w mw wmww w IRW l1w -- W - 12B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, January 22, 2004 Beating the Blizzard Blues in A2 By Lia Izenberg Daily Arts Writer Everything can seem duller in the winter. Even your breakfast cereal, which pleased you so much during the summer months, can look like gruel. If you're like me, you long for a boost when it seems like your spir- it is anchored to the ground. If slip- ping around in four-inch heels on the icy sidewalk while waiting in line at Studio 4 is a once-a-week type of deal, here are some other ideas you might consider to spice things up. Aching muscles can really put a damper on your mood, making con- centration even harder than it has to be. Guys and girls can benefit from what Current Magazine voted "Ann Arbor's Best Massage" at the RelaxStation on the corner of West Huron Avenue and First Street. Don't have the time or energy to call and make an appointment? Not to worry. Most of the massages are available as walk-ins, making RelaxStation the busy student's dream. At only a dollar a minute, massages fit a stu- dents budget as well. The calming atmosphere and aromatherapy can make the snow and slush outside melt into a desert spa experience. If it's a new atmosphere you seek, but you can't get the money or the time together to hop a plane to Tahiti, there are other options in store for you. They may seem a little less than expansive, but Ann Arbor's Mattheai Botanical Gardens are as authentic as they come. Grabbing a friend or a date and taking a stroll through the Tropical House could certainly illuminate your senses and remind you of happier times when the area fauna weren't just pine trees. Smells and sights from the rain- forests and deserts of the Arid House can make a dull afternoon into an instant vacation. If a walk through the desert does- n't invigorate your winterized sens- es, perhaps a breath of fresh air is in order. No, not the kind you can get by propping open a frosty window. I'm talking about the aromatherapy pure oxygen bar at Bellanina Day Spa on North Fourth Street. With a selection of oxygen to choose from that is nearly as varied as the tooth- paste aisle, you are sure to leave the spa feeling either energized or relaxed, depending on which aroma you pick. It is as simple as slowly inhaling filtered air that has passed through an "aroma station," which Bellanina claims can have effects lasting up to several hours, and you will have no problem admitting you inhaled. Spa owner Nina Howard explained to me the benefits of breathing pure oxygen, a trend that started growing a few years ago and has since spread all over the country. I hooked up to the bar and chose "De-Toxifying Grapefruit" as my flavor of choice, then leaned back and enjoyed the relaxation. As an added bonus for bar-hoppers, the pure oxygen bar is said to be effective in making a hangover vanish into thin air. Bellanina also offers the Hydrotherapy Color Bath, a big bathtub that houses a bright light, exposing you to the whole spectrum of the rainbow and lifting your spir- its at the same time. Okay, so maybe you think that pure oxygen is some kind of myth. Well, here is something nice and tan- gible that is sure to perk you up dur- ing a blizzard: heat! That's not all, it gets better. Yoga is said to have extremely relaxing and energizing effects on the body and mind, mak- ing you just a little less weary when you need it most. When you add heat to yoga, as they do in the Ann Arbor Bikram Yoga Studio on Main Street, you can take away a little something Bellanina's Oxygen Bar offers a myriad of relaxing aromas to soothe the troubled soul. extra while sweating out all the bad stuff. Here is how Bikram works: Sometimes called "hot yoga," Bikram yoga (named after founder Bikram Choudury) is practiced in a room that can be heated up to 115 degrees, with the average being 95 to 105 degrees. The heat is supposed to increase the body's flexibility and movement abilities without increas- ing the risk of injury. Sound a little too intense? If you're not in the mood for something different, why not head out to Huron Hills Golf Course and sled the slopes? Whatever is getting you down, Ann Arbor is a diverse com- munity with lots of things to offer. It may take a little coordination, but it's not impossible to beat the winter blues this year. You just have to know where to look. DORY GANNES/Daily Aromatherapy is one way to ease rising tension in one's life. v ringBrek i Pmea City each Forda COME ON DOWN TO 42O MAYNARD FOR FREE PASSES TO "WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON!" EVERYONE HAS THEIR GUILTY PLEASURES. DAILY ARTS. WE DON'T JUDGE.