"Life is a series of choices. Today yours are good ones," read the tiny piece of paper curled inside the cellophane-wrapped biscuit I seized from a bowl at the spa's entrance.



Given the East-meets-West wellness philosophy that epitomizes Alberta Massage and Spa, the cookie proved a telling prediction of my day of pampering at the hands of co-owners Shelly Bootland and Haris Softic.

Belying its straightforward name, the wellness centre at the renovated Medicine Hat Lodge and conference centre entices visitors from the moment they step in the glass doors.

Designed with the principles of Feng Shui, the Alberta Massage and Spa pays heed to a harmonic balance of Asian philosophies with a unique range of treatments that go far beyond traditional esthetic services. The curved labyrinth of treatment rooms winding through the spa has been carefully laid out to maximize the experience.

"Everything follows the same pattern as water or wind," explains Bootland, who is trained in a variety of healing bodywork including traditional Chinese medicine, several kinds of massage and bodywork, St. Michel mud treatment and the unusual Japanese Sok tub, which allows partakers to 'float' in a cascade of bubbles.

"We designed it with certain principles in mind," she says. "It creates energy, and it moves energy through the spa. We deal with the body, the mind and the spirit."

For example, a form of lymphatic drainage for the face that uses pure monochromatic light - a system pioneered by Switzerland-based Phytobiodermie®, offers holistic products and treatments based on the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine - wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

"It's a bit like getting a facelift without the facelift - it erases fine lines and wrinkles, improves circulation, decreases puffiness and helps detoxify the skin," Bootland explains. "You'll notice a difference in one treatment."

We decide to put this to the test. First, my torso and legs are encased by an infrared sauna - a box-like creation that emits warmth and healing infrared rays. Bootland emerges at my side with a paintbrush and artist's palette featuring creams in a kaleidoscope of colors - each targeting my unique skin chemistry, body tone and Chinese biorhythms.

She explains the meaning of each cream as she dabs them across my face. Different blends - there are 285 potential combinations - might be used during each visit, because our body's chemical balance and energies change with the season, she explains. She also uses a plastic wand emitting different shades of light to massage my face.

Bootland then dons a pair of thin rubber gloves - fruit-flavored, no less - and inserts her hand in the right side of my mouth. This is known as intra-oral craniofascial release, and I am slightly taken aback. She palpates my inner cheek along the back of my right jaw while stretching my right ear.

This is new to me - a jaw massage from the INSIDE - and I quickly realize her point that the tissues and tendons of the face are often locked with tension. Bootland notes these treatments are often used by clients who've suffered facial injuries/surgical reconstruction or those with chronic jaw tension or other conditions. "We're much more than a beauty spa; we deal with all aspects of healing and wellness."

I can agree my jaw is noticeably more relaxed. She lifts a mirror to my face, and I also have to admit that the right side of my face that has been treated looks considerably smoother, less puffy; my cheekbones and jaw more defined.

Next, I head for the massage table (couples massage also available) and Softic demonstrates the benefits of Japanese hot stone massage. Some such treatments involve simply the placing of stones on acupressure or meridian points, but Softic uses the oiled, smooth rocks to work through the knots in my back and neck. He also uses Thai 'stem' massage that relies on cloth bundles of aromatic Thai herbs that are used in place of the rocks.

In between treatments, clients can relax with tea or cucumber-infused mineral water in front of a toasty fireplace in the Great Room. Those who book a visit on Wednesdays and Mother's Day will also find other solace - all treatments use chocolate-scented products known as Body Bliss, a line developed by the spa's owners. And yes, for those who want to have their chocolate and eat it, too, the spa is laden with cakes and other chocolately confections.

The Alberta Massage and Spa also offers pampering pedicure treatments including the Fabeau-lous Feet Pedicure System, which uses a foot-pedal-powered wand with disposable pads that tickle as they buff away your calluses. (Rather than traditional pedicure stations, the room, too, is unique: tucked behind an ornately lacquered Chinese screen, clients slide into one of four oversized eggplant-hued recliners, each adorned cozy blankets and soothing lamp lighting).

Those who manage to extricate themselves from the Alberta Massage and Spa could head back to their room for a snooze - or grab the kids and head for the hotel's indoor waterpark. Interior rooms overlook the waterpark so parents can keep a watchful eye on their kids from a balcony chair outside their room door. The hotel's full-service casino is another popular draw.

Medicine Hat also boasts several tourist attractions including a walking tour of the historic downtown; Saamis Teepee (world's largest teepee, built for the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympic Games to honor local Blackfoot tribes); and the Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District - a factory complex district that pays homage to the city's legacy as a former pottery centre of Canada.

The city's newest icon is The Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre, a sprawling new performing arts centre, gallery and archives that opened its doors in late 2005 with a gala performance by country music superstar Terri Clark, who hails from Medicine Hat.

Other popular tourist draws include a myriad of recreation opportunities offered by nearby Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (a unique and vast grassy plateau bordering Saskatchewan to the east and the United States to the south) and the sprawling South Saskatchewan River valley and its many parks.

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