I am jet lagged from my last three day business trip to London.

The holiday season is stressing me, on top of everything I've got a dehydrating flu that is not allowing me to concentrate -- half of the day I am nauseated with an upset stomach, and and the other I am coughing. At night I am completely focused thinking, during the day I am in an irritated mood and in a disoriented dream state.  Something's wrong here!

Fatigued and mildly depressed, I look through the window.  It's snowing outside. "Extreme Weather" is the NY1 headline on TV, I see a pale reporter giving suggestions about how to fight the winter blues: exercise, a specific diet and a beam of white light on the face... I dream of Maresias, the small city in Brazil where I used to go spend my weekends by the sea. But now I am in New York City! I have very important tasks to accomplish this month and I must be productive until my next vacation. What could be the solution to be successful?

Before putting my Mac in the "sleep mode," I check my last e-mail and suddenly a colorful picture captures my attention. It's a reclining chair surrounded with a beam of orange light and a title that says "Nap your way to the top". Gosh, I'd like to lay in there! Where is that chair in heaven? It's not at N.A.S.A , nor in a plane, or in the future; it's now, and it's found at Yelo, on Fifty-Seventh Street in New York City very close to my apartment, and the best part is that I can use it!

I run a few blocks and as soon as I arrive at the bright pink reception desk I am welcomed by a pretty girl named Capucine with a delightful French accent: "Welcome to Yelo wellness and sleep therapy system!"  Capucine introduces me to the treats menu while in a soundless monologue I explain my condition. "What you need Joelle,"- she says - "if I may give you a suggestion, is a good 20 minutes powernap and the Immunity treat."

"For 90 dollars you'll participate in our body protection program: Our therapist Rob (he is already pouring a decaffeinated Cinnamon Chai tea with a smile in a well designed glass cup coming from an even better designed glass bottle that was kept warm by a tea light candle) will stimulate your reflex points including your thymus, spleen and lymphatic system to give you a fighting chance. It's tough out there!"

Rob -- without a word, just a silent smile -- invites me to get acquainted with three different ambiance scents from renowned Paris based house L'artisan Parfumeur: Mimosa Marin, Figue from Provence and Blackberry. Capucine explains about the perfumes' powerful properties of cognitive association with the mood or places I visualize to be at the moment of the treatment. I get it and immediately pick up Mimosa, which reminds me of my childhood in Tuscany during the spring when I spent time with my grandmother.

Rob picks up the diffuser and leads me through a  yellow corridor to my private Yelo Cabine whose purified air is now aromatized for my personal needs. The light therapy, Rob says now with his own voice, consists of picking up the right shade of blue, introducing my almost surrendering self to relax in this Matrix-Womb space.

Capucine comes after me and reminds me I forgot to answer the last questions. She hands me a piece of paper regarding my customized sound selection with the ultimate purpose apparently of stimulating my aural experience. I am asked to choose between Animal sounds, Nature Sounds, Ocean waves, Rain Sounds, Whale Songs, Inner Voyage, Zen, Classic Piano, Classic Opera, Medieval Chants, Nap Soundtrack, White Noise or no music at all.

Here I am finally in the thick, fine leather-cushioned zero gravity Yelo reclining chair especially designed for my legs to be elevated above my heart, allowing it to quietly slow down. Rob is explaining in a soft voice about the reflexology treatment he is going to apply on my feet, neck, shoulder and ears, but I am hardly hearing what he says. I feel totally weightless and starting to relax under a wonderful 500 dollars Umrao Tibetan Cashmere blanket and Ocean waves from somewhere far.

My feet enrolled in wet and warm scented towels with aromatic oils, are under a slight deep pressure, some specific points apparently corresponding to organs, glands and other part of my body are under a process of waking up while I slowly engage myself into what they call the Beta wave sleep.

Some time has passed. I am gently and naturally awakened by a warm yellow sunrise light, I am told scientifically simulated by Yelo LED projector at the back of my chair.

I feel rejuvenated. Capucine gives me my membership card so I will be able to save some time and get in on a self-service base, and a pretty shopping bag all designed by New York's The Apartment studio with a large container of aromatherapy Sleep bath salts as a gift.

Nicholas Rocco, a former director of the Time Warner marketing division and the founder and CEO and of Yelo, LLC traveled extensively in a quest to learn how different cultures fight stress, fatigue and exhaustion. He experienced reflexology and sleep therapy in Japan and performed volunteer work at an ashram in India, where he realized the importance of quiet centered-ness and pervasive calm.

Nicholas, I am still in New York City, not in Bali or Maresias, but thank you. I really napped myself to the top without moving and feel now very rested.

My BlackBerry's sound of a new e-mail: Orbitz online "Prepare for your trip Ottawa 12/04/07 .....

So long Capucine!

Joelle's Picks:

The Center: Yelo, 315 West 57 Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, New York, NY, 10019 phone 1 212. 245 8235 / You can book online

The Interior Designers: The Apartment 101 Crosby Street New York City 10012 Contact: Jennifer Ward/ phone: 1 212 219 2661 or at Jennifer@theapt.com

The Product: Molo Tea Lanterns you can purchase them at Yelo

The Ambience Perfumes : L'Artisan Parfumeur at Henri Bendel 712 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor New York NY 10019 TEL 212 904 7910

L'Artisan Parfumeur Columbus Boutique 222 Columbus Avenue New York NY 10023 TEL 212 787 4400

L'Artisan Parfumeur Madison Boutique 1100 Madison Avenue New York NY 10028 TEL 212 794 3600

L'Artisan Parfumeur Soho Boutique 68 Thompson street New York NY 10014 TEL 212 334 1500

Share this article: