Spas - Get Into The Zone

You might say there are three areas in which Vancouverites are truly blessed: we’re never more than a few feet from a terrific coffee house, a great yoga studio or a divine spa — the latter of which might take some credit for that infamous laid-back west coast attitude. Of course, locals are famously active types, too — skiing in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon, or so the local legend has it — so having a massage therapist on speed dial isn’t such a frivolous concept.

Of course, there’s much to be said for the overall health and wellbeing that results from a day at a local spa. After all, if you eat right, stay fit and take care of your skin, what good is it without some decent inner peace?

Here, a roundup of some of the signature treatments from the city’s top spas.

Perfect Health Spa
5960 Minoru Blvd., Richmond
(604) 821-0000.
The people behind Perfect Health Spa may have figured out the perfect party: get a group together, park them in front of a 14-foot movie screen, and show them their flick of choice while providing chocolate-scented manicures, pedicures and massages. Heck, they’ll even let you bring adult beverages into the room too. What, no party? No problem. You can also partake in the big-screen fun in a solo venture. ($35-80).

Miraj Hammam
1495 W. Sixth Ave., Vancouver
(604) 733-5151.
It’s a trip to enter Miraj Hammam — nothing like the streetscapes you just left behind on Granville Street. All treatments focus around the traditional hammam and gommage, performed solo (or with a partner or three, if you prefer) in the Middle Eastern-inspired arched halls of Miraj Hammam. A low-mist and high-intensity steam in the hammam first cleanses your body (and mind of all those nagging thoughts). For the gommage you’ll be exfoliated with honey-like black Moroccan soap while you lie on cool Jerusalem marble. You can add a body wrap of papaya or seaweed into the mix for a Thalasso-inspired treatment, and say goodbye to cellulite. Or take advantage of the steam and go for a mini-facial. You’re not truly chilled until you’ve relaxed with mint tea and sweets in the velvets of the sultana lounge. ($99-290).

Absolute Spa
Hotel Vancouver,
900 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
(604) 648-2909;
and three locations at the
Vancouver International Airport,
(604) 273-4772.
True, men are becoming more familiar with good skin-care regimes and taking the time to take care of themselves. But it’s still a little intimidating to get into the spa environs when the predominant theme is lavender and the robes are big and fuzzy. That’s just one of the reasons why the Absolute Spa at the Hotel Vancouver caters to the other sex with its chocolate-brown leather accents and cool neutral interior. Pedicure thrones are equipped with Xbox video games for the guy who likes to multitask while his toes are treated to the Absolute Spa’s Y-Spa For Men line of products. Or if it’s a facial they’re after, the Gentleman’s Facial caters to male skin: rich in botanicals, aromatherapy and essential oils, the products have unique anti-oxidizing and purifying benefits. The product line from Canyon Ranch spas works with the special needs of men’s skin: their invigorating foot gel, for example, includes thyme, traditionally used by Roman warriors after battle to soothe fatigue and abrasions. Could it get more manly than that? (Pedicures: 60 minutes, $75; facials: 75 minutes, $125.)

Cabello Day Spa
3518 W. 41st Ave., Vancouver
(604) 267-4247.
Few things can make a vacation screech to a halt faster than sleepless nights caused by shifting time zones. Hydrotherapy is one of those wonder cures for much that ails, working its magic on tired souls for over a century. The Vichy shower treatment at Cabello spa is engineered to stimulate the spinal cord as small beads of water cascade over the body, stimulating lymphatic and blood movement, quickening metabolic processes — and for the jet-lagged masses, producing a deep state of relaxation to induce sleep. Paired with an exfoliating treatment, and ending with a warmed body oil and lotion massage, this treatment will not only have the body feeling rested, it’s going to look brand spankin’ new, too. (75 minutes, $100.)

Vida Wellness Spa
Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel,
1088 Burrard St., Vancouver
(604) 682-8410.
With 5,000 years of history behind it, an Ayurvedic treatment gets more than a modicum of respect for its serious healing capabilities. This Indian science of holistic health works to both beautify the body and nurture the individual, with each treatment custom-tailored to the one and only you (as determined by a brief questionnaire). Shirodhara is one of several Ayurvedic treatments offered at Vida Wellness. The session starts with an Ayurvedic massage, which uses four times the amount of oil of a traditional massage: you’re going to get oily, and your skin will love you for it. After a head-to-toe treatment, your therapist drizzles a steady stream of oil on the centre of your forehead (also known as the third eye in yogi circles), which falls down through your hairline to the back of your head. You fall into a deeply meditative state — and experience a whole new level of chill. (90 minutes, $175.)

Editor’s Choice — YOGA

To many Vancouverites, regular yoga practice is as second nature as ordering their Starbucks tall-long-nonfat Americano misto. If you want to go with the flow too, many hotels offer their own yoga programs (Pacific Palisades, for example, offers an in-room yoga kit, including a mat to borrow and a yoga DVD to take home) — so check with your concierge. In the downtown area, yoga studios are possibly outnumbered only by coffee shops, and most offer drop-in rates. Two of the best are Flow Yoga, 1409 Pender St., (604) 682-3569, which offers yoga with a view of the mountains and Coal Harbour; and Harbour Dance, 927 Granville St., (604) 684-9542, where you can also explore other forms of physical activity, like hip hop and jazz dancing .