The concept of a rock spa is completely new to me and until I actually tried the experience, it was very difficult for me to understand the health benefits that lying on a natural hot stone could have on my body.

Although, the concept of the rock spa is fairly new in North America, it’s been practiced for generations in Japan. Rock bathing is so popular in Japan and it’s turned out to be a real spa phenomenon and it has been estimated that there are over 5000 such spas in Japan. In fact, I’ve actually heard that in Japan some of these rock bathing spas are open 24 hours a day to allow the Japanese to rejuvenate and detoxify whenever they feel the need.

I recently had the opportunity to experience rock bathing at the local Iyashi Bedrock Spa in the Yonge/Eglinton area (in Toronto).

>>> If you check out their web site, you’ll see photos of the rock beds: Iyashi Bedrock Spa

http://www.iyashibedrockspa.com

Before I continue, I should warn readers that once you’ve read this review you may want to find a way to book an appointment to try the Japanese rock bathing, however it’s important to know in advance that in North America there is only one of these types of spas … and it’s right here in Toronto.

When I got to the spa I was told by one of the owners that I imperatively hydrate quite extensively because one session of rock bathing could actually cause me to lose as much as 2 litres of water. I’ll admit to being a little bit skeptical about the whole concept of lying on a hot stone bed and losing that much bodily fluid (but quickly learned how wrong I was).

The interesting thing about the Japanese rock bathing spa is that it is completely waterless and the best way I could describe it would be a cross between your traditional sauna and steam room.

Allow me to explain: a sauna delivers dry heat and I usually find that I don’t sweat a lot when I’m in a sauna. On the other hand, a steam room is very humid because it is based on delivering hot water to detoxify your body. I usually prefer the experience of a steam room because I feel that the sweat is actually an indication that I am getting the benefits of a good detox. That said, it would be nearly impossible to stay in a steam room for 90 minutes without any health risks. The Japanese rock spa offers the dryness of a sauna, however you sweat as much as if you were in a steam room.

The first experience is quite surprising because you don’t know what to expect, however, you know in your mind that you should be expecting a lot!

Once you slip into your two-piece outfit, you need to follow the instructions very carefully: you must drink a lot of water. Before going into my session, I made sure to drink two glasses of water and I brought a glass with me.

Walking into the rock room is extremely calming because you find yourself in a quiet room design for relaxation and calming the mind. During my session there were only two other women enjoying a rock spa session and I quickly followed their cue.

>>> First 30-minutes rock bathing session:

I started by lying on my stomach for 15 minutes and during that time I must say that it was extremely relaxing however, I had not yet started to sweat and therefore I was doubting that I would actually get any detoxification benefit out of this experience but by the time I flipped on my back, I actually started to feel sweat pouring out of my body. As per the instructions I received, I laid on my back for about 15 minutes after which I was told to take a three-minute break outside of the rock room and hydrate thoroughly. I’ll admit that after the 30 minute session I actually did need a break and I really needed to re-hydrate. During the time that I was on my break, I realized that there was are reasons why Japanese live for such a long time and perhaps this rock bathing spa was one of the reasons that explained their longevity.

You cannot imagine until you’ve tried it how relaxing lying on a warm stone feels against your body.

>>> Second 30-minutes rock bathing session:

The second session was exactly the same as the first one, however this time, I was sweating a lot more. By the time I hit the one hour mark I really could feel that my body was detoxifing. I could also feel that I was extremely relaxed and there was no tension whatsoever in my body. Another thing that I noticed was the fact that my mind was not churning and thinking of all of the millions of things that I have to do. I found my mind quiet … which is quite a rarity for me.

>>> My last 30-minutes rock bathing session:

During my last 30 minutes, I repeated the same process as I had during the first hour, however I was told that I could lie on my side as well. Lying on my side was a good experience, however I must admit that lying on my stomach and back was far more enjoyable to me.

>>> Health benefits of the black stone?

I was quite pleasantly surprised by the long list of health benefits:

* Burning calories (as much as 700 calories without lifting a finger)

“Weight loss is achieved by burning stored fat by the Metabolism “oven” and creating energy and heat until it is divided into water and carbon dioxide. Ganbanyoku burns what is normally considered non-burnable fat which is fat that contains harmful metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Non-burnable fat turns into burnable fat by detaching and detoxifying metals out of your body.” — Dr. Gomi MD. Gomi Clinic, Japan

* Anti-aging

* Strengthens your immune system

* Pain relief

* Detox

* Increases mental energy

* Great natural anti-depressant

* Contracts negative effects of environmental pollution

* Reduces stress

There is a much more detailed explanation on the many benefits of rock bathing spa on Iyashi Bedrock Spa’s website: benefits of rock bathing

http://www.iyashibedrockspa.com/benefits.html

>>> Would I go back to the Iyashi Bedrock Spa?

