See what the bizarre massage trend is all about, loved by celebs like Stella Maxwell.
Have you heard of the snake massage?
It's exactly what you think it is where snakes slither throughout your body from the feet to the face as you lie on a table. Although the massage is an ancient remedy, most recently, Victoria's Secret model Stella Maxwell shared her offbeat experience with Serpentessa on Instagram, which got everyone curious and raising their eyebrows at the same time.
To see what it's all about, ET tried out the quirky wellness trend with Serpentessa herself and her boa constrictors in New York City.
"A snake massage is a thrilling surrender into deep sensual sensory bliss," Serpentessa told ET. "It encompasses a few snakes. It always happens at your choice and you get an opportunity to be up close and personal with an animal that is truly a force of nature because in the wild when we lived in nature it was teaching us to survive. The massage is about getting present and transformation, evolving your power and also embodying deep bliss."
She further explained the massage heightens the instincts and intuition, while the snake also indicates places on the body where you may have pain.
"Many, many clients tell me that the snake will go to areas of their bodies they need healing and that’s often in the neck area and the head area, down by the feet. Sometimes in the solar plexus as well. Other reasons people come is they want the thrill, they want the relaxation. They want to feel fully embodied rather than just stuck in their head."
The $297 massage lasts around 75 minutes and is believed to stimulate the nerves, which release oxytocin, the body's "feel-good endorphins."
"And in addition, those hormones of endorphins and oxytocin they relieve stress and create pleasure and also improve our emotional and cognitive and physical resiliencies in the world. It’s a stressful world out there."
The snake priestess has worked with the creatures for over 20 years and has extended her clientele from referrals, including Maxwell.
"She had never met snakes before, so she had some questions but she was very astute to understanding their energy, which I find some people are really good at and others are not, and she immediately knew when they were asleep and when they were awake. We went out to eat afterwards and she was like, 'Wow that was nothing like I’ve ever had before.' I understand why this is so popular and at the same time so on the edge. I think she is adventurous. I don’t know her too well, that was my first time meeting her, but it was really lovely. Of course, she’s always good for beautiful photos."
Scared of snakes? Although the reptiles can smell fear, Serpentessa's snakes were raised with humans so they don't see us as threatening predators. She has never had a snake bite any of her patients and she ensured she takes great care of them and only uses them when "they are in the right frame of mind" -- not when they're in the middle of shedding or after they have eaten.
Watch the snakes in action in the video above.
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