Fresh selection

SLOW GOING You can catch your breath at the new Chopra Center in midtown.

Chopra Center & Spa at Dream
Massages and facials at wellness sanctuary Chopra Center & Spa are as much about healing as they are about pampering. So I brought my anxiety-ridden body here—to the midtown outpost of culty mind-body physician and -author Deepak Chopra’s California-based enterprise—to de-stress. Redolent of nutty incense and bedecked with tufted jewel-toned pillows, the hookah-lounge-like relaxation area was my first cue that this is Eden for escapists. Unquiet minds can unwind at daily yoga and meditation -classes or at one of the frequent health seminars.

However, I came looking for old-fashioned coddling: From the -exotic-sounding menu of ayurvedic wraps (from $185), facials (from $150) and body rubdowns ($95–$280), I chose the abhyanga massage, a light, detoxifying treatment that had me soaked from head to toe in fragrant oil. Because one pair of hands didn’t seem like enough, I upgraded to a sublime synchronized massage (all bodywork treatments offer that option for an additional $95), during which two therapists administered a choreographed kneading routine to my knotty body. If this threesome was wrong, I don’t want to be right.—Marissa Patlingrao Cooley

Jin Soon
Jin Soon’s new Upper East Side spa extends the nail doyenne’s nurturing approach to hand and foot care. Offering a soothing atmo-sphere reminiscent of its East and West Village siblings, the new spot features multilevel architecture accented by paper dividers and warm walnut floors. (Like the other two spas, it’s the work of architect John Coughlan, who’s married to owner Jin Soon Choi.) Patrons can -indulge in the mix-and-match menu of hand and foot treatments, such as the Flower Petal Float (hands $20, feet $45) and the Spirit of the Beehive (hands $35, feet $60). I chose Breath of Milk and Honey (hands $28, feet $50), and I could practically hear my -winter-dried dogs thanking me when I immersed them in an earthen bowl filled with a warm essential-oil emulsion. Then, perched atop a silk pillow, I enjoyed meticulous cuticle work, exfoliation up to the knees and a thorough reflexology massage. The four-step Extra Callus Treatment ($15) left my street-beaten feet sumptuously smooth. To top off the mani-pedi combo, I chose from premium polishes by M.A.C., Nars and Chanel (and salon standbys such as Essie and OPI) for perfectly finished nails.—Cristina Black

WINNING HANDS Both Banyan Citispa, here, and the Chopra Center, opposite, offer a range of massages and other body treatments.

Okeanos
One step through the doors of Okeanos and you’d never know you were in midtown -Manhattan. While the design—cool-blue tile and steel detail work—resembles that of a 1930s Art Deco cruise ship, the spa’s melding of old-world tradition and new-world luxury gives you the feeling of being transported back to the motherland. Andre Izrailov opened Okeanos in October and says it’s the only high-end Russian bathhouse in the city. The spa may cater primarily to male comrades, but what woman wouldn’t feel transformed after the club’s signature treatments of banya and platza?

Dating from medieval times, banya is the custom of spending extended communal time inside the 170-degree steam sauna, alternated with icy-cold showers ($90 for a half day, $150 for a full day; free with any service of $120 or more). The cleansing benefits are felt over the course of treatment; some people take up to ten trips—or even more—in and out of the heat. Not for the faint-hearted, this exhausting yet restorative ritual makes traditional sauna time seem mundane. Consider combining it with a platza treatment—a gentle brushing that exfoliates the skin with birch leaves ($50). Have a shot of top-shelf vodka when you finish (or try an appetizer from the small menu) and you’ll never think of spa treatments the same way again.—Jessica Fear

Banyan Citispa
Elbow in the neck, knee in the back, a few good punches—not what I expected when I signed on to try the Traditional Royal Thai Massage with Herbal Compress ($110 for an hour, $220 for two) at the three-month-old, full-service Banyan Citispa in Soho. And yet Maggie, my masseuse, found a way to use both gentle and firm -pressure-point therapy in this two-hour session by combining Swedish-style rolling massage with aggres-sive limb pulling. It -started like any other spa treatment: I was naked under a towel and mellow instrumental music played on the speakers overhead. Soon, however, Maggie was jabbing various body parts into my back and twisting me into a pretzel, in between occasional knuckle cracking and kneading of the flesh. At one point, she actually leapt onto the table in the dark private room and grabbed me in what I believe was a classic wrestling hold (was that a half nelson?).

