The greyest month of the year is officially here and that means it is time to up our self-care game for winter. Don’t just stock up on vitamins and buy a therapy lamp — fill your calendar with some quality time at one of our city’s top wellness spaces. If you suffer from the winter blues or SAD, you know that an integrated approach to addressing your symptoms is really way to go. Treat your mind, body, and spirit to keep the blues at bay with one of these wellness treatments.
IV Therapy at Lemon Water Wellness
Instead of mainlining espresso on those dark, grey days, restore your body’s natural energy by quite literally hooking essential vitamins to your veins. How it works is, you meet with a naturopathic doctor to decide on your nutrient cocktail (which may include Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin B Complex, Amino acids, etc.) then lounge for 20 – 120 minutes as you get boosted. Expect to feel more or less instantly energized. IV therapy is used to treat stress and anxiety, adrenal fatigue, and chronic fatigue, and other symptoms associated with seasonal depression.
Power 30 Hydro Float and Massage at H20 Float Spa
This float and massage offering takes all the wellness benefits of floatation therapy and massage therapy, and packs them both into a super efficient package. Slot in one of these 30 minute, mid-week appointments, and get a 15 minute session with an RMT, then a float in an open tub or closed pod in 1000+ lbs of Epsom salts fo the remainder of time. It’s the perfect pick-me-up when you just want to get into bed but it’s Monday and you’re giving a presentation in the afternoon.
Infrared Sauna at Hoame
How is an infrared sauna different from a regular sauna? They use infrared panels to emit light, which we experience as heat, but a type of heat that can penetrate the skin more deeply than warmed air. Proponents say we experience a more intense, detoxifying sweat at a lower temperature, as well as improved circulation and muscle relaxation. Hoame’s infrared sauna comes with accompanying mood lighting (chromotherapy) and the option to play soothing music while your body gets a hit of dopamine. An hour in here will help you really release the stress of the week.
Salt Cave Halotherapy at Sante Healing Spas
This 400 square foot salt cave at Sante Healing Spa in Thornhill was designed to mimic the atmosphere of Polish underground salt mines, where the idea of Halotherapy (or salt therapy) originated. What’s it all about? Thanks to salt’s proven drying effects, hanging out in a salt cave for an hour or so can help with respiratory conditions and mucus build up, so you can breathe easier and fend off sickness. The effect is said to be similar to how energized you feel after spending time near an ocean – the theory goes that one hour in a salt cave is said to equal about a day at the beach.
Reiki at Sauls Beauty Shop
If you’re into the idea of balancing your chakras, reiki is one way to get feeling good from the inside out this winter. Reiki is a form of energy healing that has its roots in Japan. In an hour-long session at Saul’s Beauty Shop, a practitioner will send reiki energy (which translates to pure life force energy), to each of the body’s energy centres – or, chakras, which can restore balance in your mental, emotional, and physical body. Fans of reiki report stress reduction and calming of the nervous system after treatment.
Hydrotherapy at Body Blitz Spa
From the warm dead sea salt pool and the cold plunge pool, to the hot epsom salt pool and beyond, the therapeutic waters circuit at Body Blitz offers a complete, whole body, and mind boost. Working this routine into your week can help to increase circulation of blood and the lymphatic system, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity, so you can stay feeling on your game.
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We’re right smack in the middle of winter, with no sign of real relief until at least April (you know, April showers = May flowers). And that means it’s time to focus on some self care to brighten those bleak days ahead!
We scoured the city to find the best ways to pamper yourself in Toronto this winter, check them out below.
The Annex Hotel
Instagram/@annexhotels
The new(ish) Annex Hotel located at Bloor and Brunswick is the ideal staycation this winter. Located in the heart of the Annex, this hotel is filled with sunshine and good vibes. The 100-year-old building is also the millennial dream with white exposed brick walls and unique art from local Toronto artists decorating the walls. We can already picture you curled up with a book in one of their trendy suites while the in-room record player spins and the sun shines in from the floor to ceiling windows; ultimate pampering vibes.
They have taken a different angle to the hotel experience by doing away with unnecessary amenities to focus on what really matters — a great price point! Say goodbye to wake up calls (because we all have cellphones for that now), in-unit TVs (they have iPads!) and cable, and say hello to online check-in (that’s right, no front desk) and MALIN+GOETZ skincare products.
While you’re staying, be sure to check out some of the amazing bars and restaurant in the area. Our favourites include Insomnia, By The Way, Do Eat (seriously the best dumplings in town,) and El Furniture Warehouse (if you’re in the mood for something a little more rowdy).
Hoame
Instagram/@allyonlinis
It’s freezing cold and the end of winter isn’t yet in sight — time to take refuge at Hoame! This meditation space is exactly the thing you need in your life right now to keep those vibrations high as we head into the coldest months ahead. Hoame is a place for people to relax, restore, and recharge while practising mindfulness and meditation in an accessible and judgment-free zone. They offer guided meditations in their lightroom (designed to leave you feeling energized) and darkroom (designed to leave you feeling relaxed and grounded) so you can choose the energy you’re looking to leave with.
