What You'll Get
Long relegated to service as river skippers and no-fuss pets, rocks are actually the innovators behind radiant heat, zen gardens, and the musical stylings of Rush. Benefit from geological ingenuity with today's Groupon. For $47, you get either two hot bedrock bathing sessions or two hot rock/hot yin yoga sessions, or one of each from Iyashi Bedrock Spa (up to a $134.48 value, including HST), located on Yonge Street.
Iyashi Bedrock Spa's elegant 3,000 square foot space supplies North America with one of the only opportunities to experience the benefits of black silica stone bathing. The black silica rocks, which are kept around 42 to 44 degrees Celsius and 60% humidity, emit infrared rays of natural light, heating humanoids, like an anonymous love notes, from the inside out. As sweat graciously exits through pore portals, immune systems strengthen, and toxins break down into pathetic, straight-to-TV molecules. Negative ions released from the black silica increase flow of oxygen to the brain, resulting in hightened alertness and the ability to punch procrastination.
The traditional Ganbanyoku (bedrock) women-only suite hosts 17 beds, and each session ($67.24 including HST) consists of 90 minutes of intimate rock time with breaks intermittently spaced throughout in the adjoining cool-down room. The four-bed deluxe suite rests as an ideal space for private sessions or couples, with sessions summed up in 60 minutes. Hot yoga ($56.50 including HST per session) breaks up time with 30 minutes of laying on hot stones followed by 60 minutes of yin yoga, an invigorating and gentle practice focused on gentle floor poses for maximum stone contact and minimum gravity aggravation. Today's Groupon allows users to mix and match the two services.
Japanese inspired décor, dim lighting, and heat that radiates from the ground create an aura of calm rarely seen in the outside world. For the bedrock session, a specially made spa outfit is provided. For yoga, wear comfortable clothing and something to change into afterward, such as a pillow Halloween costume.
Reviews
Iyashi Bedrock Spa has received a great deal of press, including features on CTS's Real Life, Eat Smart Age Smart, and Examiner. Toronto Life rated Iyashi 10 out of 10 for de-stressing.:
- This may be the easiest spa treatment you'll ever have - and one of the most exotic. Ganbanyoku, or rock bathing, is the latest trend to come out of Japan and Toronto has the first and only spa in North America dedicated to it - the Iyashi Bedrock Spa. – Carol Perehudoff, Examiner
- You cannot imagine until you’ve tried it how relaxing lying on a warm stone feels against your body. – Eat Smart Age Smart
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Apr 30, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 2 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. By appointment only. Not valid on holidays. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Iyashi Bedrock Spa
Named for the Japanese word for “cure,” Iyashi Bedrock Spa takes an innovative approach to healing by beckoning visitors into its all-natural Japanese ganbanyoku rock bathing suites. Since its inception, in 2008, Iyashi has been featured in numerous media outlets including E! Spa Trend Alert, which mentions Iyashi is "the latest Spa secret that has athletes and celebrities rolling around on a bed of rocks." Athlete visitors include Katie Tsuyuki, a snowboard competitor in the 2014 Olympics.
New Beauty Magazine also named Iyashi one of the top five unique spas in the world for its more than 20 beds of imported black silica rock that boast detoxifying and relaxing effects. Hot water runs beneath these slabs, heating them to approximately 42 degrees Celsius in a room held at 63 per cent humidity to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a rainforest. The treatment room feels like a cross between a low heat sauna and a mild steam room in which clients place a towel down and lie on what feels like a large heating pad for 20 minutes at a time, basking in the sounds of soothing music before stepping out into the cool-down room. This process is repeated for an hour as the stones suffuse bodies with far-infrared rays and negative ions that can help to loosen tight muscles, burn calories, improve circulation, and boost the immune system.
Iyashi's 16-student yoga classes helped the studio earn "top 10 in Toronto" honors from blogTO and LexiYoga.