Who would have thought a mall could house a 5-star resort quality spa?! Yes. It’s true.
A little hidden gem if you will.
This past week I visited Spa Mirbea Albany, NY, a Day Resort for the second time, which is located in Crossgates Mall. I know, Right?! A spa in the mall, ugh. But let me know tell you, as soon as you step foot into this spa you completely forget you are in a mall. Hell, you completely forget you are in Albany, NY. This spa goes beyond all expectations and offers so much more than just spa services, it’s truly a mini vacation away from reality.
Upon entering you’re greeted with smiles from the staff behind the reception counter as well as calming aromatherapy being diffused into the air. The Spa attendant welcomes you, gives your a lush bathrobe and comfy sandals and then escorts you back into the spacious, aesthetically pleasing locker facilities. She’ll show you how the lockers work and also offer a tour of the facilities if you desire. The facilities have it ALL. Each the men’s and women’s locker areas have several showers, a steam room and a sauna. Then the men’s and women’s locker facilities have a back entrance which brings you to the beautiful co-ed relaxation area with plenty of lounge chaises, a soothing water feature as well as a cozy fire place. It’s dimly lit to help you induce a deep state of relaxation, and help drift you away from all your worries. Off the relaxation room, is the hallway that leads to the treatments room as well as a double door that takes you into a warm, airy, almost tropical location where the hot tub is located, also known as the aqua terrace. Here there are plenty of comfortable seating areas, some of which remind me of a private cabana you can rent out at resort hotels as well as a bar where you can order food and drinks, alcohol included… which makes me happy; I can enjoy the ambiance AND sip on a glass of red wine.
Spa Mirbeau also has a french inspried bistro and wine bar, which I did not include in this past visit, but my first time visiting, in May 2018 with 4 other girlfriends, we did enjoy a light lunch and some delicious cocktails in the bistro. They also have a spa boutique and fitness center with state of the art equipment and offer fitness classes, which I have not yet checked out.
This past visit I was with my close friend, Elicia and we each had massages scheduled. We met at the spa about an hour before our scheduled appointments to enjoy the facilities. We both packed our bathing suits as we were very much looking forward to soaking in the hot tub. After we arrived and checked in and had our bathing suits on, we first decided to enjoy the sauna. After about 10 minutes we decided it was time to hop into the steam room, my favorite. I just love the steam room and they definitely were infusing the steam room with eucalyptus as well, it smelt amazing and I felt it tingle on my upper lip. After the steam room, when we couldn’t take it much longer, we headed back to the Aqua Terrace only to be disappointed that the hot tub was out of commission. We were bummed, but no worries, we poured our selves some cucumber water and curled up on the chaise lounges in the relaxation room and softly chatted among ourselves.
Elicia and myself in the relaxation room at Spa Mirbeau Albany
Us two girls, always have so much to catch up on. Our time went by perfectly. Though we were only enjoying the facilities for about an hour, it truly felt like we had been there all afternoon. At 6 pm, a therapist came into the relaxation room and called my name for my massage. Elicia said, “I was so relaxed I forgot we were even having massages!” We hugged each other goodbye, since I was not going to see her after my massage. My friend, was receiving a 50 minute signature massage then venturing home, and I had signed up for a 100 minute massage.
The treatment rooms are so inviting, each having a cozy fireplace. My massage therapist was AMAZING. I was extremely happy about that, being my last massage, two months prior, was terrible. My therapist took my lead on the amount of conversation. Which I like to chat in the beginning, but then I like to be fully present in my massage and not talk too much. She was fantastic. She definitely had great pressure behind her deep work and nice connecting strokes where my body felt integrated and treated as a whole. She addressed all my concerns that we discussed prior to beginning the massage plus some.
After my massage I mentioned to my therapist, I was going to venture back the aqua terrace to enjoy a glass of red wine after I used the ladies room. My therapist asked me what was my favorite red wine, which I replied malbec. When I arrived back into the aqua terrace, my glass of wine was waiting for me. I took my glass to a corner on the couch and curled up and sipped on my glass of delicious Argentinean malbec. I was so bliss-ed out. My massage was exactly what my body was earning for and now as I sit there reaping the amazing benefit of the deep work she did and enjoying my wine… I was in heaven.
