Winter, for me, requires extra attention to/from the elements. Yes, I mean air, water, fire, earth. And what better way to attend to them than by going to a spa in New Jersey?
My friend Martin and I went to the SoJo spa in Edgewater, NJ on a very busy Saturday afternoon in January. Of course, who can blame all those other folks for having the same idea as we had– to soak and steam and vibrate and bake their cares away for a couple of hours?
It turns out that it doesn’t really matter if the infinity pool is crowded. I mean, it’s an INFINITY pool, right? Okay, infinity doesn’t mean what I hoped it meant, but there was plenty of very warm water and a lovely view of Manhattan.
There was another pool a couple of levels down– this spa had 7 levels!– with water jets and also a view.
One thing we didn’t get to do (much to my relief) was the Volcanic Sand Bath. You show up at this very large sandbox, wearing nothing but a cotton kimono, and lie down. Then, employees rake hot sand all over you, and then add hot water. Despite Martin’s testimony to its yumminess, I said no thank you.
There were a bunch of different outdoor hot baths in addition to the pools. There was a silk bath (bluish milky water with tiny bubbles), a carbon-rich bath (think hot seltzer), and some others I can’t remember. They had set up little warming tents for us to go in between them.
There were also saunas of varying temperatures, vibrating easy chairs, warmish stone surfaces to lounge on, and of course an area for food and beverages. They pretty much covered all our spa needs.
The only feature I actively disliked was the the outdoor rock path, claimed to be a great massage for your feet. Uh, no. It was super ouchy, with rocks of different sizes and sharpness embedded in the concrete. No one I saw was enjoying it.
By the end of a couple of hours, I felt thoroughly relaxed, jet-massaged, warmed through and through, and well-poached, ready to face whatever New York City had next in store for me.
Also, just the act of slowing down, lolling or wading in water, making very small talk with friends (or just enjoying the sensations and the view) was extremely nice on a gray January day. I don’t think I need spas in summer– the whole of nature is its own spa–but I can use the help in winter.
Readers, what is your favorite elemental immersion for dealing with winter blahs? Heat? Cold? Air? Water? Volcanic Sand Bath? I’d love to know.
