Come clean

DETOX FROM...

...those aching muscles

Thai Massage

Keep your clothes on
If you’ve never had a massage and the thought of stripping down for a total stranger leaves you cold, don’t miss out on a chance for inner peace—just take it slow. A foot massage is a great way to start. Melanie Wong at Enliven Beauty Spa (138 Mulberry St between Grand and Hester Sts, second floor; 917-680-7843; $38 for 45 minutes) offers a full-body experience, applying steady finger pressure to your soles that sends waves of joy right up to the top of your head. Supermodest types, take note: A (fully clothed) back rub in a massage chair at Relaxing Station NYC (178 Hester St at Mulberry St, 212-966-1831; $13 for 15 minutes) is surprisingly thorough and rejuvenating.

Disrobe and de-stress
The most common types of massage are Swedish, deep tissue and shiatsu. Each can help rid the body of poisonous physical and emotional stress. Most NYC spas offer a version of each for $80 to $130 an hour. Or change it up and try Haven Spa’s herbal poultice massage—based on an ancient Thai technique administered to soldiers returning from battle—which uses a heated pouch filled with detoxifying herbs. Pressed into the body just so, it provides a soothing, deep-heat treatment, leaving you refreshed and serene. 150 Mercer St at Prince St (212-343-3515, havensoho.com). $125 for 60 minutes.

Embrace awkward positions
Ready to go long and deep? A Thai yoga massage, in which you are stretched gently but firmly into yogalike poses, is both relaxing and invigorating. At Paul Labrecque, therapist Liam Petryshyn (who studied in Thailand) gets up close and personal. He’ll press, stretch and bend you into hurts-so-good poses—wrenching years of pent-up stress from seemingly inflexible joints and hopelessly tense muscles. You’ll leave with a fresh outlook on life. Paul Labrecque at Reebok Sports Club (multiple locations, paullabrecque.com). $175 for 90 minutes.—Keith Mulvihill

NEXT: Detox from...your take-out diet»

DETOX FROM: