Shangri-la meets South Tacoma Way

I'm lying naked, on my stomach, while a tiny Korean woman briskly scrubs up and down my body. I look up in time to see olive oil midair, drizzling over the bare buttocks of the woman lying on the table directly in front of mine.

This surreal moment is not a dream, or a movie set-I am at the Olympus Women's Health Spa on South Tacoma Way, enjoying every moment of the anti-massage full-body scrub-down I am receiving. I feel like I suppose my dog must feel as I scrub him down-curiously violated, somewhat ashamed, and blissfully attended to. The rushing of the waterfall makes me remember I'm not my dog standing in the tub, and as hot water sluices over my body, I sigh with pleasure.

For the uninitiated, the Olympus Women's Health Spa is a women-only spa experience unlike any you've probably had. Hae-Kyung Kim opened the spa over eight years ago to bring the traditional Korean bathhouse experience to Tacoma. Says Kim, "It was Korean ladies, at first, but then they started bringing their friends."

As the recent opening of a Lynnwood location attests, friends started bringing friends for the unique environment and variety of services at spa-bargain prices.

Private massage therapy is offered, in addition to body scrubs, moisturizing treatments, and body wraps. While the massage therapy is private, the body scrubs and moisturizing treatments happen in shared space. I had my scrub done in an area off of the main "wet room," which contains a variety of whirlpools, a sauna and a steam room. In this area, there is no clothing worn, only the striped shower cap.

In the heated energy rooms, the temperatures range from 130 degrees to 160 degrees. These rooms serve a variety of healing purposes, from soothing sore muscles to detoxification, and beyond. In these areas, as well, robes and caps are worn.

Rounding out the spa are large open spaces with radiant-heat ed floors, perfect for lounging with a magazine, and a restaurant, ideal for a healthy post-energy room, pre-soak snack. Here, robes are worn (as well as those ubiquitous caps!)

My favorite spot is the wet room. Though I was initially self-conscious of my nudity, the relaxed atmosphere put me at ease. Most of the time, as I soak, I am covered as effectively as if I were clothed, or at least bathing-suited, but even when wandering from tub to tub, or splashing myself with mugwort water from the well, I feel an amazing sense of unity and empowerment.

Looking around, I see old women and young women. Mastectomized women, and women with scars that tell stories I haven't asked about. Accents vary from German to Korean to Southern Belle. Skin tones range from winter pallor to African American deep mahogany.

Mostly, it's our body shapes that amaze me. From tall and angular to Venus of Willendorf rotund, with all shapes in between, we are represented. There are tiny hips with large breasts, large hips with small breasts; there are slender bodies with stooped postures and large bodies with proud postures. Those who, clothed, could be considered ravishing were less so, naked. Those who, clothed, might have been deemed "unideal" were gorgeous, naked.

What I'm wearing doesn't matter, because we are all in the same silly striped cap. The extra weight on my midsection doesn't matter, the condition of my breasts doesn't matter, the shape of my hips doesn't matter.

I'm surrounded by a smorgasbord of imperfection, and paradoxically, within that imperfection lays perfection. Within the diversity is a common community of womanhood. It's our ultra cool naked community, where the International district meets the used car lots of South Tacoma Way.

The Olympus Women's Health Spa is located at 9615 S. Tacoma Way. The telephone number is: 253.588.3355 Hours are as follows: open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight Cost: $25.00, all day -with services priced a la carte