Opening their arms in a big way to the practice of yoga, day spas are catering to city dwellers who seek one-stop destinations for body, beauty and spiritual rejuvenation. Yoga studios are being added to the traditional line-up of treatment rooms and salons, and yoga programs developed by renowned teachers such as Ana Forrest, Roseanna Frechette and Shiva Rea are becoming the rule, rather than the exception, at full-service spas.

The frazzled denizen of the humming metropolis may now drop in for a noontime or after-work yoga class to restore physical and spiritual balance, refresh his or her skin tone with a facial, and take a shower before reentering the urban whirl. Especially in big city day spas, the emphasis is on stress reduction and holistic health maintenance, from movement to meditation, detox to dietary goal setting.

Combining the programs offered at separate yoga studios, fitness clubs and pampering spas--and adding conveniences like online reservations; cafes and juice bars; e-mail access, showers and complimentary personal care products--day spas across the country are becoming all-inclusive oases of wellness and renewal.

SomaFit
Architects noted for designing Washington D.C.'s toniest eateries have created a $2 million blockbuster of a fitness and spa combination, SomaFit, opened in August, 2004, in upper Georgetown. Based on the concept of a la carte day use--no membership fees--SomaFit, nonetheless, has an V.I.P. club feel, with locker rooms outfitted with hair gels, shampoos, razors and dryers, and plush robes. The interior design is sleek and luminescent with blond maple wood, vibrant blue mosaic and glass tiles, and warm tangerine accents.

You can check in here for steam and sauna; a quick, clothes-on chair massage, or personal treatments of every square inch of your body; weight training, aerobics, meditation and yoga. In a serene, fifteen-foot-high space, with space age, cushioned flooring, yoga classes are nicely limited to a dozen people; the separate gym is used only by those with appointments with personal trainers. Guests make appointments for private, semi-private and group yoga sessions focused on ashtanga/anusara, ashtanga/hatha, and general introductions to yoga.

Check your email in the library, browse a health-related book or magazine, grab some juice or a quick bite at an outdoor table, or bring your own snacks from the nearby Whole Foods Market.

Oxford Club Spa, Salon and Fitness Center
In a red sandstone, circa-1890, landmark building, the Oxford Hotel anchors Denver's historic lower downtown (LODO)--a happening nightclub, restaurant and gallery district. Hotel guests, local members and visitors have for nearly two decades flocked to the Oxford Club next door for the spacious spa and fitness facilities. The latest workout equipment, a gym, and daily exercise and yoga classes are open to the public for a mere $10 a day; or for a $57 monthly fee, making this one of the best deals in the West. A myriad of traditional and exotic spa treatments are on the menu, too.

Developed and taught to the Oxford staff by Roseanna Frechette, founder of Inner City Yoga in Denver and L.A., the daily yoga program is primarily hatha-focused. Popular with seasoned practitioners are the two-hour Sunday sessions: Kundalini; Sun, Moon, Earth, featuring those salutations; Yin Yang Yoga, a Japanese-style version of long-held poses, taught by Masami Griesy; and Weekend Warrior, concentrating on the strengthening and hip-opening warrior asanas, led by Karen Boeser.

Tourists, in particular, like the convenient location of the Oxford Club, which is within walking distance of Union Station; Rockies baseball at Coors Field; and the mile-long pedestrian mall on 16th Street.

Therapeia
In one of San Francisco's grand old Victorian buildings, a few blocks from city government headquarters at Civic Center, Therapeia is newly expanded, redecorated and reenergized. Southeast-Asian inspired altar tables and warm copper elements in the lounge soothe the spirits of busy city dwellers, both members and drop-ins, who come in for massage and skin care, and the wide variety of yoga classes. Besides traditional vinyasa and hatha yoga are the lighthearted "Astanga Spice," enlivened with music; energizing Power Flow; and yoga for athletes, for kids, and specifically for neck and back care.

