After plans for a spontaneous, relaxing weekend in Florida fell through, I desperately needed to find a way to unwind here in Boston. I wanted to try something not involving Netflix, sweatpants and pizza for a change.
This crazy thought of “man-pering” myself, treating my body to a relieving spa service, could be sort of refreshing. However, nothing involving mud-baths due to obvious beard reasons.
I found myself on Groupon looking for “day spa” and “spa treatment” services when I came across one for a sauna session.
“A sauna,” I thought to myself. “That could be fun.”
What a steal. They wanted $25 for a 30-minute infrared sauna session at a place called Cabral Wellness Institute on the corner of Berkeley Street and Columbus Avenue in Boston.
The Cabral Wellness Institute acts as an outlet for personal wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging for the community. Though small in real-estate, they offer an array of services including this sauna, massage treatments, and personal training as building blocks to help engage the locale in being naturally happy and healthy.
What’s neat is that the owner, Dr. Stephen Cabral, got his doctoral degree in naturopathy after turning to naturopathic medicine as a teenager to cure his own health problems.
I easily logged on to their website to book an appointment. The only time slot available was at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. It was a sign to kick the day off in the right direction.
Saturday morning welcomed me with parking right near the building, but I missed the entrance twice because there are no signs!
I was greeted at the front desk by Aaron with a cup of fresh cucumber water — so refreshing. Aaron then showed me around the quaint facility and lead me to their private infrared sauna.
Infrared saunas offer health benefits like detoxification, lowering blood pressure, promoting cell health, and so many more.
After going over the sauna specs, I stepped inside. The sauna was a small wooden room with no humidity, no breeze, just 137 degrees of heat warming my entire body.
Though it’s not exactly a serene beach, feeling the heat from the infrared lights is enough to help you escape from the outside world for a little bit. The blue hue inside the sauna is also very calming. I believe this is what tortillas feel in the warmer at Chipotle.
The 30-minute timer was up far too soon, but the sauna helped relieve my aching post-gym muscles, relax my surgically repaired lower back, and alleviate my head cold. Not only was my body feeling great, but my mind and stress levels as well. I stepped out with a smile!
Aaron came in to assist with my departure and welcomed me to freshen up in a private bathroom complete with a luxurious shower and amenities. They politely ask you to clean up after yourself and keep your shower time to 10 minutes.
Don’t mind if I do!
The bathroom felt more like that of a boutique hotel in Manhattan and showering off the sweat from the sauna felt more like a cleanse than a chore.
I left that day feeling wicked fresh. That’s the only way to describe it. I actually felt clean, and I believe it’s partially due to the the sauna’s ability to rid the body of toxins and help heal muscle tissue.
The Cabral Wellness Institute is definitely worth a visit. Whether you’re looking for a path to natural personal wellness or a spot for soothing relaxation like I was, this is a great option for you. And especially at the Groupon rate I found, why the hell not give it a shot?
For more information or to book an appointment, contact the Cabral Wellness Institute, and have as great of a time as I did!
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