by Miranda Voth

On a crisp March morning in 2003, I rowed in a two-seater boat for the first time. I had always rowed in four-seater boats (that have two oars on each side that keep the boat steady). Learning to row in a new boat was nerve wracking, not to mention how dark it was at 6 am that morning, so I was quite relieved to have made it back to the dock dry. Star-board oar on the dock, port-side oar in the water.

Our coach clapped for our success and told us to sit tight while he got our shoes.

The person sitting in the front seat is the boss of the boat. I was instructed to remove my oar. Forgetting about the lack of stability, my boat mate turned to high-five me and we toppled into bitter cold water.

Unable to move or swim, every coach on the dock came running to fish us out of the water. We were rushed home and instructed to take a hot shower, get out, dry off, put on clothes, take them off again, and repeat the cycle. This was to make sure my body didn’t go into shock.

I am telling you this story because I did something similar (and willingly) last week. I went to Body Blitz Spa to relax and get a scalp massage.

Body Blitz Spa is Canada's answer to ancient restorative water practices. I wondered about the health benefits Body Blitz boasted and had to try it out myself. I packed my bathing suit and after a long day at work, I hit the pools.

The act of bringing the body to a gradual sweat draws out toxins from the body. Once the perspiration process has started, it's time to shower off and spend one minute in the 66 degree cold plunge pool to close your pores.

Each stop on the water circuit has it's own benefit to the body.

The 38 foot sea salt pool is great for relieving and soothing body aches and joint pains as well as draws out toxins. Leaving this pool I felt relaxed and my skin was soft.

I am a big fan of the hot green tea pool. I drink green tea because of it's a trustworthy anti-oxidant and is known to help prevent many health problems and diseases. If this is true, why not submerge your body in it to absorb the benefits of green tea?

The aromatherapy steam room is filled with 100 per cent humidity. I went on a Wednesday evening and there were no more than three other women in each room at a time, including the steam room. The steam promotes good circulation and cleansing and toning the skin. The steam room is also beneficial for soothing respiratory disorders and rheumatic pain.

The infrared sauna is not just any sauna. Unlike other saunas, the infrared light heats the body to evacuate deeply-lodged toxins.

Finally, the cold plunge is used throughout to bring your heart rate back down and stimulate the thyroid. Submerging myself into this pool instantly brought me back to what it felt like in the Henley harbour that morning. Except every time I braved the cold at the spa, it was benefiting my body.

If you're looking for a way to detox, skip the cleanse and try the waters at Body Blitz.

Once I was completely renewed from the waters, I went in to experience the "face and scalp renewal" treatment. The 60 minute treatment was non-stop relaxation. I even fell asleep and jerked back awake at one point.

The most inspiring part about the spa is that it's run by two women. Laura Polley is the CEO of the spa and her sister develops the product line and branding. It's the perfect women only get away for any stressed out sister in the city.