The space also features a salt cave with over six tons of Himalayan pink crystal salt, which has been used in cultures as old as ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to treat several health conditions. Trace minerals in this tranquil escape can reduce stress and anxiety, relax the body, cleanse the skin respiratory system, and strengthen immune function.
Their Infrared Sauna is also available for bookings, which has a number of health benefits attached to it from simply aiding in relaxation, detoxification and stress reduction, to pain relief, skin purification, and improved circulation. You’re also able to bring in your iPad/laptop to watch some Netflix or listen to your own music during your session if you’d like.
And to top it all off, enjoy some time in their stunningly designed living room while sampling a variety of complimentary beverages. The space was designed to connect with the community before or after class, so couch hangs are highly encouraged!
Spa my Blend by Clarins
Instagram/@ritzcarltontoronto
For the ultimate pampering this winter, head to Spa my Blend by Clarins located in the Ritz-Carlton. This downtown oasis is the ultimate relaxation destination, with a full day pass to access the amenities included when booking any treatment over 60 minutes. If possible, try to arrive at least an hour before your appointment so you can take advantage of these amenities. The eucalyptus steam room is a highlight, but depending on the treatment you get, they may recommend you avoid it.
Spa my Blend by Clarins is the only location in North America, and they have a ton of facial options that can be customized just for you. They’re able to target specific problems you’re looking to work on (acne, fine lines, dry skin) with their technology and the result is always glowing skin. Although it’s safe to say this one is a splurge (treatments start at $165 per person), it’s one that’s definitely worth it (especially if you get an earlier appointment and stay at the spa for the rest of the day).
Featured image: Instagram/@thesmallbrunette
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In honour of International Stress Awareness Day, Toronto’s largest and newest modern meditation studio Hoame will be holding all of their regularly-scheduled classes for FREE on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 (7:30 am to 5:30 pm). The studio is located at 430 Adelaide Street West and completely open to the public.
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Hoame offers over 5,000 square feet of mindfully modern services including light and dark meditation rooms, a Himalayan rock salt cave and infrared sauna. With its aesthetically pleasing interior, this modern hub offers traditional practice of meditation along with being a one-stop destination for enhancing your mind and body.
Featured Image via Hoame
Toronto’s newest and biggest meditation studio has everything you can imagine, and then a whole lot more. Hoame offers over 5,000 square feet of mindfully modern services including light and dark meditation rooms, a Himalayan rock salt cave and infrared sauna. It just opened in September and is already killing it in the Toronto scene. With its aesthetically pleasing interior, this modern hub offers traditional practice of meditation along with being a one-stop destination for enhancing your mind and body.
To improve upon modern meditation studios frequented in New York and Los Angeles, therapists and co-founders Stephanie Kersta MSc, RP and Carolyn Plater-Zyberk MSW, RSW, decided to take their clinical expertise to the mainstream by demonstrating that the benefits of meditation and mindfulness are not just for celebrities and business executives.
“Meditation is all about returning Hoame to yourself,” states Stephanie Kersta, co-founder. “Every aspect of Hoame is designed to reflect that; from our Living Room area with a fireplace where we’ll be hosting fireside chats to the suspended armchairs where people can hang out in between sessions. We also offer a charcoal-based lemonade and adaptogens on tap and will be diffusing a custom Hoame-branded essential oil blend in-studio to help cultivate mindfulness”.
Expect experiential workshops, corporate offerings (team yoga!), and curated products that are designed to fit the lives of the busy city dweller. Classes revolve around mindful movement and higher intensity spiritual workouts, where working-out meets working-in. Feel free to also enjoy a complimentary elixir shot and warm face towel after every practice. Some additional features that make Hoame so unique and the perfect destination for mindfulness are:
A “Light” Meditation Room: Complete with a “living wall” of greenery and sunken ceiling with hanging vines, Hoame’s Light Meditation room is perfect for counteracting the effects of shorter days and longer nights as the seasons turn cooler.
A “Dark” Meditation Room: With a cosmic ceiling, curved walls, carbon-coloured cushions and a baseboard underglow, Hoame’s Dark Meditation room offers the ideal place to calm the mind after spending hours under fluorescent lights.
Himalayan Rock Salt Cave: With over five tons of Himalayan pink crystal salt, Hoame’s rock salt cave will transport your mind from the chaos of the city to the surreal of the subterranean. Perfect for elevating one’s mood and bodily health with a cleansing and detoxifying experience.
Infrared Sauna: Get the healthy benefits of sunlight without the dangers of solar radiation with full spectrum, infrared therapy with accompanying mood lighting and soothing music to help the release of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins.
Hoame is located at 430 Adelaide St. W. For a class and workshop schedule, visit hoame.ca.
Images via Brandon Allen