It’s not uncommon for us city folk to have difficulty unwinding, especially with worries of family and work, not to mention the economy. The solution? Book yourself a well-deserved day at the spa. Check your troubles at the door and step into a little patch of heaven, where the only thing you need to worry about is if your bathrobe is properly tied.

Ste. Anne’s
If you are looking for pure relaxation as well as an escape from the city, Ste. Anne’s spa will certainly do. Located in picturesque Grafton, 90 minutes east of Toronto, it’s in a world of its own, and you don’t even need to drive. A representative from the spa picked me up at the rail station in Cobourg. “Instead of your experience starting on the busy 401, it starts with you relaxing on the train,” says director of sales and marketing, David Navia.

The sprawling grounds were beautiful andmy room, theMaudWatt, was complete with king-size sleigh bed, day bed, reading area, fireplace, and a hot tub for two. After a delicious lunch, prepared by chef Christopher Ennew, I began my foray into the spa services. I started with the mud bath. I was submerged and suspended in rich, warm mud that was denser than the thickest brownie batter. The soothing and detoxifying qualities were heightened by the essential-oil head and scalp massage. A Vichy shower — a water massage involving numerous streams of water at varying temperatures — finished the treatment. Next up was my foot treatment: an extended pedicure with essential oils, exfoliation and massage. This pedicure is also man-friendly —it’s polish-free.

“There is something physical that happens to people here,” says Marijo Corcoran, marketing special projects manager. “Their whole demeanor is lifted, and they start to smile more, they breathe. It happens around day two, and by the time they leave they are just beaming.”

Ste. Anne’s is also a romantic hideaway for a couple’s weekend, and while the premises are not licensed, guests are welcome to bring their own wine, which they can enjoy with meals or in the comfort of their rooms.

Stillwater
If you can’t get away from the city, there are still numerous urban reprieves. The first glance of the Park Hyatt hotel’s Stillwater Spa is impressive. Natural, sand-toned marble lines the walls and floors, and water elements are incorporated throughout: calming waterfalls, underfoot streams below blue, glass footbridges, aquariums recessed into the walls.

Stillwater is the only spa in Toronto that has an aqua pool for treatments. “Aqua therapy is like a shiatsu-style massage done in the water,” says spa director Krista Foulis. “It’s very good for the muscles and very relaxing.” Patrons can’t help but let the world go as they slip on soft, white robes and sit in the tea lounge, drinking tea and cucumber water and munching on fruit and biscotti. “It is basically an urban oasis,” says Foulis. “Our philosophy is to create a more natural spa, based around relaxation.”

The real fun begins when you step into the treatment rooms. I began my four-hour visit with a nurturing milk and honey wrap, which includes an exfoliation and a warm, rose-mud mask for the whole body. To finish off, I was wrapped in plastic, warm towels and a thermal blanket so my body could soak up all the goods the mud had to offer. After a quick shower, I was back on the table for a deep-tissue massage. I left the room smelling and feeling incredible and ready for my rain forest oxygenating facial — tailored to meet the needs of my skin.