Feel Good Guru

Not only do the numerous hot springs running beneath the world’s northernmost capital provide its denizens with a place to soak and relax, but these geothermal springs also provide almost all of Reykjavik’s heat and water.

Located on what geologists call a “hotspot” with a high concentration of volcanoes, Iceland gets 70 percent of its energy from renewable resources like springs and waterfalls.

In direct contrast to its name, which means “Smokey Bay,” Reykjavik is now known as the world’s least-polluted capital. (more…)

Some places are blissfully far enough away to keep the masses away, although from May to September hundreds of people per day pass through Liard Hotsprings, 495 miles up the Alaska Highway.

For some, this is a stopover, a resting spot en route to Alaska or the Yukon from southern BC and elsewhere. For me, it’s a destination unto itself worthy of a road trip from L.A. or Toronto. I could (and have) soaked for days in the 45-degree mineral waters of Alpha pool getting warm to the bone after a long cold ride up the remote Alaska Highway. (more…)

Easy to forget you’re soaking in history while soaking up the Rocky Mountain views and the curative mineral waters of the Banff Hotsprings. Canada’s native people first discovered the natural hot springs at Banff and considered them to be sacred waters – a place to cure illness and enhance health. Abundant in sulphur, the waters are said to help heal dermatological problems such as psoriasis, as well as aid in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and other diseases.

The healing effects were not lost on me while I lived in Banff over ten years. At the (more…)

This place is not for everyone, but if everyone went just once, we’d probably have peace on earth. Harbin Hot Springs is a clothing optional retreat north of San Francisco, beyond the Napa Valley wine region in nature’s embrace. It’s a garden of Eden where deer and wild turkeys wander through your campsite by the babbling brook, the air is champagne bubbly and the scent of eucalyptus everywhere transports you to a place of deep healing. You’ll find yourself wishing you could stay forever – and some people do. (more…)

You have to travel a long steep gravel logging road to get to these hotsprings, but it’s worth the detour off BC 93 near Canal Flats. The Lussier Hot Springs are undeveloped wilderness springs along the rushing and freezing Lussier River, known far and wide, especially by the Germans, who flock here in the summer. It’s a fabulous thing soaking in the hottest upper pool – only room for 6 or 8 – as long as you can handle it, then diving into the freezing cold, mountain spring-fed river for an invigorating hot and cold body blast. (more…)