Given that flying to Japan for a rock bathing spa session would be outrageously expensive, I would have to say that having the luxury of living in a city that offers such an incredible experience is truly a gift. I would certainly return to the Iyashi Bedrock Spa to enjoy more rock bathing sessions.

One of the things that you’ll find that is refreshing is that the sessions are very affordable: it will only cost you $47.50 for a 60-minute session /$59.50 for a 90 minute-session that will leave you feeling blissful and happy!

>>> Men are welcomed at the Iyashi Bedrock Spa?

Men and couples are able to enjoy a rock bathing session by taking advantage of the deluxe room which is a private room that contains fewer rock beds and allow for a setting that is perfect for men or for couples. The private room is a little bit more expensive however the experience is well worth it. At the back of the room you’ll find a relaxation area that is the perfect ending to unwind even further after 60-90 minutes of your rock bathing session.

>>> Hot yoga at the Iyashi Bedrock Spa?

This was the biggest surprise for me because I did not realize that you could actually have a hot yoga session inside a rock bathing room. The Iyashi Bedrock Spa has hired experienced yoga teachers to teach modified hot yoga classes (90-minute sessions that include 30-minute rock bathing sessions) – in other words, the hot yoga classes are done seated or lying down. I was told the experience is incredible and students love them so much that the spa had to increase its hot yoga sessions from one weekly session to five weekly sessions. If you’re interested in trying a different type of hot yoga, you’ll surely want to book a session at the Iyashi Bedrock Spa!

>>> Find out more about the Iyashi Bedrock Spa

I hope this review has motivated you to give the Iyashi Bedrock Spa a try. You’ll find much more detailed information on their website and you’ll also be able to read a lot more about the health benefits of a rock bathing spa. You’ll understand why it is such an important ritual in Japan and hopefully it will become a ritual for you as well.

If you don’t live in Toronto and you have the intention of coming for a visit I highly encourage you to book a session at the Iyashi Bedrock Spa to experience a rock bathing spa first hand!

>>> Overall rating for the experience?

(this was an incredibly relaxing experience)

The Iyashi Bedrock Spa is a hidden treasure in Toronto and unless you discover it and actually try a rock bathing session, you won’t know what you’ve been missing. That said, when you discover something so incredible, you’ll want to keep going back over and over again! In fact, once you’ve discovered the Iyashi Bedrock Spa, you’ll wonder why you didn’t know about it sooner and you will most likely want to share this great find with all of your friends and family members!

>>> How to book your appointment

>>> You can book your appointment by visiting their website: Iyashi Bedrock Spa

http://www.iyashibedrockspa.com

There are many ways of detoxifying your body: water fast, juice fast, detox supplements, liver or colon detox supplements, foot detox spas and foot detox patches.
I’ve not tried all of these methods, but I’ve tried a number of them. Most of them require you to make some serious changes to your lifestyle. When it comes to the foot detox spas, you’ll either have to fork out a couple of thousands of dollars to buy a unit or you’ll need to go to a doctor’s office and pay for each session. When it comes to the foot patch, it’s true that some of them are quite effective, but not everyone is willing to go to bed with the patches and not everyone is interested in seeing the results of the detoxification process (aka the black residues that are expelled from your body).

Detox supplements are very effective and until recently, I used them a lot. The problem is that you actually have to remember how many you need to take every day, as the frequency changes as you move forward in your detox plan. I’ve also found that they cleanse the body in a more assertive way that sometimes require you to be close to a toilet at all times … which is not always practical when life gets in the way.

I’ve found that since my life is simply crazy these days and I’m juggling too many priorities, so it’s been impossible for me to do a juice fast like I had a few years ago for 13 consecutive days. I was very happy to discover Wholy Tea because it allowed me not only to rid my body of toxins, but it also helped rid my body of chemical toxins (which are of greater and greater health concern). The bonus is I had to only make minor changes like eliminate alcohol (I don’t eat fast or saturated foods).

The magic of Wholy Tea is how simple it is to use. The manufacturer has an amusing tag line that is truly accurate: Wholy Tea is as easy as 1,2, Tea!