Just when I thought I’d have to cry uncle, she slathered on more hot oil and placed a superhot herbal compress on my lower back; I felt my body, and all of its gnarled woes, melt away. Afterward, I hung out in the lounge, noshing on dried fruit and nuts while reclin-ing on the cush-iony chaise. Did I feel the release of toxins and alleviation of sluggish blood flow—as promised in the brochure? Not really. But I did feel a sense of accomplishment and relaxation (or was that exhaustion?). Note: In March, the spa is opening an all-men’s facility downstairs, which will make the awkward unisex changing room a thing of the past.—James Oliver Cury

Pure Spa & Salon
Just steps from the 7 train, Pure’s sleek glass storefront stands out on a bustling stretch of Queens Boulevard in -Sunnyside. Walk through the lobby and you’ll find yourself in a 5,000-square-foot retreat. The spa is blissfully quiet, with only the soft sounds of trancelike music and a recording of crashing ocean waves. I opted for the Pure signature facial ($120), an intensive 90-minute affair that began after I donned a towel-like top and lay down on a bed in a candlelit room. Each facial is customized to the client’s skin type, using Dermalogica, a -fragrance-free line that’s known to treat skin gently.

My treatment had four main components: a light extraction, a soothing oatmeal mask, a collagen-producing multivitamin peel whose ingredients include hydroxy acids and vitamins C and E (less abrasive than a glycolic-acid peel) and an oxygen serum that purportedly brightens the skin and makes it glow. At the end of the process, my aesthetician showed me a chart detailing my trouble areas (a breakout-prone T-zone and chin) and told me about blemish-clearing products. Four days later, my skin was more evenly toned—but I did notice a bit of flakiness resulting from the peel, a small price for beauty.—Leslie Price 

Jacqueline Gaussen’s Skin Care Clinic
Cozy outdated furniture and ’70s-style paneling do not exactly make for a glamorous spa waiting room. But that’s all right, because at Jacqueline Gaussen’s Skin Care Clinic, the goal is to give people an uncommon spa experience. “I was always so disappointed when I went for a facial and they gave me a mask and put moisturizer on my face,” Gaussen says. “I can do that to myself at home!” That’s not to say she won’t do facials; the Upper East Side clinic offers four varieties ($130 each), suited to your skin type. But instead of giving you an hour of purely feel-good pampering, Gaussen—a self-proclaimed perfectionist—takes your mug very seriously. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I went home knowing I didn’t take care of every-thing on a client,” she says. 

Gaussen geared my facial toward acne-prone skin, including a blemish-busting series of mask, toner and moisurizer, followed by yet -another mask to detoxify, then infrared treatment.The real bonus: She -offers free microdermabrasion (usually $150) during your first visit. Three weeks later, my face is still looking fresh and polished.—Anne Finn

Jå
The Brazilian-owned Jå (pronounced “YAH,” meaning “now” in Portuguese), which occupies an entire three-story building, stands out in drab midtown like Carmen -Miranda at a bankers’ meeting. Like many homes in Brazil’s favelas, the exterior is playfully adorned with painted wood—in this case, a jazzy black-and-red color combo. But the samba-party vibe ends upon entering; tranquillity reigns at the immaculate space, which caters to just as many male as female customers.

My six-hour treatment was absolutely top-notch, beginning with the two-part “Brazilian oxygen facial” ($100), which includes being slathered with a soothing cucumber mask and zapped with light streams of air (which I was told nourishes the skin). At the same time, a reflex-olo-gist gave my feet the kneading of their lives ($100), driving out every bit of tension.

Next, a tag-team pedicurist and manicurist adeptly spiffed up my nails and buffed my rough heels ($80). Then I moved onto a massage table for a gentle body--scrubbing with a tingling fine-grain exfoliator. After showering, I spent much of the next hour flat on my back in the Oceana, which looks like a space-age tanning bed and is designed to cleanse and detox by deploying various combinations of heat, steam and water ($175). My final indulgence was the Polarity massage ($150), a type of holistic bodywork meant to improve the flow of energy. By then I was so relaxed, I may as well have been sprawled out in a hammock under the South American sun.—Les Simpson

Priti Organic Spa
If you’re into sleek minimalist interiors, Priti probably isn’t for you. The snug East Village spot has eco-friendly bamboo floors, deep-purple walls and hand-carved furniture. But the staff at Priti are sure to please anyone: They were extremely friendly and never made me feel as if I were on a conveyor belt, as I have at tonier spas.

After pouring me a cup of green tea, my technician, Michael, led me to a small candlelit room for a facial ($120). I have delicate skin, so I’m apprehensive about using anything harsh on it. Michael customized a treatment; the spa uses only Dr. Alkaitis Holistic Organic Skin Food products, and the ones he chose consisted of fruits, shea butter and -organic oils. He gave my face a deep-pore cleansing, an enzyme mask and extractions with steam, followed by a neck massage to die for.

Next, a pedicurist soaked my worn-out feet in a sensual bath full of organic-geranium essential oils ($30). After a gentle scrub and leg massage, I finished up by having my fingernails and toenails painted with nontoxic No Miss polish ($10). The Sanskrit word priti has many meanings, such as “attraction,” “pleasure” and “satisfaction”—all of which I felt when I walked out the door.—Courtenay Kendall