5 dreamy spots for renewal that are heaven on earth
 As every child of the New Age knows, just reading about rejuvenation shakes up a cocktail of life-enhancing endorphins that makes you feel better. It’s that ancient mind-body connection that any spa worth its mineral salts is eager to capitalize on. But with so many options out there—from purely superficial to the deeply metaphysical—homing in on just one can quickly become overwhelming. So lose the hot rocks and let’s embark on a journey to five novel places that give new meaning to renewal.
3 New York City: Shizuka Day Spa NYC
At Shizuka New York Day Spa, if you can’t see rejuvenation smiling back at you in the mirror, you’ve missed the point entirely. Compared to mastering a full lotus, it only takes a New York minute to achieve complete facial rejuvenation at this award-winning Japanese day spa.
When the elevator doors open onto the sixth floor, I am immediately enveloped in Zen-like serenity. Small salt dishes placed at the entrance ward off any bad spirits that might have followed me in from Rockefeller Center. For added measure, I graciously accept my imported kimono and head off to the infrared sauna for deep purification. Owner Shizuka Bernstein finds me resting in the Tranquility Room, sipping fruit-infused water. Manhattan seems worlds away.
 There’s only one thing to do when your face is in the hands of New York’s premier skin care guru: whatever she wants. After cleansing with her signature blend containing pearl protein and spring water from Mt. Fuji, Shizuka begins massaging my face and neck with a paste that leaves my skin buttery smooth. “This is the beauty secret of the geisha,” Shizuka explains. I am fairly well covered in it before she reveals its exotic ingredient: bird poop! Before you wrinkle your nose, I should tell you that the imported nightingale droppings are dried and sterilized in Japan before shipping. There’s absolutely no smell. The uguisu no fun softens and brightens the complexion like none other. Cleansing and light extraction follow, along with a camellia oil massage and a refreshing green tea collagen mask. A full hour later, I float back to the Tranquility Room for Japanese tea and cookies, looking and feeling a full 10 years younger.
January 2009
by Pati Martinez |
