Helpful Wellness Rituals That You Actually Have Time For

Photo courtesy of Oakwell Beer Spa

We are stressed out, burned out and perpetually worried about everything from climate change to the ever-in- creasing cost of living. The COVID pandemic made us acutely aware of our health, and more people are prioritizing well-being and self-care in their lives. The good news is you don’t have to book a week at a resort to increase your overall wellness.

Photo courtesy of Heyday | Heyday’s goal is to “unlock your skin’s potential through facials and to educate and empower you with skin care knowledge.”

HEYDAY

“There is something special about being in somebody else’s care for an hour,” says Brad Kott, a Colorado franchise partner for Heyday, which provides personalized facials.

Heyday opened its third Denver location in University Hills last fall. Estheticians perform a skin analysis to help each client achieve healthier skin. Fifty-minute sessions include a variety of treatments such as extractions, massage, masks and exfoliation, as well as special enhancements like LED light therapy, microdermabrasion and peels. Sessions cost $135; the first facial is discounted.

Photo courtesy of Squeeze Massage | Aromatherapy is part of the massage experience at Squeeze.

SQUEEZE MASSAGE

At Squeeze Massage, customization reigns. “As a consumer, it makes a huge difference being in control of your experience—from customizing pressure preferences and music to booking your massage therapist based on their experience and bio,” says Stacey Jamison, operating partner at Squeeze Cherry Creek, which opened in June 2023. “Massage reduces muscle tension, stimulates the lymphatic system, relaxes the mind, body and soul, increases mobility and flexibility, and much more.”

Both 50-minute and 80-minute sessions are available, either on a one-time basis or with a membership at discounted pricing. Every membership sold also helps provide a day of canine support to a person with a disability through a partnership with Canine Companions.

Photo courtesy of Modern Acupuncture | Patients at Modern Acupuncture often combine Eastern medicine with traditional Western treatments to achieve the level of efficacy they want.

MODERN ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, but only recently have Americans been more open to the many different benefits of alter- native therapies, says Danielle Remington, owner and general manager of Modern Acupuncture in Lakewood-Belmar. Most people seek treatment for pain management, says Remington, particularly because of opioid addictive concerns. But they also seek treatments to boost immunity, or for help with sleep, digestive issues or even for sun-damaged skin.

“Our goal is to make acupuncture more accessible, more understandable and more affordable,” Remington says. Monthly plans and packages are available; first sessions are 50 percent off the regular price.

Photo courtesy of 5 Star Salt Caves | 5 Star Salt Caves focuses on relaxation and self- care sessions.

5 STAR SALT CAVES

In Europe and other countries, it is common for people to spend a few hours relaxing and taking care of themselves each week. Not so in the United States, says Markus Bohunovsky, co-owner of 5 Star Salt Caves. The wellness center is built around a cave constructed of Himalayan rock salt, which is touted as a way to improve respiratory health.

Along with the salt cave, the center features massage, detoxifying foot baths and infrared sauna services. “We specialize in spa packages, where you do anywhere from two to four of those services in a row. The whole package is a great way to spend a few hours on yourself or bring a group of friends and experience it together,” says Bohunovsky.

Photo courtesy of Restore Hyper Wellness | Three minutes of ice-cold temps may boost energy, optimize sleep and decrease stress.

RESTORE HYPER WELLNESS

Although saunas, sweat lodges and steam baths are cultural traditions around the world, infrared saunas are modern adaptations. Traditional saunas use relatively high heat to warm the air around you to induce sweating and an increased heart rate. Infrared saunas heat your body, not the air around you, and usually at a lower temperature than traditional saunas. Many spas, health clubs and stand-alone facilities feature both traditional and infrared saunas like those available at Restore Hyper Wellness, which also offers cryotherapy sessions. Gaining in popularity thanks to celebrities who have praised the benefits, cryo-therapy usually involves sitting in a closed chamber for a few minutes at a temperature of minus 140 degrees or more.

Folks in Nordic countries regularly take dips in ice-cold water, and athletes often spend time in ice baths to help recovery, so it’s no won- der plunge pools are becoming more mainstream. While heat causes blood to rush outward toward the skin, cold causes blood to move inward to protect vital organs. Spas, hot springs around the state and other facilities have cold pools for dipping. Some community groups frequent natural cold pools and meet for group dips in Boulder Creek, for instance.

Photo courtesy of Oakwell Beer Spa | Tap into the health benefits of a bubbly beer soak at Oakwell Beer Spa

OAKWELL BEER SPA

Finally, Oakwell Beer Spa (formally The Beer Spa) is truly a one-of- kind experience with its Beer Hydrotherapy experience. It’s basically like a giant bubbly beer bath in cedar tubs filled with a meticulously crafted blend of hops, barley and seasonal herbs, curated by their in-house herbalists.

According to the spa’s husband-and-wife owners, Jessica French and Damien Zouaoui, beer’s main ingredients, hops and barley, have been cultivated for thousands of years as natural herbal medicines and they’re loaded with vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants that can help de-stress, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, make your hair shine, reduce skin irritations, increase circulation, reduce inflammation and joint pain and stimulate your metabolic rate and digestion. The beer baths are unfermented and never contain yeast, although you can certainly enjoy a beer or cider from their rotating tap room while you soak. 

HEYDAY
Multiple locations in Denver

SQUEEZE MASSAGE
875 Albion St., Denver 
(use code COMAG40 for $40 off your first massage or first month of membership)

MODERN ACUPUNCTURE
7170 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood
720-702-9164 

5 STAR SALT CAVES
722 S. Pearl St., Denver
855-578-2725 

RESTORE HYPER WELLNESS
Multiple locations throughout the Front Range 

OAKWELL BEER SPA
3004 N. Downing St., Denver
720-810-1484