Friday, March 24, 2017 7 Brooklin Town Crier Yes Woman By Marissa Campbell Brooklin Village Spa and Salon: Ahh, Such Bliss! When was the last time you took some time for yourself? I mean, real, honest-to-goodness-no-kids-or-family-members-in-the-vicinity time for yourself? (Locking yourself in the bathroom while toddlers claw at the door doesn't count.) I snuck out for two and a half hours of pure relaxation bliss at Brooklin Village Spa and Salon and lost myself in the rapture of a facial and pedicure. Seriously. This was heaven. I've had pedicures at nail bars in and around town, but I'm short and can never get comfortable in those oversized massage chairs. At Brooklin Village Spa and Salon, I reclined in a comfy bed, propped up with fluffy pillows, covered in warm blankets, listening to a soothing spa soundtrack while Kristy Beattie, their incredible Spa Manager, buffed and polished my sparkling toes to a hot pink sheen. I may have fallen asleep while my feet soaked in warm sudsy water. A stainless-steel bowl was brought to the spa bed and placed on a special shelf; I didn't have to move a muscle. Brooklin Village Spa and Salon is a green spa with several organic products and it works hard to limit energy consumption and manage waste. Their nail polish, for example, is free of the top five harshest chemicals like formaldehyde, and their make-up is gluten free - a boon for yours truly. Their products are safe for pregnant women. Jaime Towns took over ownership five years ago and has created a soothing, welcoming environment. As soon as you walk through the doors, you are enveloped in serenity. It's a spa, first and foremost, but has recently added an intimate hair salon offering clients a wide variety of services in one location. For my facial, I tried out the Eminence Organic experience, needing some hydration after a long, cruel winter. I added anti-aging creams for good measure. Receiving a facial not only rejuvenates and nourishes our skin (the biggest organ in our body), but it also aids relaxation and restores a calm, peaceful state of mind. If you've never had one, let me paint you a picture: warm and cozy, wrapped in soft blankets, gentle fingertips massage your face, imparting nourishing ingredients into your skin. As the moisturizer absorbs, you find your arms being treated to the same luxury, as skilled hands knead away every knot of tension, right down to your fingers. After more glorious facial massage and treatments, a hydrating mask is applied and while that sinks into your skin, your legs receive similar treatment, the muscles of your calves and thighs melting under the flawless touch of the wonderful aestheticians. As if that wasn't enough, with the last luxurious cream applied, you sigh in repletion as fingers weave their way through your hair, massaging every inch of your scalp. This entire experience lasted an hour, and I didn't want to get off the bed. There was another bed in the room and I learned they do treatments for couples and moms and daughters, but if you need more space, they offer bachelorette celebrations and girls' night out parties. Basically, you get to take over the entire spa. You can even bring your own wine! For the young ladies, they offer princess parties, complete with a real princess! Guys, here's an insider tip for Mother's Day… they have gift certificates! Or, Ladies, grab your man a treatment for Father's Day - men need some loving, too. Personally, I know too many overworked, overstressed people. We put ourselves and our needs last, which may seem like a good idea in the short term, but eventually stress infiltrates our lives and sinks its insidious claws into our well-being. We need to take time for ourselves. It's not a guilty pleasure, it's imperative for our health. Time to book some well deserved me time at Brooklin Village Spa and Salon.