Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in New Mexico and a short drive from Santa Fe’s downtown is Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Spa and Resort. A luxury mountain spa that feels like a Japanese onsen, this coming year the spa will celebrate its 38th year.

“The Waves,” as the locals call it, is a unique phenomenon in the spa world. The emphasis at most Japanese spas is on providing a variety of indoor and outdoor bathing in beautiful surroundings. North American spas focus on massage and spa treatments – bathing is almost an afterthought. Ten Thousand Waves combines the best of both worlds through onsen bathing with a variety of massage, spa treatments, and facials.

The spa offers two facials – its Japanese Organic Massage Facial and its Oxygen facial. The Japanese Organic Massage Facial utilizes traditional Japanese massage techniques. During this deeply relaxing experience, a neck and shoulder massage releases tension as cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, massage, mask, and moisturizer tend to the skin. Japanese facial massage uses light stroking, kneading, and percussive techniques to increase circulation, muscle tone, hydration and lymphatic drainage for the neck and face.

The spa’s Oxygen facial infuses customized serums into the skin via pressurized oxygen. This works for all skin types and provides instant luminous results; it is also recommended for those who use injectables.