Wellness

10 BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO SAY THANKS TO OUR BODIES NOW

Courtesy of Nordik Spa. Nordik Spa in Chelsea, Quebec.

The gift of bodywork all but guarantees that you will feel better for it. It has the ability to significantly and positively alter your day.

Each treatment is a journey aimed at relieving stress, tension, and range of medical issues. Each type of stroke and movement is purposeful. We’re sharing 10 beautiful bodywork experiences you can gift to yourself -- or someone else who you want to say “Thank You” to.

1. NORDIK SPA -- CHELSEA, QUEBEC

Location: Nordik Spa, Chelsea, Quebec

Say thanks to your body by plunging it a deep salt-water pool at the Nordik Spa in Chelsea, Quebec. The beautiful blue atmosphere exudes a soothing glow as it lowers stress, boosts blood circulation, and reduces inflammation, thanks to the carefully selected salt and the constant monitoring of water’s purity.

With 7 outdoor baths, 8 unique saunas, an infinity pool, restaurant and lounge. Treat yourself to a massage, a body treatment or our new Källa treatment, the second salt-water floating pool in the world!

2. UMO 24-CARAT GOLD FACIAL -- LONDON, ENGLAND

Sometimes, it feels good to elevate -- even to go over the top. The UMO 24-Carat Gold Facial offered at The Beauty Clinic in London is one way to get that feeling. Your skin will be massaged with Gamma PGA, an intensely hydrating compound.

Next, sheets of pure gold are gently smoothed onto your face before the intense massage begins. After you undergo an intense massage, the gold sheets are promptly removed and discarded. It just might reduce your wrinkles, bring you firm bright skin, boost skin cell production, and rid you of toxins.

3. PATHWAYS SPA, SAROJIN RESORT -- KHAO LAK, THAILAND

Thailand has no shortage of bodywork treatment options. Some, like the award-winning Pathways spa in Sarojin, are exceedingly beautiful. Make your way past the thick shady mangroves to the outdoor treatment pavilions, with three showers and secluded baths that blend into the natural habitat. You can also enjoy having your body worked on a soft white sand beach or in a pool pavilion.

Massage in Thailand is described as an act of “Metta”, this is a Sanskrit Buddhist term used for an act of “loving kindness”. Treatments at Pathways are specifically designed to combine the healing properties of natural local ingredients with “Metta” to enhance your feeling of wellness.

4. ANANTARA KIHAVA VILLAS -- KIHAVAH, MALDIVES

At Anantara Kihavah Villas, the Gazebo Outdoor Massage Area is only one of the gorgeous places to gift your body.

Simplicity is its own luxury here on the Baa Atoll island archipelago in the Maldives. Perfectly situated, in the bathtub warm Hanifaru Bay, you can treat your body to a world of thanks after a day of some of the best deep-sea diving you will ever find.

With sweeping ocean views, sugar sand beaches, right near a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Explore the reefs, bask in the Maldivian sunsets and finally, indulge in some beautiful bodywork in an impossibly beautiful setting.

5. DIVANA SPA -- BANGKOK, THAILAND

While some of the most beautiful places to treat your body are in remote quiet locations, some are wonderful urban oases that fool you into believing you have escaped city life for a while.

The Divana Spa in Bangkok is one of those little gems.

6. THE FARM SPA -- LIPA, PHILIPPINES

Set in the luscious region of Batangas, The Farm is a luxury retreat famed for its back-to-nature approach to emotional and physical health.

Set at the base of Mount Malarayat, your bodywork will take place surrounded by coconut plantations, waterfalls, and tropical wildlife. Take some shade under a 250-year-old mango tree, which is said to possess healing powers.

7. THE MUCKROSS SPA -- KILLARNEY, IRELAND

At once monastic and romantic, the Muckross Park Spa awaits you at the heart of Killarney National Park, in Ireland. Peace, quiet, and astonishing beauty are just three of the reasons why this spot was selected to site the 15th Century Franciscan Abbey that still stands nearby.

The Spa overlooks the Bluepool River and private gardens. Enjoy the Vitality Pool, the Tropical Rainshower, an herbal sauna or steam in between your treatments.

8. HOTEL SARATZ SPA -- ST MORITZ, SWITZERLAND

Old world charm meets more modern bodywork, with a bit of tradition thrown in for good measure at the Hotel Saratz. This beautiful hotel first opened in 1865 and has kept its warm European feeling. It’s a great place for a family ski holiday -- not too posh, not too plain. A nice quiet find. And come on, getting massaged with wildflowers has to be a beautiful thing!

9. LOEWS CORONADO BAY RESORT -- VENICE, CALIFORNIA

Sure, it’s a little corny, and if it were in the original Venice, with a “real” gondolier, you’d be drifting off in a perfect dream, but get into the fantasy for an afternoon at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Venice, California. It’s a guilty pleasure. Indulge in a single or a couples massage as you float on a gondola, sipping champagne, nibbling on strawberries, and saying “Thank You” to you.

10. CHALET TOIT DU MONDE -- LA DAILLE, FRANCE

After you land on the helicopter pad, and make your way to your own private winter wonderland, let the massage come to you at the cozy luxe Chalet Toit Du Monde, in La Daille, France. Or you can watch the drop-down cinema screen as your friend indulges as you kick back by the fire.

With your own massage room, sauna, indoor and outdoor pool, and extensive wine cellar, your time here will be a beautiful gift all around.

11. FORESTED GAZEBO & CABIN IN THE WOODS -- CAPON BRIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA

If you prefer something simple, no manmade frills, close to the beauty of the wild woods, get straight to the point with bodywork you can enjoy in the middle of 2 1/2 acres of heavily forested land in Capon Bridge, West Virginia.

It’s lovely to feel the breezes, smell the loamy forest, watch the lightning bug shows at dusk, listen to bird songs, the soft patter of occasional raindrops, while your mind and body soak in some love.

Chill-ax in the Forested Gazebo, nestled next to a sweet pond and little waterfall. Or hideout in the private, yet open, Cabin in the Woods. Both are offered by Vince Lombardi at Affordable Massage.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Thanks in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 11.30.2014. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: Courtesy of Nordik Spa. Nordik Spa in Chelsea, Quebec.
Photo: Courtesy of Nordik Spa. Massage at the Nordik Spa, Chelsea, Quebec.
Photo: Courtesy of The Beauty Clinic. UMO 24-Carat Gold Facial, The Beauty Clinic, London.
Photo: Courtesy of Pathways Sarojin. Pathways Spa, Sarojin Resort, Khao Lak, Thailand.
Photo: Courtesy of Anantara Kihava Villas. Anantara Kihavah Villas Gazebo Outdoor Massage Area, Maldives.
Photo: Courtesy of Divana Spa. Divana Spa, Bangkok, Thailand.
Photo: Courtesy of The Farm. The Farm Spa, Philippines.
Photo: Courtesy of Muckross Park. The Muckross Spa, Ireland.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Saratz. The Hotel Saratz Spa, St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Photo: Courtesy of Loews Hotels. Couple’s Retreat, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Venice, California.
Photo: Courtesy of Ultimate Luxury Chalets. Chalet Toit du Monde, La Daille, France.
Photo: Courtesy of Affordable Massage. Forested Gazebo, Capon Bridge, West Virginia.