Picture this: You’re a stressed-out, down-on-your-luck New Yorker—with a knife. Times are hard, so you decide burglary is on your to-do list, and of all establishments, you decide to stick up a spa. After your heinous crime-spree, isn’t it only natural to drive your getaway car directly to the SPA and get a therapeutic, celebratory treatment?

After a stressful heist, aren’t you mad you robbed the spa?

There are no pedicures in the pokey!

You don’t have to imagine anymore. Sadly, a version of this unbelievable atrocity has occurred in The Big Apple.

According to NBC news, two men in their twenties stole register cash from three spas at knife-point. The first spa targeted was one of our very own Spa Week spas, Green Phoenix Spa in Midtown. If you mess with Green Phoenix, you mess with us! Don’t make us go all shiatsu on you. Last Monday the robbers hit the Bodywork Foot and Back Spa on Washington Place, and then Shu Xin Services salon on Canal Street on Wednesday. During the  robberies, “The men forced the robbery victim into the bathroom before taking the cash,” says NBC.

Very concerned, we reached out to Green Phoenix to make sure they were okay. We spoke with one of the technicians David, who explained that the experience, though scary, has not affected business: “They came on a Sunday at the end of the day. Sundays are always slow. They just took the money and left. No one got hurt. Everything is okay.” Their positive outlook is truly inspiring.

Help support Green Phoenix! Take advantage of their incredible Spa Deal for March 2011:
60 Min Hot Stone and Deep Tissue Combination Massage. Special: $50; Originally: $75
Call them at 212.221.1330 to book.

Anyone with information about the spa robberies is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577 tips. Individuals can also submit tips online or text tips to 274637, then enter TIP577.

According to wefollow.com, a user-powered directory of Twitter accounts organized by interest, these are the top 5 most influential tagged #spa. We’re not the least bit surprised to see our recent partner, @ISpaDoYou, the Twitter account of the International Spa Association, at #1.

We’re thrilled to have @SpaWeek ring in at 2nd. Our ultimate goal in joining forces with ISPA is to spread our shared vision of bringing the health and wellness benefits of the spa lifestyle to the masses, and if this is any indication, we’re on the right track.

As American Spa Magazine put it: “Two of the biggest names in our business, ISPA and Spa Week, have teamed up. Read the ISPA + SPA WEEK story at American Spa Magazine.

Coming in the next 3 spots on WeFollow are @TalkSpas, @beautytipshub and @LeadingSpas… all worth following if you’re looking for the best of #spa in the Twitterverse.

Want more great #spa Tweeps on your radar? Here, 5 of @SPAWEEK‘s favorites:

@AmericanSpaMag
@MoreSpaTraffic
@MarkTheSpaMan
@HealingSpas
@AmHealthBeauty

We are thrilled to announce our brand new partnership with the International SPA Association!

Since 1991, the International SPA Association has been recognized worldwide as the professional organization and voice of the spa industry, representing more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers in 83 countries.

Spa Week Media Group and ISPA share the vision of bringing the health and wellness benefits of the spa lifestyle to the world at large, and together we look forward to making this a reality more than ever before.

A word from ISPA President Lynne McNees: “The spa lifestyle is accessible to everyone. Through our partnership with Spa Week Media Group we’ll be able to reach many potential spa-goers and inform them that the spa is the place to go to educate yourself on how to lead a more healthful and balanced life.”

A word from our Spa Week Media Group CEO and President Cheryl Reid: “The joining together of Spa Week Media Group and ISPA brings together for the first time the two most significant players in the spa industry. This historic alliance between our companies will further our mutual goal to spread the wellness lifestyle to the masses.”

Read more at www.experienceispa.com, and browse their site to learn about ISPA and the wealth of resources and information they bring to the spa industry.