August 27, 2010

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it

If I think back to the weeks leading up to Thomas and my wedding last year, I remember it going fast…really fast. To be honest it’s all just a blur, that time before our wedding – I can’t really remember specifics, only a feeling.

Even though our wedding was really small, there were still lots of details and things that needed our attention. At some point I realized that we hadn’t actually spent any real quality time with just the two of us in months.

We are both busy people, but we always make a point to connect with each other and spend some time for just the two of us and somehow that got lost in all of the planning. I’m sure it happens to everyone, but it just caught me off guard.

We decided we needed to do something that would relax us, but also allow us to spend time together – and with no talk about the wedding! Our solution was easy: Le Nordik! It’s relaxing and you’re not supposed to talk in the baths area – so that covered off the not talking about the wedding part!

photo from Le Nordik’s website

Le Nordik is a Finnish style spa in nature in Chelsea, Quebec. We had been a few times before and thought it would be perfect.

From Le Nordik’s website:

This relaxation technique is certainly not new; it dates back as far as two thousand years and it originated in Finland.
The concept requires alternating hot, cold and relaxation periods.
First warm up your body by taking a Finnish sauna or steam bath for 10 to 15 minutes; this will open up your pores and toxins can be evacuated through sweat. Then, quickly cool off by submerging yourself under the Nordic waterfall or in one of our cold or temperate pools; this step will help rinse off toxins and tighten up the pores of your skin. Finally, complete the process with a calming period by sitting peacefully for another 10 to 15 minutes in one of our indoor or outdoor relaxation areas. This step will allow your system to find its normal rhythm.

We spent the entire Saturday there the week before the wedding. We even had a great lunch (for such a reasonable price too!) and reconnected and relaxed – it was exactly what both of us needed. We headed into the week before our wedding relaxed and excited!

So now I pass on this wisdom to everyone getting married out there. Don’t overlook time for each other and remember why this great celebration is happening. It’s because you are perfect for each other and love spending time together, just the two of you.

On a side note, you don’t have to be getting married to enjoy Le Nordik!! If I won the lottery I’d buy a season’s pass – I don’t even know if something like that is even available! haha. It’s so relaxing and amazing. If you’d really like to splurge for ultimate relaxation, have a massage! The massage therapists at Le Nordik are registered and you can get a receipt to claim through your insurance as well. Note though that if you are pregnant, they don’t recommend the baths or the massages.

….and now I want to go to Le Nordik again! haha.

Do you have any tips for how to reconnect and relax before a wedding?

Have a wonderful day,