My trip to a Korean Spa

Have you ever been to a Korean spa?

It’s the most amazing experience you will ever have! While on a work trip to Chicago my girlfriend took me to one of these awesome spas. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when she told me that everybody is nude walking around, but I wanted to go for myself and find out. The entrance fee was like $35 and this gives you access to the entire facility. So we arrived at around 7 pm, paid the entrance fee and proceeded inside down a long hallway, we had to stop in the middle to remove our shoes. At the end of the hallway, we were handed shorts and a top to put on later. We entered a huge locker room where we were supposed to remove all of our clothes, lock them up and enter the whirlpool area. There we were to take showers, wash well and soak in the whirlpool for a while to soften the skin. There were 4 huge hot tubs at various temperatures and one was freezing cold (I did not go in that one!) 

I put my name on the list to have a body scrub, so I was to soak in the pool until they called my number. In the same room as the pools, there is a section blocked off by a divider, on the other side there is a row of about 20 massage tables all lined up. This tiny Korean woman wearing a bra and underwear calls out my number and I proceed over to meet her. She instructs me to lay down on the table and she puts some exfoliating miss on her hands then begins to scrub every inch of my body, front to back and side to side. She washed my hair, face, toes and all, it was amazing. Apparently, this is what they do in their country, all the time, Why haven’t I done this before? I am totally hooked! 

That was just the beginning… So after I get completely exfoliated down to the living layers of my skin cells LOL, I was instructed to take another shower and wash off the conditioner she had put on me. I put on my hot pink uniform and we went into the other section of the building. When I first walked through the doors, I see huge Amethyst rocks and Himalayan Salt Rocks, and all types of crystals, walk a little further and there is a movie theatre off to the right. People can relax and watch a movie or whatever is playing. Outside the theatre is a common area, this is where the Men’s area and Women’s area meet up. All around this common area are rooms that are heated and covered wall to wall in crystals, gold, Himalayan salt, charcoal and a few other things. I took my time going into each room, laying on the ground and meditating until I was sweating and needed to step out.

The first room I went into was the Amethyst room, stunning crystals all over the walls. In Reiki, Amethyst represents the crown chakra or forehead area, and while I was meditating, I could feel the top of my head seemed to be throbbing. It was intense. Once I made my way through the rooms, we went upstairs where there were more meditation rooms, lot’s of couches and recliners lined up on the walls for people to rest, sleep, nap, relax. This Spa is open 24hrs and it is a haven for mental, spiritual, physical wellbeing. You can schedule a massage, facial, reflexology, have lunch/dinner at the restaurant or simply sit and meditate, there is plenty to do for hours. 

I made my way to the “Oxygen Room” where they pump oxygen into the space. I lay down on the floor and that was it for me! I fell asleep for god knows how long. Next thing I knew, my girlfriend was waking me up to leave, it was 1 am. 

That experience changed my life, I feel a new sense of calm and clarity in my mind and my spirit. These types of Spas are so necessary for our mental wellbeing. I will return to this place every time I am in Chicago and there is also one in Atlanta called JeJu Spa, that will probably be the next trip since it’s a little closer. 

Let us make self care a regular part of our life, it’s not a luxury, it is a necessity.  All of these things slow the body and the mind allowing the body’s natural processes and cycles to take place uninterrupted. 

Even taking time out of your schedule to come enjoy a relaxing facial treatment will calm your body and relax your mind.