While I was only inside the spa itself for three and a half hours I felt like I had a mini vacation, feeling completely rejuvenated. I can NOT wait to go back. Which I must add, will be soon, because upon check out I was given a free day pass to come back to enjoy the facilities at any time I chose due to the hot tub being down. In my opinion I think this is a wonderful gesture. First, they recognize that we were not able to enjoy all of their amenities that are included in the price you pay for treatments and second a great way of pulling you back in to their spa, which is where you want to be.
If you haven’t already gathered, I highly recommend visiting Spa Mirbeau Albany. Perhaps I shall see you there soon. I’m already daydreaming about my next visit.
You know what I really love? VACATION!!!You know what I love on top of that? After having an amazing vacation, coming home to a clean house! There is something very gratifying about walking into a clean home, after a long day of traveling. The last thing I want to see is a mess. My husband and I have a 19 day vacation coming up next week. Therefore, I have dedicated this weekend to spring cleaning.While I would love to hire a cleaning service (maybe one day), I do take pride in keeping a clean, organized home. There is something therapeutic in deep cleaning your home. Well, at least to me. Perhaps, many would not agree with me.But I believe that a clean and clutter free home, leads to a peaceful, calm and clutter-free mind! Which on that note, I’m taking this opportunity to connect my spring cleaning to a yoga principal for you. See, you can practice yoga every day in some way!If you have been practicing yoga for a while you may be familiar with Pantajali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, with the first two limbs being yamas and niyamas each containing 5 tenants of moral codes and restraints. The first tenant of the niyamas (the restraints: on how we treat ourselves and how to turn inwardly) is saucha, purity/cleanliness. While ancient yogis had, what I would call, some crazy ways to actually inwardly clean themselves, some that may actually churn your stomach; they also focused on purity of thoughts, tongue, diet and actions.Today, I’m applying saucha more lightly and on more of a superficial level. Purifying comes from an inwardly, disciplined practice while cleanliness is more external, both of which are connected. Applying saucha to our environment is just as important as purifying our mind, spirit and bodies. Our mind is a mirror of our environment. If our home is messy and we are surrounded by possessions we have hoarded over the years, our mind also is cluttered and distracted and may feel like you can’t find space to breathe, and you may actually feel scattered brained.I truly feel that having a clean, clutter free home is a sign of respect toward yourself, your loved ones and your yoga practice. A clean, organized home induces a relaxed mind and I believe even can ward off depression. Happy Cleaning! I know this post, may contradict a previous post of mine, but also part of practicing yoga is being in the moment and accepting what is and being purely present is each moment. Sometimes, our lives are busy and can get a little chaotic… and that is ok too. But sometimes, we set aside time to take a breath and organize ourselves. It’s truly about balance and being kind to yourself. Ahhhh, a yama, ahimsa. Ahimsa is practicing nonviolence. Not only being kind and not harming mother earth and other beings, but also not harming ourselves; our moments and our own thought processes. But I guess that can be another post.I know this post, may contradict a previous post of mine, but also part of practicing yoga is being in the moment and accepting what is and being purely present is each moment. Sometimes, our lives are busy and can get a little chaotic… and that is ok too. But sometimes, we set aside time to take a breath and organize ourselves. It’s truly about balance and being kind to yourself. Ahh, another yama, ahimsa. Ahimsa is practicing non violence. Not only being kind and not harming mother earth and other beings, but also not harming ourselves; our moments and our own thought processes. But I guess that can be another post.On another note, you know what I absolutely do not like doing? It kind of stresses me out. Packing! Fortunately my husband excels at that. It’s actually a win, win. For instance when we go up to camp, he’ll take the time before our weekend, to pack up everything up so nicely and he never forgets anything. Me? I’ll forget miscellaneous items, like, d’oh, my tooth brush. Like I said, packing stresses me out. After our time at camp, we’ll come home and he will unwind and catch up on emails and news while I unpack everything, clean and do the laundry. This seems to works for us!However, after my cleaning is done, I’m going to be kind to myself this weekend, and take my time and methodically pack my own suitcase. Then my husband will go through our checklist with me to make sure I have everything. I’ll have to let you know how I do.Zenfully Yours,
Jyll
Jyll's Zen Lounge 