BANYA EXPERIENCE
GAIA's signature Banya ritual begins with a traditional herbal steam in one of their private saunas. As the sacred cave of the sauna welcomed me, I could feel my pores being coaxed open, my blood pressure lowering, and ahhh..., my mind quieting. The first inhalation of organic eucalyptus steam transported me to lying in a warm field in the morning sunshine. As the second steam of lavender filled my senses the field became a lavender herb garden, sun shining down on me, warmth working its gentle fingers through the tension in my body. A cool peppermint steam brought me back to the room, awareness focusing like a flag snapped in the wind.

To transition to the second stage of the ritual, I was attentively wrapped in a warmed towel, given cool cucumber water and escorted to the waiting massage table to begin a facial massage with cold stones that cleansed my pores from the inside out. Next, a stimulating full-body massage continued the opening and releasing. A fountain next to the massage table sounded like a clear mountain brook as gentle mists of lemon-infused water over my face were like clean ocean spray. After the massage, I was given more cool water and led back into the sauna, where new towels had been carefully arranged for me. The heat of another herbal inhalation steam made me break out into a cleansing sweat, kept expertly manageable with a cool lemon-infused cloth around my face.

The most ancient part of the ritual was about to begin... As the rhythmic "whisking" (aka being struck with bunches of leaves) in the sauna began, they felt like a hundred insistent fingers telling every cell in my body to "Wake up! Wake up!" My skin and spirit began singing with vibrancy, stagnant energy swept away. A delicious immune- boosting masque of organic honey and mango was applied over my entire body and allowed to absorb in the heat of the sauna. Then, I was slowly helped to a sitting position and my feet were bathed in ice-cold water, stimulating my system to balance itself. Then it was off to a cool shower, where I was given the choice of finishing as-is or having her pour a pitcher of ice-cold water over my shoulders to fully experience the benefits of the Banya. I decided to go for it, and the aliveness of the sensation brought me back to being a kid, jumping in the river on a hot summer day. Woo-HOO I yelled into the shower, remembering how good it feels to be enlivened instead of comfortable. My blood pumping, my mind clear, I was relaxed, energized and enthusiastic about life again. As I left GAIA, it was as if a layer of clouds had been cleansed away and I felt more in tune with health. Running errands the rest of the day, my joints felt looser, my skin glowed and I wanted only chilled fruit to nourish my body as it underwent a significant detox. That night, I slept heavily and awoke with renewed energy. I look forward to setting up a series of weekly Banyas to maintain this state of clarity and health.

Health benefits of GAIA's Banya - the blood supply (especially to the skin, muscles, and joints), the body’s overall metabolism, the number of red blood cells and quantity of hemoglobin and oxygen levels all increase. Impurities and toxins are purged, especially with repeated sessions. The word banya derives from Latin balneum, which means 'to chase out pain' (Note: The Banya is not recommended for those that suffer cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, pulmonary tuberculosis or diseases of the skin or other transmittable diseases).