After a few weeks of incessant parties, gastronomic gatherings and promising to see your long abandoned gym/nutritionist/spiritual guide, the confetti has finally settled. After settling on a few ambitious New Year's resolutions you're certainly feeling a trifle better, though your body feels as if it's been hitched to the back of a champagne truck and dragged through an LES Santacon pub-crawl (come to think of it, it probably was). In your quest for a restorative spa experience, one that will rid your bod of the nasties amid a beautiful and deeply relaxing atmosphere, you'll be sorely disappointed when you come to the doors of Juvenex Spa. Sitting squarely in the center of Koreatown, the Asian, European, and American style spa has an unassuming, even dingy front entrance that it shares with an unremarkable Korean health food shop. But a front is all it is. When the rickety elevator opens to the 5th floor spa, the posh plank foot bridge and natural wood reception area reminds you why Diddy and Sofia Coppola have detoxed here.

There's little distinction between a guest receiving a full on rejuvenation treatment, complete with saunas, tables showers and baths, and a guest who just wants a quiet eyebrow wax. Everyone flows together in squishy flip flops to the center of a cavernous room, where the famed Jade Igloo Sauna stood majestically, as if it were an impressive accent to a Disney World ride. The Gem-Shaped Glass Herbal Steam Room wrens around a row of three Japanese Soaking Tubs, filled with large lemons and herbs. I stood in bewilderment in a chenille robe as my guest and a second group stared at the impressive stone interior, unsure of what to do next. The 24 hour spa seemed to be going through a transition in staff, though we had come after work, what would seem to be a high traffic time for this 24 hour spa facility.

Jade Journey We sat half naked in our robes and bathing suits as we enjoyed lemon water from a refreshment bar until a member of the staff pointed us toward the Jade Igloo Sauna, made of 20 tons of jade stones imported from the Chun-Chon mine in Korea boasting thermal properties that provide the benefit of dry heat, hot jade stones, and infused Chinese herbs like mudwort and ginseng. This was the beginning of what they call the "Jade Journey" of the 3 saunas and 3 soaking pools, Korean style salt glow scrub, stimulating hair shampoo and conditioning, full body cleansing and skin nourishment, facial cleaning and mask, and massage. Despite what was on the menu, I was still feeling reluctant to step out of my robe and sit around in my bikini. I greedily grab a towel and wrap it around me as I enter the Disney-Sauna, aware of being around complete strangers in this communal spa.

Korean Salt Scrub and Stimulating Hair Shampoo Flash forward to the Korean style salt glow scrub. After nearly nodding off in the Jade Igloo, then jumping in the three soaking pools and back into the herbal steam room, I'm ready to take it all off- which is great because that's exactly what the women performing the treatment are asking me to do. "Off!" They point to my chest and I gladly whip off my top, as if the 3 saunas and 3 soaking pools have suddenly turned me into a coed on spring break. They proceed to scrubbing a layer of skin off my body, which might make me a bit squeamish if I wasn't feeling drunk with euphoria.

Massage After a quick facial and even quicker shampoo and conditioning treatment, I climbed off the table and zombie-walked my way to the waterfall showers to prepare for my massage. Here's where I snapped out of my trance. Dripping wet and half naked, they led me to the front door and back in the elevator to move upstairs to a more private massage area. Um, awkward. Apparently the spa is expanding to two floors, and the method to moving people between floors for treatments haven't been ironed out yet. There I was, a dripping mess looking every bit like a drown rat, in harsh elevator lighting after splashing around a rock cave of wonder. The snap back to reality was too much. The massage, however was perfect. They climbed around and on top of the table nimble and quick, their hybrid of Asian and European massage methods both relaxed and restored my aching muscles.

+'s The incredible atmosphere and the health benefits brought about by this one of a kind sauna system is hard to beat. Juvenex Spa’s centerpiece is the Jade Igloo Sauna. Jade is said to help balance your body’s ph, by reducing your body’s acidity to help your cells release toxins. Jade is also good for joints and moderating blood pressure. Sweating out toxins isn’t the only benefit of the heat. Juvenex Spa’s glass walled Diamond Herbal Steam Sauna isn’t your ordinary steam room either. Before entering the room the steam passes through a box containing herbs which then permeate the steam to aid in lung function and a healthy respiratory system. The heat generated by the sauna also raises the heart rate creating a passive cardiovascular workout. Up to 300 calories can be burned in a sauna session.

-'s Not for those who are painfully shy, as this is a communal atmosphere. Though I would repeat the entire experience (over and over and over again), you should be prepared for sudden jarring bursts of reality. A trip back to the elevator and gruff spa technicians are just a few of the interruptions. People chatting and joking nearby and other spa-goers trying to strike up conversation could also be annoying at times. This experience, however healthy, does not replace your yoga or meditation class.