The bath-house with a mission to redefine the wellness experience is reopening in Melbourne’s inner-north very soon.
Taking inspiration from ancient bathing traditions while exploring contemporary notions of self-care, Sense of Self (SOS) Bathhouse and Spa is all about wellness without the BS.
Offering choose-your-own wellness experiences, including communal bathing in a large mineral bath, a Finnish sauna and a cold plunge pool, SOS is a place for everyday people to enjoy an elevated self-care experience.
Founders Mary Minas and Freya Berwick are adamant that wellbeing shouldn’t be about performance or beauty, but about acceptance, inclusivity and restoration.
“Our vision is to strip the spa experience back to its roots, giving people a place to cultivate a better relationship with their bodies and themselves,” Minas said.
“You’re given the autonomy to restore yourself in a healthy and playful way,” Berwick adds.
“Ultimately, we want to encourage a broader audience to make self-care a ritual, which is needed now more than ever.”
After a year filled with social isolation for many, the team at SOS are inviting patrons to cultivate healthier relationships between their bodies and themselves through authentic self-care at their bathhouse and spa.
“We could all use a bit of healthy hedonism right now,” Berwick says.
Designed by an all-female team made up of collaborators from SetSquare Studio, Chamberlain Architects and Hearth Studio, the SOS space takes cues from traditional bathhouses while incorporating soft colours, brass highlights and statement tapware to create a welcoming space. The interior invites guests to interact with the textures and colours in their immediate physical world, exploring the relationship between their body and space.
The SOS Bathhouse and Spa sits beneath Sense of Self’s Massage and Mindfulness studio in Collingwood, which opened late last year, together forming a reinvigorated spa model for relaxation and leisure.
Sense Of Self Bathhouse And Spa will first open its message studio and reception on Tuesday 26 October and then the bathhouse on Friday 5 November. For more info check out their website.
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Image credit: supplied