Blush’s Day at Bliss YogaSpa Vendor Spotlight: Bliss YogaSpa

You want to get in shape for the big day, but the phrase “bridal bootcamp” makes you want to hide inside a tub of Häagen-Dazs. Ditto for the eighteenth revision of your seating chart because your cousin keeps changing her mind on her plus-one. You’re stressed. You look and feel just “blah”. You need to find Bliss. Literally.

Bliss is a full-service yoga studio and spa designed to rejuvenate body and soul. I could feel my tension slip away as soon as I was greeted by the friendly reception staff. After a quick tour of the building–which can feel like a maze but is really a large circle–and a crash course on how to use the digital lockers, I was ready to get my “glow” on.

Bliss offers several classes a day in both their heated and room temperature studios to accommodate every client’s schedule and level of yoga. I opted for the morning Blissful Glow Flow, “glow” being a prettier way of saying “you will drip sweat from between your toes.” The room was warm but not humid, full but not crowded. The instructor, Brandon, led the class through sequences of intermediate poses but left room for students to practice at their own pace; there were many opportunities to either take a break in child’s pose or push through another vinyasa.

From the Moodspace panel that bathes the clay walls in changing colours to the icy lemongrass-scented towels offered during the final savasana, yoga at Bliss is truly a sensory experience. After an invigorating sixty minutes students can hit the showers or unwind in the yoga lounge, which offers complimentary tea or healthy snacks and refreshments available for purchase. I, however, was off to the spa.

After trading my sweat-drenched yoga clothes for a robe and flip-flops, I settled into a comfortable chaise in the spa lounge with a cup of organic tea and an iPad provided by the spa. It wasn’t long before Calli whisked me away to work her magic.

Calli treated me to the Sacred Nature Ritual, which includes a full body exfoliating scrub, massage and facial treatment with natural products. What I’m sure took only an hour felt like a full day of pampering as she relaxed me into that lovely space between wakefulness and dreamland. By the time she was through, my body felt like a puddle of melted butter.

Realizing that I needed a few moments to solidify myself back in reality, Calli handed me a cool glass of lemon water and said I could choose to unwind in the spa lounge again or visit the caldarium. The what?

The caldarium is a gently heated room centered around a bubbling water feature. The glass tiles that line the walls and floor reflect the twinkling lights shining down from the ceiling like a starry night sky. It’s a perfectly peaceful stepping stone on the path back to the real world. I took my sweet time back in the changing room, relishing the steam shower and salon quality hair products before I left.

Bliss also offers group rates and couples packages if you need a pre-wedding pampering session with the girls or a relaxing daytime escape for two. I recommend leaving everyone behind to enjoy a personal day; solo is the way to go for a complete overhaul of body and soul. From arrival to departure I felt welcomed at Bliss, never rushed or uncomfortable. Every facet of my yoga and spa experience was just that: pure bliss.