Wholy Tea is a blend of all natural herbs that can be effective in helping cleanse your major organs (kidneys, liver, colon and skin). Not only will you cleanse your insides, but you’ll also find that bowel movement problems might become a problem of the past because Wholy Tea cleanses gently, swiftly and effectively.

The sad truth is that in North America, no one talks about bowel movements. It’s true that Dr. Mehmet Oz (Oprah’s health expert) is now championing the cause of colon detox and colon exams, but in general most North Americans who are very irregular don’t understand that irregularity has some serious health repercussions and never detoxifying your body basically prevents your body from functioning at maximum capacity.

Remember, that a detox program not only serious benefits your body, but your skin will also benefit from the detox cleanse because you’ll quickly notice how much healthier and younger your skin looks.

Here’s the bottom line (pun intended), if you can boil water and drop a couple of tea bags in a pot of boiling water, then you can detoxify your body with Wholy Tea!

Lucky for us, there are so many safe and cost-effective detox programs available for most of your natural detoxing needs.

You just need to head to your favourite natural health food store and you’ll find detox kits to eliminate poisons and unfriendly substances from these vital body parts: the blood, colon, lungs, liver, kidneys, skin and lymph systems.

That said the most common detoxification system is a colon detox cleanse. Toxins that are ingested and not immediately absorbed into the body will be moved out of it as waste. If the waste sits in the colon for too long (aka you’re irregular), the toxins can be absorbed there, or can cause irritations to the intestinal linings. Contrarily to what most people think, to remain healthy, you should have at least ONE bowel movement each and every day. Some hardcore health nuts will tell you that if you eat three large meals per day, you should have three bowel movements per day as well! That said, for the average person, one bowel movement is a good goal to achieve and maintain.

If you are really keen, you can use different techniques to detoxify each and every organ in your body, but since most of us lead crazy lives, a total body cleanse might be the easier and most achievable way for us to detoxify our bodies twice a year.

For many years I’ve used Ultimate Dual Action Full Body Cleanse. I loved the product so much that I used to buy it and send it out to friends living in Europe who had problems with bowel movements.

Unfortunately, Nature’s Ultimate Dual Action Full Body Cleanse is no longer sold in Canada so I had to do a bit of leg work to find a new product.

For American readers, I’d say that Nature’s Secret Ultimate Cleanse is an excellent product (and it’s about half the price as what I used to buy it on Amazon … which is amazing — Nature’s Secret Ultimate Cleanse)

You can read the testimonial from other happy users here: Nature’s Ultimate Dual Action Full Body Cleanse.

I did find another cleansing kit that is created here in Canada by Renew Life Canada (American readers will be happy to know that First Cleanse is also sold in the US, while International readers will need to do a bit of research in their market to find a comparable product) and it has a 15-day cleansing system and a 30-day cleansing system.

I really like these types of kits because they are easy to use and I simply need to make a few adjustments to my lifestyle: cut out alcohol, coffee, any cheat foods during the period of the cleanse and ensure that I drink plenty of water.

You just need to look at the well-labelled bottles and take two capsules of either the morning or night-time formula and you’re done.

You might not think the product is working for the first few days because you won’t feel much difference in your body, but all of a sudden the positive detoxifying effects of the First Cleanse capsules quick in and trust me you’ll know because you’ll become friendlier and friendlier with the toilet.

I tried the 15-day First Cleanse program and I can honestly say that I felt amazing after the cleanse and I’m planning on doing another 15-day ‘First Cleanse’ at the end of the year.

The ideal scenario is to start with the 15-day ‘First Cleanse’ and then a few months later to follow it up with the 30-day cleanse. This will give you the most positive results and if you’ve never done a cleanse before those two cleanse periods will do your body a lot of good.

I’d suggest taking this cleanse period to re-evaluate some of the food choices that you’ve made in the past and take this opportunity to introduce better quality foods in your life, drink more water, reduce the number of cans/bottles of soda you drink, reduce the number of teaspoons of sugar you put in your hot beverages and the number of times you eat at a fast food restaurants.

I’m not suggesting cutting bad foods out cold turkey, but rather to go at it slowly and simply reduce some of the foods you know aren’t going to benefit you in the long run.

Here’s one last thing I should mention about Renew Life products, they been dubbed by SPINS (the leading source of fact-based sales information for the Natural Products Industry) as follows:

“Renew Life products are the #1 cleansing products!”

If you want to know more about Renew Life products or if you’d like to know more about First Cleanse, you can find out more here: First Cleanse

Would I buy First Cleanse again? YES! I would because it was a very effective product!

OVERALL REVIEW: