Deep in Brooklyn is the World Spa, a wellness emporium offering saunas clad in mosaics, steam rooms resembling Turkish hammams, a chillingly cold enclosed nook packed with snow, and a sizable indoor pool, among other amenities. But its best sell, in our opinion, is the menu of treatments hard to find elsewhere.
During my visit a few months ago, I wanted to experience one of these pampering capsules. Due to its 30-minute duration—if I’m being honest here, hefty hour-long massages don’t befit my short attention span—I opted for the Venik Platza Ritual. This is not your run-of-the-mill spa endeavor; it’s a centuries-old Russian tradition that promises to leave you renewed and invigorated.
The Venik Platza Ritual is steeped in history, dating back to medieval Russia. The term ‘banya’—meaning ‘bathhouse’—hints at its cultural significance: a place for communal bonding, deep conversations, and, most importantly, relaxation.
At the heart of this ritual is the Venik—a bundle of leafy branches from birch, oak, or eucalyptus trees. Each type of leaf has its own set of benefits; birch is great for circulation and detoxification, while oak is the go-to for inflammation.
So, there I was, lying face down in a steamy room while Svetlana, my expert masseuse, drizzled essential oils over my skin. Then came the Venik—brushes of leafy branches against my legs and back, with varying degrees of vigor. I was sweating buckets, every pore working overtime to detoxify.
Now, I’m not usually a fan of plunging into freezing water, but Svetlana had other plans. She led me to the ice-cold pool not once, but twice. Submerging myself in the icy depths was a shock to the system, but oddly invigorating. Each icy plunge was followed by a quick shower to rinse off the chlorine, then it was back to the treatment room for another round of oil and leaves.
The honey body mask was the cherry on top and a wonderful finale, proving that even the simplest ingredients can work wonders.
Consumed in a post-treatment bliss, the Venik Platza Ritual, with its ancient Russian roots and its symphony of steam, leaves, and icy dips, opened my eyes to Russian wellness—and the fact that you can experience it in Brooklyn wonderfully surprised me.