The yoga program was developed by Ana Forrest, who trains the teachers in her unique Forrest Hatha Flow, a 90-minute experience aimed at opening the heart and cultivating core strength. Forrest's methods are particularly effective for dealing with injuries and illnesses, pain and stress-related conditions that often inflict urbanites. Therapeia regulars who like to hit the salsa dance clubs in the city's trendy Mission District come in for "Hip Hip" yoga, designed to warm up the muscles and release the hip flexors. Prospective members are invited to "sampler" evenings, when they can try acupuncture, introduction to yoga; cellulite-banishing endermologie; and different types of massage.

Can't tear yourself away from work? Therapeia will bring chair massage to you for a tension-relieving, deep tissue manipulation of your neck, shoulders and back. And, when your co-workers are low on morale and energy, arrange to have the Therapeia Office Massage SWAT Team come to the rescue!

Exhale Mind Body Spa
In low-lit, temple-like yoga studios, pale linen drapes the high ceilings and candles flicker in altar niches, creating blurred, timeless spaces where yoga becomes the perfect antidote to city-center frenzy. In new digs on Madison Avenue and Central Park South in Manhattan, in Bridgehampton and in Boston's Back Bay, Exhale Mind Body Spas are the epitome of destination day spas of the 21st century. Near carbon copies of each other, the spas are organic, minimalist environments where beach grass wavers behind translucent panels; cushy, quiet floor coverings are made of rainforest fibers, and carved woods from Asia are backdrops for healing therapies such as Thai massage and reiki, acupuncture, exfoliations, scrubs, and about eighty movement, yoga and mediation classes weekly.

A former YJ columnist and a celebrated yogini, Shiva Rea directs the yoga program, training the staff in the signature "Transformational Vinyasa Flow Yoga," which integrates breath, flowing movement, and world music. Members and visitors are guided to select appropriate classes, from vigorous--vira rasa--to relaxing, or shanti rasa. Among only-at-Exhale experiences are the demanding Core Fusion®, combining Pilates, yoga, core-conditioning and orthopedic stretching, using, at times, the Lotte Berk Method at the ballet barre. The ultimate indulgence may be the private "Body Enlightening" partner-assisted yoga and Thai massage, a sort of stretching, floating, relaxing experience negotiated with the hands, feet and elbows of the therapist--or, two therapists!

Travelers enjoy Exhale's multiple locations (new spas will soon open in Chicago and Los Angeles) where organic cafes and a variety of handy services, from teeth whitening to bikini waxes, Cool Laser Therapy and décolleté facials, are available.

The Gainey Village Health Club and Spa
Part of a massive complex that includes a 68,000-square-foot health club, The Spa at Gainey Village was named Top Day Spa in the Phoenix area by InStyle Magazine not long after it opened in 1999. Fringed with palms and tropical landscaping, the sophisticated, adults-only club (child care is available) appeals to guests from nearby vacation resorts, and other visitors, who gain use of the entire fitness venue, swimming pools, locker rooms loaded with amenities, court sports, and all classes for $30 a day; with a spa treatment, it's all free. Among nearly 100 movement and exercise classes are several yoga practice sessions a day, including basic and power yoga, yoga for athletes, "Yoga Sculpt" and more. Director of the yoga program and yogalates teacher, Faye Stenerson, is the creator of Karobics, a challenging cross between kick-boxing and aerobics.

This is the only spa in the Southwest with a sports medicine and wellness center on site, offering stress testing, wellness counseling, and injury rehab. And, it's the largest day spa in Arizona, with a whopping twenty-five treatment rooms, a full-service salon and a café, where you can hang out with iron-pumpers from the bustling fitness club, or order healthy items to be served to you in the quiet of the spa lounge.

SomaFit
2121 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 965-2121
www.somafit.com

Oxford Club Spa, Salon and Fitness Center
1616 Seventeenth Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 628-5435
www.oxfordclubspa.com

Therapeia
1801 Bush Street, #27
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 885-4450
www.etherapeia.com

Exhale Mind Body Spa
980 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10021
(212) 249-3000, #1
www.exhalespa.com
and three other locations:
150 Central Park South, NY, 10019
(212) 561-7400
2411 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY
(212) 249-3000, #3
28 Arlington Street, Boston, MA
(212) 249-3000, #350

The Gainey Village Health Club and Spa
7477 East Doubletree Ranch Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
(480) 609-6979 club
(480) 609-6980 spa
www.villageclubs.com/gainey