Popsugar | Mercey Livingston
Popsugar | Mercey Livingston
La ciutat de Nova York no és aliena a les destinacions de benestar animades. El lloc més nou? Alteritat , a wellness studio that is 'an immersive sauna and ice bath experience,' per the website. I thought Othership was just another bathhouse , but I was wrong. Othership is an entire experience. Instead of a space where people roam around and use the sauna and cold plunge as they wish, I found myself in a confidence-themed class inside a shared sauna. Picture this: towel waving, aromatherapy balls, group sharing, and validating cheers in the company of kind strangers.
In other words, Othership is more of a social experience than a spa. In addition to the confidence class, it also offers other themes, from heart opener to inner power. Oh yeah, and there are sober sauna raves , too. Have I piqued your interest yet? Here's a recap of my experience.
Popsugar | Mercey Livingston
Com va ser la meva experiència d'altitud
En el moment que entres a Othership, és una vibració total. Penseu en poca il·luminació, encens i pau. Un cop entres a l'espai principal, que té aquest ambient fosc, relaxant, temperat i genial, hi ha una política estricta de no telèfon.
Upon arrival, I was guided into the changing rooms, where I put on my swimsuit and was provided with two towels. Then I met the rest of my group for class in the communal sauna, which boasts three levels of tiered, theater-style seating. I'd never been in a sauna with that many people before. We were introduced to our instructor, who guided the group through various meditations and invited people to participate in response to thoughtful prompts and reflections throughout the class. I couldn't help but feel like I was at a SoulCycle class (think: inspiring instructor, candlelit vibes — but no cycling).
At various times throughout the session, the dynamic became particularly intense: there was towel waving and some screaming. The class was unlike anything I've ever experienced. At times the group were invited to share reflections if they wished. Since this was my first time there, I felt a bit out of my element. But I could tell there was a solid group of regulars who had a sense of community within the group and with the instructor.
After the sauna meditation, we were led into the cold plunge room. In this portion of class, we were coached through 20- to 30-second intervals in the cold plunges. I personally benefited from having others plunge at the same time as me (nothing like good ol' peer pressure to keep you submerged in an icy pool) — plus, having the instructor's encouragement and cheering for others in the class didn't hurt either. After about four rounds of cold plunging, I felt like a pro.
Afortunadament, vam tancar la sessió de nou a la sauna, on ens van guiar per una altra ronda de treball de respiració i ens van enviar amb bona vibració.
El meu veredicte final
En general, Othership no s'assembla a cap concepte de benestar que hagi provat mai (i ho he provat molt en els meus prop de 10 anys com a editor a l'espai de benestar). En el futur, crec que provaria una de les sessions de flux lliure, ja que és menys estructurada i et permet fluir per la sauna i el bany de gel com vulguis. Les classes dirigides per un instructor són ideals per a aquells que volen ser guiats durant tot el viatge. Els recomano especialment per a persones que són noves en la sauna i les immersions en fred, o simplement volen deixar-se guiar per un procés estructurat. En general, recomanaria Othership a les persones que volen l'element social i volen estar en un espai amb persones afins interessades en el benestar, la salut i el desenvolupament personal. També és atractiu per a aquells que realment gaudeixen d'experiències de benestar dirigides per un instructor. Però ajuda si tens una ment oberta i estàs interessat a provar coses fora de la teva zona de confort (perquè de nou, aquestes classes són úniques!).
Si esteu preparats per provar-ho, Othership té ubicacions a la ciutat de Nova York i Toronto. Membres in NYC start at $51 per month, with an unlimited-access membership clocking in at $333; single classes are $64, and you can also purchase class packs.
Mercey Livingston és escriptora i editora amb més de vuit anys d'experiència que cobreix fitness, salut i nutrició per a mitjans de comunicació i marques com Well Good, Shape i Women's Health. Va ser l'editora de fitness a Peloton i va ocupar papers editorials a Equinox, Shape i Well Good. Mercey és una entrenadora personal certificada per NASM i especialista en fitness femení. També és una entrenadora de salut holística certificada a través de l'Institut de Nutrició Integrativa, amb una certificació addicional en salut hormonal.
