Today’s fast-paced business environment and pressure to stay fit all year round have many people so worn out by December that the idea of hosting a family dinner is enough to drive them to insanity. Why not indulge them in a little spa-therapy session this year? Forget the facials and Swedish massages of days gone by; we’re referring to some serious, all-encompassing rejuvenation. These treatments break the mould by claiming to offer long-term mind and body benefits.

For The Traditionalist

Cupping treatment at Collective Skin Care (1268 Pacific Boulevard), $55 for 30 minutes

Consider cupping a massage from the inside. This ancient Chinese practice sees a registered acupuncturist place heated glass cups on the skin—usually on the back—creating suction and pulling the skin upward. The cups are left on the skin for anywhere from five to 15 minutes and are moved around along the spine to help with blood flow and nerve stimulation. Cupping is said to be beneficial in improving a host of physical ailments, including chronic pain, high blood pressure, respiratory conditions, and more.

For The Athlete

Cryotherapy session at Qore Health Centre & Spa (630 Fifth Street, New Westminster), $55 for three minutes for first-timers

We’ve all heard about the benefits of an ice-cold shower after a workout, but whole-body cryotherapy takes that principle to extremes. Stand in a cryosauna and gasiform nitrogen takes temperatures in the chamber down to as cold as –170° C. Sessions last only two to three minutes, but it’s enough time to supposedly bring the body’s internal temperature low enough to kick immune-system response into overdrive, increasing oxygenation and detoxification while decreasing inflammation, swelling, and joint and muscle pain. Regular clients are said to report improved energy, faster recovery, and higher performance.

For The Busybody

Sensory-deprivation float at the Float House (various locations), $39 to $75 for 90 minutes

When it’s not the body but the brain that needs a serious break, nothing clears the mind quite like 90 minutes in a sensory-deprivation tank. Devoid of all sound, light, odour, and cellphones, the tank is filled with nothing but 10 inches of salt-rich water that is heated to the same temperature as the skin’s surface. (We’re talking 800 pounds of dissolved Epsom salts, so skip the float if you’ve got any open wounds.) This leaves users floating in a sea all their own. Floaters purportedly experience both improved relaxation response and immune function, as well as stress relief and increased energy.