Imagine this. You just had an adrenaline-filled day out in the winter snow - either skiing or snowboarding. You are mentally energized from being active all day, but your body has had a little too much movement. You're thinking of going back to your room and just sitting on the couch for the rest of the night. BUT instead, you go to Scandinave Spa and sit in the below hot, steamy bath.
Just think about how therapeutic it'll feel when the hot water just engulfs your aching body. Now, wake up from this lil dream and go! Haha. But ok no seriously, if you are looking for reasons to visit Scandinave Spa during your visit at Blue Mountain, look no further. In this blog post, I will be giving you three reasons why you need to go A S A P.
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Personally, I have never been to the Blue Mountain area unless I was going there to ski/snowboard. Actually, I've never visited Collingwood when there was no snow on the ground. But while I had a couple days off work, J and I decided to head up to Collingwood for a mini getaway. Our main focus was to rewind and relax, so naturally, we decided to visit Scandinave Spa during our time there. I have only been to hot springs in Asia (Korea and Japan, specifically), but I understand that this experience was a little different so I was very excited to see what this was all about.
Spoiler Alert: I had the BEST time here, and cannot wait to come back to Collingwood so I can visit the spa again. It's just one of those things you didn't know you needed until you've experienced it. So without further adieu, here are three reasons why you need to treat yo'self & go to the Scandinave Spa (and also why I will be making my 2nd visit shortly).
1. Escape from Reality
Don't we all need that sometimes? It truly is an escape from reality. This spa has been offering a year-round escape as their Scandinavian Baths are open basically 365/24/7 despite the weather conditions since 2006. Driving in, you will be surrounded by trees as the spa is situated in 25 acres of forested land (think Narnia). Walking through the bridge to get to the spa, we were already hushed to keep quiet. Did I really talk so loud on a normal basis? Haha oops. As it is a rule at the spa to speak softly (or not at all), I found that my mind was able to take a break from reality as well. And sometimes, a couple moments or hours of silence is all we really need.
2. The Health Benefits
Originated from Scandinavia (hence the name "Scandinave Spa" haha), this tradition of hot baths, cold plunges, and saunas actually came about because of the European commitment to health and wellness. This treatment is still quite popular today, and North America is beginning to understand the therapeutic and personal benefits that you can reap from doing this cycle. It stimulates the sweat glands and gives your body an intense detoxification by cleansing your skin. Experiencing water at varied temperatures also has a powerful and uplifting effect on the body and mind. I will walk you through the three steps below.
Step 1: Emerge yourself in one of the three hot baths. It might feel like it burns at first, but ohh the burning feels soo goodddd. You should also just stand under the thermal & Nordic waterfall too and feel the pressure from the water on your shoulders. Being in the hot water opens up your pores & begins the detoxifying process.
Step 2: Mentally prepare yourself for a temperature shock as you plunge into one of the three cold baths on site. FYI - you will literally feel like our body is freezing up, so be sure to keep moving around as you're in the pool. Specifically, J and I pretended we were doing a 100m dash in the pool haha. Try to stay in here as long as you can (although your mind will be screaming at you to get out), as this plunge actually increases your heart rate and enhances blood circulation throughout the body.
Step 3: Head into either the Finnish Sauna or the Norwegian Steam Bath. Besides helping you warm up again from the cold plunge, this is the stage of relaxation. It helps re-establish equilibrium as your body returns to a normal resting state.
3. So. Damn. Relaxing.
I can't stress this point more than I already am. I've never felt so relaxed before in my life! After you do the above three steps, your body will feel so loose and happy. Good thing they have a relaxation room that is full equipped with lounge chairs (there are also hammocks outside for the summer time) and magazines. You can also bring your own book to read. It has a lovely view of the baths and forestry. There is just something about watching the steam rise dreamily from the baths!
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With winter creeping up on us (seriously, how is it December already?!), I am sure a number of you winter sport fanatics will be thinking of heading up to Collingwood in the next couple of months. I know I will be! Visiting Scandinave Spa would honestly be the perfect day 2 activity after a full day out on the hills. Although this time at BM I saw more green than white, I still had a very relaxing time. When I wasn't at the spa, I was hanging out at my Airbnb watching Narcos and eating chips. I can't say that is what I will be doing the next time I am up here, so I definitely enjoyed it while it lasted. Until next time, Collingwood!
