Seasonal prep for the mind, body + soul.

As the days grow shorter and the evenings darker, we’re doing everything we can to take care of ourselves in preparation. Here are a few ways—from “sun” bathing at City Sweats to oyster shucking at Scout—you might lift the spirits and get rejuvenated as we transition into the new season. 

SWEAT IT OUT

Spa gurus have long flocked to downtown’s Banya 5 and Lynnwood’s Olympus, while others choose to float away their cares in tanks around town. But now there are new, enticing hot spots—literally—entering the rotation, too. No matter what’s happening outside, things feel tropical and Zen inside urban sweat lodge City Sweats. At two locations (one in Madison Park and a larger outpost in Wallingford), far infrared saunas use heat and infrared light waves to deeply heat the body—ultimately releasing stored toxins seven times more efficiently than a traditional sauna.

Here’s an example session at the Wallingford venue on Stone Way: Begin with a shot (the healthy kind) at the tonic bar. Catch up on Netflix or zone out to relaxing music while the private Lymphatic Drainage Treatment offers “cosmic hugs” that squeeze toxins from the body. Then, get into a meditative state in a private infrared cabin for the next 45 minutes. The experience culminates with chilled chai tea and oranges in a cozy lounge area, where you’ll feel transported to an island paradise, thanks to the chill vibes and (actual) sand between your toes.

On the Eastside, Seattle Sun Light Spa celebrates a grand re-opening in downtown Bellevue in mid-November. This new cosmetic maintenance spa from the experts at Seattle Sun Tan offers services including Photofacials, Infrared Saunas, Infrared Wellness Pods for relaxation and LED Body Sculpting solutions.

And speaking of sweating it out, PNW fitness fanatics will love switching up their hiking-yoga-running routines this December with FIT36, one of the nation’s rapidly growing High Intensity Interval Training Programs, which opens the franchise’s first Seattle location (in Ballard). The FIT36 training program utilizes the combined science of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) to give participants an effective total body workout—in just 36 minutes. Classes led by professional trainers are designed to help participants train at an intensity level that helps torch fat, build strength and create lean muscle. (Heart rate monitors help participants stay in the optimal zone, for more efficient results.)

TREAT YOURSELF

For other self-care rewards, book indulgences at Penelope & The Beauty Bar, Seattle’s luxurious spa located in the historic Fairmont Hotel downtown. Schedule an exclusive Jade Infrared Pod Session, choose between a bounty of massage options, or enjoy seasonal additions like the PERFECTLY PAMPERED Foot Scrub/Massage Pamper (that uses a signature scrub infused with local, organic pumpkin) and PENELOPE POLISH for the body, a 25-minute treatment that’s also infused with pumpkin and leaves you feeling fabulous (and, might we add, very on-trend).

LONDON Nail Bar soon finds a home in South Lake Union, offering their signature waterless manicures and pedicures in a cocktail bar-inspired space with eight service chairs. The flagship shop also retails the brand’s full makeup and nail product assortment in this welcoming spot that “introduces a unique beauty experience with the brand’s cheeky touch.” In other makeup news, bareMinerals recently celebrated the launch of barePRO Performance Liquid Foundation—their first liquid foundation with 24-hour staying power.

EAT WELL

Seattle has it dialed in when it comes to restaurants that offer health-conscious options, and now there are plenty of on-the-go additions around town. Aside from the explosion of poke destinations, Evergreens has opened salad hubs all over the city (like a brand-new one in Fremont), and buzz-worthy Bulletproof has landed in South Lake Union, too. Assess the fad for yourself—with its many alleged health benefits—when you try their coffee that’s made with Bulletproof Coffee beans, Brain Octane™ oil and grass-fed butter.

If eating at home appeals, we also have ideas on how to spruce up your cupboards before the long winter arrives. Stock up on healthy goods from woman-owned food company Esplendido Douro, makers of the Gold Award-winning, premium EVOO Azeite Esplendido out of Portugal. (Local owner Sheila Fitzgerald is the exclusive U.S. importer of olive oil made in the picturesque Douro Valley.)

Other companies we’re thrilled to have recently discovered range from Oregon’s Brew Dr. Kombucha and Upton’s Natural Jackfruit (surprisingly enjoyable!) to Explore Cuisine‘s bean-based pastas (all vegan, organic and gluten-free), and decadent Hail Merry (pick up their vegan and gluten-free sweet treats ranging from coconut vanilla creme tarts to dark chocolate bites at PCC and other local grocery stores).

COOKING TIPS

All year-long, get fruit-centric recipe ideas from Stemilt, a family-owned company in Wenatchee, or allow Chef Grant at Walla Walla’s Marcus Whitman to share monthly posts on his idea of delicious eats. In order to improve your at-home performance, learn tricks of the trade at culinary centers like Hot Stove Society, the downtown cooking school of James Beard Award-winning Chef Tom Douglas that hosts cooking demos, special guests, wine tastings and hands-on experiences (including Food Lovers Weekends like “The Baker’s World” January 26 though 28).

A few blocks away, Scout at Thompson Hotel hosts a tantalizing series called CHEF (EN)COUNTERS, in which the venue’s culinary and beverage team welcomes guests to small, interactive classes held at the Chef’s Counter. On Mondays between October 9 and December 18, join these intimate gatherings that have fun and informative themes like “Oyster Shucking” (hosted by the shucking team from Josh Henderson’s Westward), “Cake Decor,” “Butchery” and “Craft Cocktails.”

‘Tis the season!