go for a massage. Beauty salons give you the choice between a normal massage and a Day Spa program in which massage is just one of several relaxation procedures.

The Terme di Saturnia day spa at the Radisson-Slavyanskaya Hotel offers the Vadder method of lymphatic drainage massage. The classical Beauty Day from Christian Dior is a six-hour-long session, including a facial, four kinds of massage and masks from various Christian Dior product lines. For men, there is a line called Dior Homme, and most of the salon's male patrons prefer to combine it with the Vitamine face massage. Each kind of massage from Christian Dior is designed with a special purpose, such as smoothing out wrinkles, relaxation or rejuvenating the skin, and each massage not only has its own rhythm and technique, but also its own type of accompanying music.

At Guerlain Beauty Studio you can enjoy the delights of Imperiale, the 60-minute relaxing body massage that is Guerlain's own creation. The Guerlain Institute has been developing original massage techniques for over 100 years now. The Imperiale massage is particularly famous for its muscle-stretching effect, and its principal movement, called "step of the marquis," elongates the muscles. After a course of Imperiale massages many clients feel taller, and some even say that their necks and legs have grown longer.

So there you have it. When your mood is down and your energy is running low, perk yourself up with a massage. And if you want to save money, send your boyfriend/girlfriend on a massage-training course. After all, what could be better than a relaxing and erotic massage from your lover?

Locations

Korpachyov Health Massage Clinic
Radisson-Slavyanskaya Hotel, south entrance, 3rd floor, office E7
Metro: Kievskaya
Tel: 941-8460

Atlantis
12 Krasnopresnenskaya Nab., Mezhdunarodnaya Hotel, 1st entrance
Metro: Ulitsa 1905 Goda
Tel: 967-0373

Marcus Aurelius
71 Izmailovskoye Shosse, Gamma-Delta Bldg., 2nd floor
Metro: Izmailovsky Park
Tel: 166-1136

Terme di Saturnia
Day Spa
2 Berezhkovskaya Nab., Radisson-Slavyanskaya Hotel
Metro: Kievskaya
Tel: 941-8030

Christian Dior
Beauty Center
3, Red Square, GUM
Metro: Teatralnaya
Tel: 929-3430

Guerlain Beauty Studio
15/1 Mokhovaya Ul., National Hotel, 7th floor
Metro: Okhotny Ryad
Tel: 258-7179

Krylatskoye Cycling Track
10 Krylatskaya Ul.
Metro: Molodyozhnaya
Tel: 141-2224

Moskvich Ice Palace
15 Lyublinskaya Ul.
Metro: Tekstilshchiki
Tel: 179-3219

Dynamo Sports Palace
31 Lavochkina Ul.
Metro: Rechnoi Vokzal
Tel: 456-9157

Lokomotiv Stadium
125a Bol. Cherkizovskaya Ul.
Metro: Cherkizovskaya
Tel: 161-9704

Dynamo Stadium
36 Leningradsky Prospekt
Metro: Dynamo
Tel: 213-7781

Luzhniki Stadium
24 Luzhnetskaya Nab.
Metro: Sportivnaya
Tel: 201-1164

CSKA Sports Complex
39a Leningradsky Prospekt
Metro: Aeroport
Tel: 213-7163

Sokolniki Sports Palace
1b Sokolnichesky Val. Ul.
Metro: Sokolniki
Tel: 268-6958

Olympiisky Sports Complex
16 Prospekt Mira
Metro: Prospekt Mira
Tel: 288-5727