Experience Gate of Life Wellness and Healing Arts
Restore Balance in Your Life
Have you ever gone on holiday to relax but found yourself even more wound up than when you left home? You’re not alone.
At Cabot Shores, guests can enjoy a variety of options focused on Wellness and the Healing Arts. Morning meditation, Qi Gong, the Barrel Sauna, Japanese Ofuro soaking tubs, Individual & group acupuncture, yoga, outdoor adventures and delicious food with local ingredients, and live music are just some of the ways we can help you unwind and rejuvenate.
Thermal Circuit
$49/person per session (3 hrs)
The Cabot Shores Wellness Spa combines traditional Nordic-inspired hot-cold therapy with Cape Breton’s stunning natural setting. The carefully designed thermal cycle begins with 10–20 minutes in either the outdoor barrel sauna (150–175°F), infrared sauna (120°F), or cedar hot tub (104°F). This is followed by a cold plunge in a cedar tub for 45 seconds to 3 minutes, triggering endorphin release and reducing inflammation. Each cycle ends with a relaxation period, and repeating the cycle enhances benefits.
Health Benefits include reduced inflammation, improved circulation, natural stress relief, lower blood pressure, and muscle recovery.
Guest experiences often describe feeling both deeply relaxed and re-energized.
Tips for first-timers:
- Pace yourself and listen to your body
- Hydrate well
Qi Gong & Morning Meditation
$15/person (30-45min)
Based on Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong is a series of gentle exercises that aid in the movement of human life energy known as Qi. The aim of these exercises is to limber up the joints, open up the breathing, focus the mind, stimulate circulation, and increase a sense of well-being.
Meditation is an ancient practice for letting go of habitual thinking. In the gaps between thoughts, a sense of awareness develops, allowing for a fuller and richer experience of one’s mind.
During these brief morning sessions, you will be guided through a mindfulness and awareness meditation practice. The sessions are open to beginners as well as more advanced students. A great way to start the day!
We offer complimentary 30-minute Qi Gong and Meditation sessions at 9:30am, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, in our beautiful Studio Loft upstairs in the Event Space Building. Please reserve your spot with the front desk staff on the prior evening.
Yoga Session
$15/session
Yoga is a holistic practice that connects body, mind, and spirit through movement, breath, and awareness. Rooted in ancient Indian tradition, it helps release tension, improve flexibility and strength, and restore inner balance.
The word Yoga means “to unite,” reflecting its aim to harmonize the individual self with universal energy. Through postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama), yoga clears energy pathways and promotes healing from within.
A yoga session brings relaxation, clarity, and a deep sense of peace. It’s a safe, natural way to support physical health, reduce stress, and awaken your inner healer—accessible to everyone.
Therapeutic Thermal Massage Bed
$25/person
Enhance your wellness journey at Cabot Shores with the state-of-the-art Massage Ceragem Bed V4. This innovative massage bed blends far-infrared heat with the gentle movement of heated jade rollers, providing a deeply restorative experience that’s personalized to your body’s needs.
As the rollers move along your spine, they help improve circulation, reduce tension, and promote deep muscle relaxation, while the soothing infrared warmth enhances overall healing and stress relief.
Whether you’ve spent the day exploring Cape Breton’s trails, relaxing in the hot-cold wellness circuit, or simply want to take a moment for yourself, the Ceragem session is designed to leave you rejuvenated, re-centered, and refreshed.
Benefits of the Ceragem Massage Bed:
- Improved spinal alignment and posture
- Enhanced circulation and muscle recovery
- Gentle stretching to release tension
- Natural stress relief and relaxation
Session Details:
Each session lasts approximately 40 minutes, giving your body time to unwind and reset in a peaceful, private space.
Perfect for:
- Post-adventure muscle recovery
- Deep relaxation on its own
- A warm-up or follow-up to sauna and cold plunge therapy
Barrel Sauna
$35/session for up to 3 guests; $50/session for 4 or more guests
Our beautiful new Barrel Sauna will relax you, helping you to release muscle tension and toxins while also lowering blood pressure and aiding circulation. Breathe in the wonderful cedar scent as you look out toward Church Pond.
Book your 45-minute sauna session at least an hour in advance with our Front Desk staff and they’ll have it ready for you when requested.
Hot Tubs
$55/evening for 2 guests; $75/evening for 3 or more guests
No matter the weather, our tubs help you relax as you soak in hot water while surrounded by nature's beauty. Watch the stars from your private Japanese cedar soaking tub or your private traditional soft hot tub. Please book you hot tub with Front Desk staff at least 24 hours before your arrival by calling 902-929-2584 or by booking directly online.
Five Element Acupuncture
$100/session
Five Element Acupuncture is an ancient form of acupuncture that works by treating a person at the levels of body, mind, and heart or spirit. By placing very fine, sterile needles into points in different parts of the body, a person’s Qi, or life-force energy, is stimulated and encouraged to move in its proper fashion, thereby encouraging the healing process.
Conditions that respond well to acupuncture include GI and circulatory disorders, headaches, women’s health issues, allergies, muscle and joint pain, stress-related illnesses, and many others.
Please book your appointment 24 hours in advance with our Front Desk staff.
Cape Breton Rated Top 10 Romantic Places in Canada
"Possibly the most romantic aspect of vacationing on Cape Breton Island is the fact that things move slowly there. You can live in your hotel room for days without missing your laptop. You can take a snowshoeing trip to areas with no cell-phone service and never miss that annoying buzz that comes every five minutes. In Cape Breton it’s all about you, your partner and breathtaking landscapes. Visiting Cape Breton takes relaxation to new levels, which means you have nothing but time to devote to the one you love the most."
~ Concierge to Canada vacay.ca